INQUEST AT BEAUMONT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XL, Issue 5563, 15 August 1908, Page 3

INQUEST AT BEAUMONT.

An inquest on the body of the man found in the Molyneux River on Friday last was held at Mr Eraser's Tuapeka Mouth Hotel on Wednesday before Mr «L Nome, A-Qting-Coroiwir, and a jury of six of whom Mr McGowan was chosen foreman.

Sergeant Higgins, who conducted the inquiry explained that owing to the necessity of bringing witnesses from beyond Clyde he would only at this stage be able to bring evidence as to identification of the body.

Frederick Schrick deposed that he had examined the body of deceased and identified it as that of his late brother, James Thomas Schrick, who had been drowned while crossing the Molyneux River on the chair situated near Half Way House, between Clyde and Cromwell on the 13th May. The deceased was a single man, 31 years of age, and a baker by trade, though he had for some time been working in the neighbourhood where he was drowned as a laborer. He was a man who took a glass occasionally, but witness had never known him to drink to excess.

Edmund Charles Trehey, police constable, Waitahuna, gave evidence as to the recovery of the body from the bed of the Molyneux River about 12 miles above Tuapeka Mouth. It was :ound lying on the rocks on the east side about 4ft above the then water level. It was in a bad state of decomposition, and had apparently been in the water for a couple of months or more. An examination of the body revealed no evidence of identification.

The proceedings were then adjourned to Wednesday, 19th inst, at 1.30 p.m., to enable evidence as to the circumstances surrounding the accident to be brought forward.