The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1895-11-12
Harry WEIGH, Car Driver, Loses
His Life.
NOT A CASE OF SUICIDE
Been Ill with Heart Trouble-found
Floating at Long Branch-Tramway
Employees Bury the Body-Evidence
of Persons Who Knew WEIGH.

Harry NelCn, al LlS lIshllIdA
aged 40 years, and up to the tim
of his death driver on the Bere
tania line OF the Hawaiian Tram
ways Company, came to his dealt
by accidental drowning off the pie
at Long Branch, Waikiki, between
the hours OF 8 and 10 2, N. yes
terday.
A Coroner's inquest, presided
over by Deputy Marshal Hitch
cock, was held in Long Branch al
/ p. m. The following-named per
sons constituted the jury: A. NJ.
Beattie, J. H. Gibson, Thomas Pat
terson, Senator A. Hooking, Benja-
min Gallagher and H. McCallum.
The witnesses were Lieutenant
Coyne, n. G. H., Jim Sherwood,
John Ritch, Lieutenant Renken OF
the mounted patrol and H. Morten-
sen, foreman at the Punahou
stables of the Tramways Company.
Full particulars OF the move
ments of the unfortunate victim,
from early morning until the time
of his death, will be found in the
testimony OF the witnesses as de-
tailed below:
H. Mortensen, foreman at Puma
hou stables, sworn, stated: Saw
Welch at $50 a. m. He had Just
come from Palama, in which vicin-
ity he lived. Said he wished to be
relieved, as he was feeling very
badly. He had been sick all night.
Deceased was not a drinking man.
Knew him from the time he reached
the islands, five or six years ago.
He was sick for about five weeks
four or five months ago and was
forced to quit work on that account.
Since that time he had been work
ing steadily. Welch had no rela-
tives in the city.
Lieutenant Renken overheard
Welch say to a driver: al am
going to lie in the water fer. half
hour"
Lieutenant Coyne testifed-First
saw deceased coming out of the
bathroom. Saw him get into the
water. was fishing on the pier.
He swan out around the pier and
shouted, "What luck ?" Told him
it was too windy for fish. | then
left and returned to the house.
Coming back to the main beach
entrance, l noticed Welch floating
in the water with his face under.
This struck me as very peculiar
and | ran to John Ritch-Jim
Sherwood's assistant-telling him
that | thought a man had been ]
drowned. 'Ritch called Sherwood. =
and together we ran out on the
beach, Ritch taking the pier, Sher-
wood rushing into the water and |
following. Ritch and Sherwood {
hauled the man out of the water I
and tried to resuscitate him, but 7
life was extinct. The BODY was h
found about eight feet off the end C
of the pier, Just about in the same |,
position where it was when he spoke v
to me. The water at that place is t
about a feet deep. C
Jim Sherwood-Was in bed at y
the time WEIGH came. First | b
knew about the matter was when
Ritch came in. l ran out and h
jumped in after the man but it n
was too late. We laid him out n
and telephoned to police headquar- b
ters. 1t was between 9 and 10 T
o'clock. F
John Ritch-Welch came and
asked me where Sherwood was.
Told him he was in bed. Asked
tor bathing suit which | gave
him. Left me some money and a M
silver watch to take care for him. II
DR.. Emerson-Have examined o
he body of deceased and find that u
ne came to his death by drowning. Oh
The peculiar position of the face in W
he water and the arms and legs al
hanging down lead me to believe m
hat he tainted or had fit while 10
n the water which brought about III
lnconsciousness. Remember vi
ase of the same kind that hap m
'ened on Long Island. Position al
vas the same. OF
The jury returned verdict of v, w
cath by accidental drowning. IL
An incident in Welch's life is In
yell remembered by Lieutenant be
'oyne and others. Lieutenant
'oyne was commanding a detach-
lent of soldiers on the road to OF
'uuanu Cemetery, to bury one of eli
heir comrades killed by the leper tn
,oolau, at Kalalau, Kauai. SCI
Welch was coming along in a on
rect car. He was angered because col