TRAGEDY AT KAIWHAIKI.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 20013, 17 February 1914, Page 24

TRAGEDY AT KAIWHAIKI.

YESTERDAY'S INQUEST,

SOME SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE,

MAN CAUSES BJB OWN DEATH.

An inquest touching the circumstances su wounding the death of a roadman named Bert Jones, who was drowned in the river at Kaiwaiki Plah on Tuesday, Feb. 10th, was held before the District Ooroner, Mr. W. Kerr, yesterday after-., noon.

Evidence was tendered by Timothy Hogan to the effect that deceased was employed "by.Mr McOullam, road contractor. At9«m" oi the 10th inst., witness and the deceased 'walked to the Upokongaro Hotel. There they stayed till noon, and had four or five long beers. When they left they took three bottles of beer and a bottle of whisky. They had some of this on the way to their camp. They reached a point opposite to their camp at about 4.45 p.m.,\and deceased called across the river to a boy named Stanley McCullam, and asked him to bring a canoe to conveywitness and the deceased across. When the iboy and the canoe arrived, witness said he would not go across in it, for he thought it was unsafe. When deceased got in he commenced rocking the canoe, and the boy told him to stop. Witness then went away to get some Maoris to pull him across. * The boy referred to, Stanley McCullam gave evidence corroborating thait of the previous witness tup to the point when Hogah said he went away. Then., the boy said, Jones commenced to rock the canoe, and it sank. The canoe came up upside down, and Jones Eeld on to it. Witness swam ashore and ran for help. When he came back in a Maor: canoe with some Natives, the .deceased ■ had Gunk. The camp cook, Joseph Smith, said -he wias standing on the camp side of tlhe river, and witnessed the whole 'incident. Tn addition to the previous Pevidence given, he said that deceased hung on to the canoe till it had floated for ibwu chains down the river. '

Constable Barry gave evidence as to finding the body about a mile above the Affamoho bridge on Sunday. He gaidi he •had made inquiries at the Upokongaro Hotel, and he was quite satisfied that the men left there sober. A half-filled bottle of whisky -was found on the body when it was picked up. The Coroner relumed the following verdict; " Accidentally drowned, through his own recklessness while under the influence of drink."