Bridgeton pioneer., 1898-05-05
DROWNING ACCIDENTAL.
So Said the Jury in the Case of Daniel
Gaskiil the Coroner's Inquest.

case
Gaskiil at the Coroner's Inquest.
Coroner Davis held an inquest on the
case OF Daniel Gaskill, who, nearly three
weeks ago, was drowned in the Cohansey
creek near the mouth. The inquest took
place in the Mayors office, Mllvilie.
Gaskill's home was in that city, where he
helped support his mother.
There were six witnesses examined on
! the case.
Edward Craig, who found the body,
was called, and he simply testified to the
finding of the body and bringing it to
shore at Greenwich Piers.
Captain William Birmingham, of the
oyster aoat Daniel Davis,'' the one Gas
kill was drowned from, said Gaskill
and Ammill came to his boat about ten
O'Clock on the fateful night, thinking
they were on their own boat, 1.-The May
flower" The captain was asleep in the
cabin, but awakened and saw the two
men. He asked what they wanted and
they told him, when he directed them to
their own boat. Presently he said AM
mill got on board his boat again and
said Gaskill was drowned. He had hat
in his hand.
George Ammill testified that he was
with Gaskill when he was drowned, and
described the manner very graphically in
which be met his death. He said Gas
XIII went to step from the "Davis" to the
yawl. He entered tie yawl first and
called to Dannie to cast of the painter, but
he never did it, but stepped, or rather at
tempted to step into the yawl. He heard
splash and Dannie was overheard.
Ammill said he grabbed for him and got
his hat. Gaskill never arose after he first
went down. Hethen went on the Davis
and tainted. Ammill was questioned
about the different tales he had told about
the drowning, He said he was drunk
and hardly knew what he did say. He
denied point blank telling John Blizzard
that Gaskill jumped overheard or that he
threatened to hit him on the head with an
oar if he did not sit down in the boat,
Blizzard had testified that Ammill told
him these things and also had told him
that he had drowned poor Dannie Gas
kill. Ammill was questioned on all the
stories, but he said the one he told on the
witness stand was true.
A juror ked him if he and Gaskill
had ever had any fuss, to which he re-
piled "No sir!"
John Holmes, bartender at Charles
Jones' hotel Greenwich pier, said Capt
Hughes, Gaski i'll and Ammill were all at
the hotel in the afternoon and drank very
little, glass of gin and glass of beer
was ALL Gaskill offered $40 bill to pay
for the drinks, but Captain Hughes paid
for them. The men, he said, were sober
when they left there. when Gaskilrs
body was found he had $3.50 on him and
a bag of tobacco.1
County Physician Thompson testified
to making an examination of the body,
but found no signs of foul play.
The jury returned the following yer.
dict: I'VE, the Coroner's Jury, sum-
moned to investigate into the death of
Daniel Gaskill, do find that the said
Daniel Gaskill, on the 14th of April, 1898,
accidently and by misfortune, fell into
the Cohansey creek and was then and
there suffocated and drowned, and as the
jurors do say that the said Daniel Gaskill,
in manner aforesaid, accidently came to
his death and not Otherwise
JOHN J. WHITAKER,
HARRY G. SMITH,
GEORGE RALINGs,
JOHN G. PAYNE,
| CHARLES V. DOUGHTY,
WILBERT J. SIMMERMAN.