Austral Disaster.
THE VERDICT.
Shortly before 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon the jury sent word to the Coroner that they had agreed. At this times they had been over six hours locked up. When the Coroner came, the foreman of the jury stated that their verdict was That the captain and officers of the Austral had been guilty of gross negligence, which had indirectly caused the deaths of the five men who were drowned.' The Coroner said he could not accept such a verdict as it amounted to one of manslaughter, and in such case the names of the persons accused must be specified distinctly. The jury, after some discussion, withdrew the verdict, and were again locked up until 9 o'clock. At the expiration of another quarter of an hour, during which the Coroner waited for their decision, the jury returned the following verdict: — 'We find that John James Perkins, Thomas Alexander, Ali Hassan, Saleh Mahomet, and Salim Mahomet, on the morning of Saturday, the 11th November, 1882, on board the Orient Company's steamship Austral, in the waters of Port Jackson, died from, suffocation by drowning, the said ship having- sunk at her moorings in Neutral Bay ; and we are of opinion that the captain of the Austral, his chief officer, the chief engineer, and the carpenter committed grave errors of judgment in not taking better precautions for the safety of the said steamship.' The jury were then discharged, the Coroner informing them that he had recommended to the Minister for Justice that they should be allowed a fee of £1 per day each for their attendance.
Evening News, Wednesday 22 November 1882
THE VERDICT.
Shortly before 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon the jury sent word to the Coroner that they had agreed. At this times they had been over six hours locked up. When the Coroner came, the foreman of the jury stated that their verdict was That the captain and officers of the Austral had been guilty of gross negligence, which had indirectly caused the deaths of the five men who were drowned.' The Coroner said he could not accept such a verdict as it amounted to one of manslaughter, and in such case the names of the persons accused must be specified distinctly. The jury, after some discussion, withdrew the verdict, and were again locked up until 9 o'clock. At the expiration of another quarter of an hour, during which the Coroner waited for their decision, the jury returned the following verdict: — 'We find that John James Perkins, Thomas Alexander, Ali Hassan, Saleh Mahomet, and Salim Mahomet, on the morning of Saturday, the 11th November, 1882, on board the Orient Company's steamship Austral, in the waters of Port Jackson, died from, suffocation by drowning, the said ship having- sunk at her moorings in Neutral Bay ; and we are of opinion that the captain of the Austral, his chief officer, the chief engineer, and the carpenter committed grave errors of judgment in not taking better precautions for the safety of the said steamship.' The jury were then discharged, the Coroner informing them that he had recommended to the Minister for Justice that they should be allowed a fee of £1 per day each for their attendance.
Evening News, Wednesday 22 November 1882
Austral Disaster.
THE VERDICT.
Shortly before 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon the jury sent word to the Coroner that they had agreed. At this times they had been over six hours locked up. When the Coroner came, the foreman of the jury stated that their verdict was That the captain and officers of the Austral had been guilty of gross negligence, which had indirectly caused the deaths of the five men who were drowned.' The Coroner said he could not accept such a verdict as it amounted to one of manslaughter, and in such case the names of the persons accused must be specified distinctly. The jury, after some discussion, withdrew the verdict, and were again locked up until 9 o'clock. At the expiration of another quarter of an hour, during which the Coroner waited for their decision, the jury returned the following verdict: — 'We find that John James Perkins, Thomas Alexander, Ali Hassan, Saleh Mahomet, and Salim Mahomet, on the morning of Saturday, the 11th November, 1882, on board the Orient Company's steamship Austral, in the waters of Port Jackson, died from, suffocation by drowning, the said ship having- sunk at her moorings in Neutral Bay ; and we are of opinion that the captain of the Austral, his chief officer, the chief engineer, and the carpenter committed grave errors of judgment in not taking better precautions for the safety of the said steamship.' The jury were then discharged, the Coroner informing them that he had recommended to the Minister for Justice that they should be allowed a fee of £1 per day each for their attendance.
Evening News, Wednesday 22 November 1882
THE VERDICT.
Shortly before 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon the jury sent word to the Coroner that they had agreed. At this times they had been over six hours locked up. When the Coroner came, the foreman of the jury stated that their verdict was That the captain and officers of the Austral had been guilty of gross negligence, which had indirectly caused the deaths of the five men who were drowned.' The Coroner said he could not accept such a verdict as it amounted to one of manslaughter, and in such case the names of the persons accused must be specified distinctly. The jury, after some discussion, withdrew the verdict, and were again locked up until 9 o'clock. At the expiration of another quarter of an hour, during which the Coroner waited for their decision, the jury returned the following verdict: — 'We find that John James Perkins, Thomas Alexander, Ali Hassan, Saleh Mahomet, and Salim Mahomet, on the morning of Saturday, the 11th November, 1882, on board the Orient Company's steamship Austral, in the waters of Port Jackson, died from, suffocation by drowning, the said ship having- sunk at her moorings in Neutral Bay ; and we are of opinion that the captain of the Austral, his chief officer, the chief engineer, and the carpenter committed grave errors of judgment in not taking better precautions for the safety of the said steamship.' The jury were then discharged, the Coroner informing them that he had recommended to the Minister for Justice that they should be allowed a fee of £1 per day each for their attendance.
Evening News, Wednesday 22 November 1882
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