It is our painful duty to record a sad and fatal accident, which took place yesterday afternoon. It appears that Mr Adam Cuming was coming from Ross on horseback, and on attempting to cross the Totara River, the horse turned over on its side, throwing Mr Cuming into the water. There being a strong fresh in the river at the time, he was drowned before any assistance could be rendered. The body had not been recovered when our informant left, but the horse, which was carried down the river, came ashore on the beach and was secured. We understand that the deceased was brother to Mr Cuming, of the firm of Cuming and McKay, storekeepers, Ross. [Since writing the above we have been informed that the poor fellow who met his death was Hamilton Cuming, a partner in the firm of Cuming and McKay; but as that gentleman has not been in Hokitika for some days, the presumption is that the first information received is correct.] -West Coast Times, 30/11/1869.
The body of Mr Adam Cuming has been recovered. It was found at eight o'clock yesterday morning, on the beach on the South Spit, at the back of the Shamrock Hotel, where it had been washed up by the surf. The locality where the body was found, is, curiously enough, close to the residence of the deceased unfortunate gentleman.
On examining the body, it appeared as if the shoulder had been dislocated, and the face is so much disfigured by the ravages of shrimps, or other insects that abound in the sea about this shore, that it would have difficult to identify the remains, had it not been that, in the search made by Detective Browne, a letter was found in the pocket of deceased, which placed the matter beyond all doubt. The inquest was held at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon, before Dr Garland, and the verdict returned by the jury was, "Accidentally drowned while attempting to cross the Totara River." From the statement made by Christian Sanderly, who owns the punt, it appears the deceased came up to the crossing-place, and desired to be put across, but both Mr Sanderly and the boatman told deceased that he would have to wait two hours as the river was not then in a fit state to put the punt across. Deceased then put the saddle on his horse again, with the intention, as the men thought, of going away, but to their astonishment, he rode up to the mouth of the river and plunged the horse in, both immediately sunk from view, and the deceased was never seen again, until his body was washed ashore. Immediately after the inquest, the body was placed in a coffin and removed to Ross, followed by the brother of the deceased, Mr Hamilton Cuming, the Mayor of Hokitika. Mr Cuming, Mr Chesney, and several other friends. -West Coast Times, 1/1/1870.
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