|
a.
|
Continued: Herald 20th April 1885
Yesterday morning at about 10 o'clock the waterman at the QueenStreet Wharf were surprised to learn that one of their number - a mannamed Charles Strong - had been drowned and that too, almost undertheir eyes, it appears that Strong was in the watermans house but aminute or two before the accident occurred talking to those in theplace, and then went out, and was last seen standing close to thesteps on the west side of the wharf. From that time nothing more wasseen of the man until his body was discovered in the water between avessel that was lying moored to the reclamation wall and the wallitself.
Nothing can be advanced to explain the manner in which Stronggot into the water. He was not using his boat as that was moored offin the usual place for mooring small boats.
Upon discovery of the body information was at once conveyed tothe Water Police and it was taken to the morgue and today an inquestis to be held.
Strong has been for many years a waterman at this port andamongst his comrades very general regret was expressed at his suddendeath.
His brother is at present time the keeper of the public baths.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Herald April 21st 1885
Drowning Case in the Harbour Inquest.
An inquest in to the circumstances connected with the death ofCharles Strong was held yesterday afternoon at the Fitzroy Hotel,Wakefield Street before Mr R. C. Barstow, Coroner and a jury of whomMr John Hackett was foreman, Sergeant Clarke of the Water Police,represented the police. The jury having been empaneled, viewed thebody, and the evidence was taken.
James Skillen, seaman on the ketch Violet deposed to seeing thebody in the water, and assisting to get it out.
James Smith waterman, deposed; knew deceased and last saw himalive about eight or ten minutes before the body was found. He wasthen in the watermans house lying on a locker. Witness spoke to himand shook him up. He was not asleep, but his eyes were shut, and heheld a pipe in his hand. He was not worse for liquor, but was a littlebit muddled. He had been drinking, but had knocked it off for the lastthree days. He got up and asked what was the matter; and witness said;'Nothing; are you going to unmoor your boat?' Deceased was awaterman. He said 'No; no use'. Witness told he was going to unmoorhis and left the house and crossed to the other side of the wharf, andwent into his boat and after hauling up the stern moorings came to thewharf, when some man ran across the wharf and told him Charley Strongwas drowned. Not more than eight or ten minutes could have elapsedfrom the time witness spoke to deceased in the watermans house untilhe saw him in the water drowned, he had known deceased eight or ninemonths. He was a single man. As a waterman he thought it strange thatthe body was not at once lifted out of the water, but the constablethen had charge over it and he did not wish to interfere. Had he beenfirst to see him, he would have at once hauled the body up.
The Coroner;
I think it the duty of any man, Constable or otherwise, to tryto save the life of a fellow creature. Cases have been known in whichbodies have been half an hour in the water and life had beenrecovered.
Examination resumed;
It was about 20 yards from the watermans house to where the bodywas found and witness had been away from 80 to 100 yards. Had hestumbled in, the splash must have been heard, for there was a fall ofabout 7 feet. It was nearly high water at the time. Constable MacKayof the Water Police deposed that at ten o'clock on Sunday morning hewas informed that a dead body was floating near the breastwork of QuayStreet. He saw the body and thought it must have been there aconsiderable time on account of floating. The rope was then round thebody, and witness went and got a boat and picked it up, and he thendiscovered while lifting the body that it was Strong. He wasapparently quite dead. Witness had not seen him that morning, and didnot know he was about. He took the body to the morgue, with theassistance of Sergeant Clarke and Constable McDonnell.
By the Coroner;
I unbuttoned the clothes as soon as the body was in the boat andfelt the skin quite cold, and there was no sign of pulse, but thelimbs were quite supple. He had known deceased for about 12 months.His brother stated that deceased would be 62 years of age next August.deceased was a man of intemperate habits. Witness could not saywhether he had seen him on Saturday, but he had seen him through outthe week. The witness was asked whether he knew it was Strong beforehe was lifted out of the water, and he replied in the negative, butthe coroner pointed out that the man who ran across the wharf andtold, Smith must have known it was Charles Strong. The coronerremarked that it would not be well in the future to have on the juryanyone who was able to give evidence. Had he been in a position to doso he would strike Gibbons off the jury and take his evidence, butthat would only leave the jury of eleven, and all they had done wouldbe for nothing.
Mr Gibbons said when he passed the rope round the body there wasno sign of life. No person said any thing about who he was until thebody was taken in to the boat. The witness deposed to having searchedthe body. He found a pipe, knife, some coppers and other smallarticles. There were no marks of violence on the body.
This was all the evidence and the jury returned an open verdict offound drowned.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
