The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-11-09

Harry Welch, an Englishman,
aged 40 years, and up to the time
Of his death driver on the Bere-
tania line OF the Hawaiian Tram
ways Company, came to his death
by accidental drowning off the pier
at Long Branch, Waikiki, between
the hours OF 9 and 10 a. m. yes
terday.
a Coroner's inquest presided
over by Deputy Marshal Hitch
cock, was held in Long Branch at
p. m. The following-named per
sons constituted the jury: A. NJ.
Beattie, J. II. Gibson, Thomas Pat
terson, Senator A. Hooking, Benja-
min Gallagher and II. 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:
III. Mortensen, foreman at Puma
hOu stables, sworn, stated: Saw
WEIGH at ESQ Il. IN. 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 &" am
going to lie in the water fer a half
hour"
Lieutenant Coyne testified First
saw deceased coming out of the
bathroom. Saw him get into the
water. l 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, | 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 l /
following. Ritch and Sherwood .
hauled the man out OF the water
and tried to resuscitate him, but |
life was extinct. The body was
found about eight feet off the end |
of the pier, just about in the same
position where it was when he spoke
to me. The water at that place is /
about 4 feet deep.
Jim Sherwood-Was in bed at /
the time Welch came. First l |
knew about the matter was when
Ritch came in. l ran out and T.
jumped in after the man but it /
was too late. We laid him out |
and telephoned to police headquar-
tiers. 1t was between 8 and 10
o'clock.
John Ritch-Welch came and
asked me where Sherwood was.
Told him he was in bed. Asked
for a bathing suit which l gave
him. Left me some money and a
silver watch to take care for him.
DR.. Emerson-Have examined
the body of deceased and find that
he came to his death by drowning.
The peculiar position of the face in
the water and the arms and legs
hanging down lead me to believe
that he tainted or had fit while
in the water which brought about
unconsciousness. Remember a
case of the same kind that hap
pened on Long Island. Position
was the same.
The jury returned a verdict of
death by accidental drowning.
An incident in Welch's life is
well remembered by Lieutenant
Coyne and others. Lieutenant
Coyne was commanding a detach-
ment of soldiers on the road to
Nuuanu Cemetery, to bury one of
their comrades killed by the leper
Koolau, at Kalalau, Kauai.
Welch was coming along in a
street car. He was angered because