Mildura Cultivator (Vic. : 1888 - 1920), Saturday 29 August 1896, page 10


Inquest on Mr. Agars' remains. On Saturday morning an inquest was commenced by Mr. J. Matthew, J.P., and a jury of five into the cause of the death of F. W. Agars, whose dead body was discovered in the Murray river, near Kulkyne station, two days previously. After the remains had been viewed, the inquest was adjourned till Monday, to obtain the evidence of some of those who were on the steamer

Invincible, and who saw him prior to his disappearance from the vessel. The evidence of Dr. Cameron, who had made a post mortem examination, was to the effect that there were no marks of violence and that the cause of death had undoubtedly been drowning. Constable Weppner, who took the body out of the river and searched the clothing, stated that deceased's watch had stopped at twenty minutes past two, but it had a tightly fitting case and would probably have kept going for some time after immersion. The evidence of the captain of the steamer hands, and of the passengers who last saw deceased, went to show that there was nothing peculiar in his manner during the trip down from Swan Hill, thus supporting the presumption that his falling off the boat was accidental. The jury, after consultation, returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased had met with his death by drowning in the Murray river on the 2nd or 3rd August, but that there was no evidence to show how he got into the water.