Arizona republican., 1912-08-20
DROWNING WAS ACCIDENTAL
Verdict of the Coroner's Jury at the Conclusion of Inquest Into the Circum- stances of the Drowning of Dr. Wilson.

The inquest concerning the death of Dr. R D. Wilson was concluded before Coroner Johnstone yesterday, the jury finding that death was the result of accidental drowning. The testimony brought out little in addi- ton to what had already been print ed regarding the tragedy of last Fri day in the Arizona canal near Ingle- side
 Pete Davis who was accompanying the doctor on a trip to Granite Reef to see a former patient in whose wei fare he had a deep interest was the last man who saw him alive though he did not see him drown He said that they left Phoenix early in the morn ing after the doctor had made a pro fessional call on East Jefferson street. They had a single gun and the doc tor sitting in the buggy had shot several doves and a hawk along the way.
 As they were driving along the canal, the doctor remarked to Davis that the latter was not getting much fun out of the trip and handed him the gun, pointing at the same time to two doves on the opposite side of the canal. Both Davies and the doc tor got out of the buggy and the for mer fired, killing one of the birds.
 Davis tried to make his dog re- trieVe it but the dog would not enter the water Davis did not see the doc tor go into the canal but he saw him a little later swimming across it and watched him until he got out on the other side and saw him get the bird. Davis dog and a young dog belonging to the doctor then SWam across and when the doctor threw the bird into the water Davis dog took it. The doctor then went and took the bird from him and gave it to his own dog. Once the doctor had swan back all most to the side from which he had started but he went back and climb ed out of the canal with some diff culty to a place where the dog had carried the bird and laid it down.
 Davis saw no more for he went back from the canal to where there were some trees that he thought were fruit trees and when he had returned to the canal he saw the doctors hat. At first he believed that the hat was on his head and that he was treading water or wading. But when he saw the current run over the brim of the hat.
 Then Davis hurried down to the falls and notified the men working there that the doctor had been drowned and asked them to stretch a rope across the mouth of the sphOn that the body might not go through it. They did so but they told Davis that the body would probably be found not more than sixty feet from the point where it went down.
 There were several other witnesses to whom Davis had told the news of the drowning There had been some unfounded talk that there might have been foul play. That arose from the fact that the eye of the doctor had been discolored and because the doc tor had not removed even his shoes or his watch and hat when he en- tered the water. Davis was naturally solcitous of having this matter clear ed up and at his request Leo Trout man was called to the stand. MT TrOuJman arrived at the canal about two hours after the drowning and was the first one in the water. He said that he examined the bank on | the other side of the canal where Davis had seen the doctor come out and he saw his foot prints as well as the marks of his hands. He also saw the feathers of the bird shot by Davis and the place where the dog had laid the bird when the doctor | went back to that bank the last time ! MT. Troutman testified that he was l there until five o'clock dragging the 1 canal and diving for the body and all afternon the doctors dog was swimming about the point where ht 1 probably went down.