Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1919), Saturday 8 February 1879, page 14


- Coroner's- Oourt.

RECOVERY Ol' CAPTAIN FRASER'S BODY.

At the instance of the racine Insurance Company,

tho bric- Iserbrook, which was burnt and scuttled in tlie harbour somo weoks since, has been pumped out by tho workmen of llountree's Dock. When the vessel waa dry to the cabin floor, a party Of water policö was sent to recover, if possible, tho body of Captain Fraser. After a äearöhltwaödiäcovered in a horrible condition, and the body could only bo identified by means of tho clothes that remained on it. An inquest was held on IV Londay, ut the Brecknock Arma llotel, when the following evidence was given :-Jamen Hampshire, late chief officer of tho Isorbroolc, who was on board with Captain Fraser when the vessel caught fire, «tated that Bhortly after 4 o'clock on tho afternoon of the 21at December he went on board the Iserbrook, and found Captain Fraser on board with a sailmaker named Barron, whom the captain introduced to Hampshire aa a frieud of his, saying that there waa some rum in tlie store-room, and thoy would get some for him (Barron). Tboy then took off ono of the main hatches,

and tlie three mon went down into the Btore-room.

When they got below, finding it dark, the_ captain and mate struck matches and went to a tier of caskB behind the mainmast, one of which had been bored and was loosely corked. Captain Fraser remarked, " This must be molasses," and pulled tho cork out, and immediately a quantity of rum ran out on to the deck. Hampshire seeing this put his finger into the cask, but the hole being largo, the Bpirit still continued to run out, and in the confusion one of the men dropped a match into the spilt liquor, which immediately took fire. Both men attempted to stamp out the flame, but were unble to do so, and Hampshire's arm and hand were so scorched that ho bad to withdraw his finger from the bung-hole, and, apprehending that the rum would blaze up, Barron and Hampshire rushed on deck, Hampshire falling into tlie hold as he endeavoured to loavo the storeroom. Ou the latter reaching the deck a few seconda afterwards, ho found Barron alone. Both men went to tho hatchway and shouted the captain's name several times, but without effect, and then an explosion took plaee, and flames and smoke made their appearance at tho hatchway. The employées of llountree's wharf seeing the flames came on board, and removed the vessel from the wharf. Witness nover saw Captain Fraser alive afterwards, but according to his belief the body he had Been at the doadhouso, in the presence of the coroner and jury, was that of Joseph Fraser, late captain of the brig Isorbroolc. Thia evidence was fully corroborated by thatjof John Burron, a sailmaker, residing at Balmain, who had gone on board the vessel at the invitation of the captain to have a glass of grog. The jury found that the body lying at the deadhouao was that of Joseph Fraser, late captain of the Iserbrook ; and, further, that his death had rosultod accidentally from injuries received while drawing rum. The following rider waa appended to tho verdict:-"The jury are of opinion that tho delay in taking effective steps for the rocovory of tho body is highly censurable,"

Tho City Coroner* on Thuraday afternoon, held an inquest at Darlinghurst Gaol, on the body of Daniel Ryan, aged thirty-Bix years. Deceased had been coachman for seven years to Mr. S. C. Brown, and boro an excellent character. Although ordinardy of Bobor habits, he, at lengthy intervals, indulged tc OXC6BB, On Tuoaday and Wednoaday be suffered from an attack of delirium tremens, and was, on Wednesday, sent to Darlinghurst Gaol, under a Central Police Court bench of magistrates warrant, for one week's medioal treatment, AB he was supposed to he of unsound mind. During tho night he was placed in the padded coU and was at times violent, lu the morning he became quiet, and laid down. His keeper thought he had fallen asleep, and on going to him at G o'clock, found he was dead. Dr. O'Connor who performed a post mortem examination, found the cause of death to be serous apoplexy. The jury found accordingly.

The City Coroner held an inquest on Thursday at the Brecknock Arms hotel, Lower George-street, concerning the death of a newly-born female infant found dead in a waterhole near the Glebe Islandroad. Senior-sergeant Lawless deposed that about a quarter to 7 o'clock on the evening of the 4th instant lie was in charge of the No. 2 Station, when a man named James McLaughlin gave information that he had found the dead body of a female child in a waterhole or well near the road-aide on tho Glebe Islandroad.-. Witness accompanied him to the place, and there Baw a bundle tied up. Witness opened it, and found it contained the dead body of a child, which appearod to be fresh. James M'Laughlin, a stonebreaker, of Pyrmont, depoaed that on last Tuesday afternoon, about half-past 5 o'clock, he went to a well, about 200 yards from Iiis residence, on the Glebe Island-road, to get some water for his tea. By well he meant small waterhole. He was in the habit of getting water from the waterhole, which is two feet deep. Ile looked into the hole and saw a stone in it, which nearly tilled the hole. He had to lift it out to get the water, and on lifting up the stone he saw there was a bundle under it, and it rose to the surface of the water. Ho put the stono down, and took the bundle out of the waterhole, placing it on the ground. He oponed the bundle, and saw there wos a dead infant in it. together with a brick. The bundle was tied up with twine, and ho loft it thei o close to the waterhole. He then gavo information to the police, and saw sergeant Lawleas take the body away. Dr. G. F. Dansey deposed to making a post mortem examination of the body. He found no marks of any ligature round the neok or sign of violence on it. The weight of the child was seven pounds, and the length twenty-seven inches. The nails of the hands and feet were fully developed. It had attained full uterine maturity. The body was frosh, and could not have been born many hours before witness saw it. On opening the chest, he found the

lungs fully extended. He removed tho lungs, and found they freely floated in water. He then cut the lungB into pieces, and after subjecting them to hand pressure he found they still floated in water. The stomach waa empty, and the liver normal. On the scalp he found over the left parietal bono, a slight extravasation of blood, as if it had been the presenting part of birth. On opening tho brain, the blood vessels of tho brain were greatly congested. The postmortem appearances showod-firstly, that the child attained uterino maturity ; secondly, that respiration and circulation had beon fully established ; and that tho cause of death was suffocation. The suffocation may liavo taken place naturally during parturition, after tho establishment of respiration and circulation. Tho jury found that the said newly-horn

female child died from Ruffooation, but whether that Hufïooatiou took place during or after birth, tho evidence did not enable them to say.

The body of a man has been found at Noondoo Springs station, Queensland. The clothes have been recognised as those worn by a man named Tom Burns, aged 70 years, when he was last seen alive, and who was lost at Bunberra, about 80 miles from St. George, in August last,