See also
| Name: | Richard Joseph Cawood |
| Sex: | Male |
| Father: | Alfred Cawood (1834-1906) |
| Mother: | Susannah Worts (c. 1830-1895) |
| Birth | 1874 | New Zealand |
| Death | 11 Sep 1892 (age 17-18) | New Brighton, Christchurch, New Zealand |
THE SUMNER DROWNING CATASTROPHE. THE INQUEST.
An adjourned inquest upon a portion of the remains of John Cockle, one of the victims of the boating accident at Sumner on September 11th was resumed at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Christchurch, yesterday afternoon, before Mr R. Beetham, Coroner, and a jury. Inspector Pender called the following evidence:— Mrs Annie Cockle deposed that she was mother of the deceased, who was a tinsmith, twenty-three years of age, and single. On the morning of September 11th he said he was going to New Brighton for a sail with three others. The clothes produced were her son's, which he wore on the 11th September. Richard Nuttall deposed that his son Thomas Nuttall was one of the party who went to New Brighton on September 11th for a sail. The boot and sock produced belonged to his son.
Alfred Cawood stated that his son Richard John Cawood went to New Brighton for a sail on September 11th, and he had not seen him since.
Eliza Pearson, wife of the late Paul Pearson, stated her husband had been employed in the Addington Workshops. He was formerly a seafaring man. On September 11th he went for a sail to New Brighton with Cawood, who came to the house. He said he would not be long.
Constable Kelso deposed to finding the portion of a leg and some clothing on the beach at New Brighton. Charles Curtis, Captain of the New Brighton Sailing Club, said he knew the boat Waratah, in which the deceased went out on September 11th. Cockle got the key of the shed, and he saw four men take the boat down the river. They told witness they were going to Lyttelton via Sumner. About half-past twelve he saw the boat out at sea coming towards New Brighton. It was an open sailing boat, well built, but the rigging was bad. The sail was badly cut, and the rigging would not run. The sail was cut so that if the boat listed the boom would touch the water and capsize her. He warned the deceased not to go over the bar, as it was a puffy sou-wester. He had seen the boat since the accident. Pearson was the only one who could sail a boat.
Robert B. Carter deposed that he saw the boat sail to the Sumner wharf. Joseph Day, Pilot at Sumner, in the employ of the Lyttelton Harbour Board, stated that he had been in that capacity for twenty-three years. His duties were to signal to crafts coming over the bar. The bar was dangerous at times. He recollected the Waratah coming to the wharf about eleven o'clock on September 11th. There were four men on her whom he did not know. He gave them instructions as to how to get over the bar, and they sailed out into the open sea. It was a fairly fine day and not particularly dangerous. He saw the boat standing in towards New Brighton, and afterwards she sailed down towards the lighthouse. About 2 p.m. two ladies informed him that a boat outside had suddenly disappeared. He got his telescope and went on the Cave Bock but could see nothing from White Wash head and New Brighton. Mrs Buckham, one of the ladies who gave him the information, was not so excited as to lead him to think anything was wrong. He had since picked up the Waratah on the New Brighton beach. She was slightly damaged. He considered that some mismanagement on the boat must have caused the accident.
Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 8306, 18 October 1892, Page 3
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