forwarded from the Essex (England) list; >From The Essex Standard, West Suffolk Gazette, and Eastern Counties' Advertiser ( Cholchester, England ), Saturday, July 11, 1891; pg. 7; Issue 3161. A HARWICH MAN DROWNED. THE BODY DISCOVERED AFTER SEVEN MONTH'S IMMERSION. On Friday evening, July 3, the dead body of a young man was found at Shotley, and from age , height, and general description it was recognised as that of the young man who has been missing from Parkeston from December last, named Ernest NEWELL , seaman on the s.s. Norwich, son of Benjamin NEWELL , engine driver, living at Dovercourt. The body was found by some watermen, and intelligence at once given to the Police, and the father telegraphed for. The father subsequently identified the body. INQUEST. An inquest was held on Monday morning at the house of Mr. Ezra DALE , Bristol Arms Inn, Shotley Gate, by Mr. A. F. VULLIAMY , Coroner for the Sandford Hundreds of East Suffolk, on the body of Ernest Benjamin NEWELL , aged 19, which was picked up on Friday evening, July 3, on the Saltings on the edge of the Orwell at Shotley Spit. James Benjamin NEWELL , engine-driver on the G.E.R., living at Parkeston, identified the body as that of his eldest son, who was an ordinary seaman on s.s. Norwich. His age was 19. The last witness saw of him alive was on the evening of December 13, 1890, on Parkeston platform. Deceased came up to witness's engine as it came into Parkeston Station. He was at the time in good spirits, and said he was going on watch that night, and that he would see witness again in the morning. - A juryman asked the witness if he had any reason for supposing that his son intended to destroy himself ? - The Coroner said THE QUESTION WAS NOT NECESSARY, and it was not pressed. George GORDON , watchman on board the G.E.R. s.s. Princess of Wales at Parkeston Quay, said he saw young NEWELL on Dec. 13, when he came on board the Princess, about 9.15 p.m. He stayed about an hour on board and was then in good spirits. When he left he said he was going to board the Norwich. He went in a boat lying alongside, which was always left for the watchman, a G.E.R. boat about 18 feet long. Deceased came in the Pier boat from the Parkeston Quay to the steamer. He left alone. The head of the Norwich was made fast to the same buoy as the head of the Princess, so that it was only a few yards off, not a minute from one gangway to another. He saw deceased off and spoke to him when he got in the boat, and told him to be sure and not stand on the thwarts, as IT WAS A FROSTY NIGHT, there was a frosty air, and hazy with it, and it was very slippery and dark, but he could see the other steamer. Deceased wished witness " Good night," and said he would call for him in the morning. The witness then added that with ordinary care, there being no wind and quite smooth, he could have gone to the other vessel quite easily. Standing on the thwarts would be risky but he was not doing that when witness saw him. What he did after that witness could not say. He said that his brother was going on board, but there was no one else there. He ( witness ) could not say whether he slipped getting on board. There was a ladder over the side of the steam for him to go up. - By the FOREMAN. I did not see him get on board the Norwich. Henry Benjamin HOLDEN , mariner, of Harwich, said that at sunrise on December 14 he FOUND A BOAT between Walton-on-Naze and Harwich. It was floating. They picked her up, and found in her a serge jacket and a purse. Inspector FULCHER met them as they landed, and they gave him the coat and purse as they were picked up. ( The coat and purse were here produced. The father stated that the coat and purse were kept at the Police Station two months. ) The purse was on the thwart of the boat by the side of the jacket. James TRIVETT , Coast Brigade R. A., stationed at Shotley Point Battery, said he found the body of deceased on Friday, July 3, in the Saltings, about 6.30 p.m. He was walking with a comrade, and when opposite Shotley Spit Buoy he saw something close to the shore. He went to see what it was, and found that it was a body very much decomposed, lying with the back uppermost and THE FEET EMBEDDED IN THE MUD. The body was dry. They then went straight to Mr. DALE's, of the Bristol Arms, which was about half a mile away, and reported it. Mr. DALE helped to bring the body on a shutter to where the Jury had seen it. When the body was touched THE HEAD FELL OFF. The Coroner then asked the father if his son had on an overcoat on that night, and the father replied that his son had a short jacket on over his jersey, and that somewhat altered the description of him that he first gave. His supper was found in the jacket pocket just as he took it from home. Mr. GORDON here stated that it was flood tide two hours after deceased left the Princess. Pc Marshall Edward BROOKE , stationed at Chelmondiston, for the Shotley district, deposed to searching the body. He found a silver watch, a key, and one or two other little things, the watch had stopped at ten minutes to three. He took the watch to Parkeston, and the father identified it. Deceased had on top-boots, serge trousers, and a blue guernsey, a black waistcoat, under jersey, and a shirt. The CORONER then said that the Jury had heard the evidence, and it was clear that deceased had met his death by drowning, but whether by accident or not it was for them to decide. The watch must have stopped very soon after getting into the water, and it was not improbable that deceased got adrift, which would account for the time by the watch. Most likely it was then that he took off his coat and tried to get to the ship, and in some way fell over. There was nothing to suggest that the affair was other than purely accidental. The Jury unanimously returned a verdict that deceased was ACCIDENTALLY DROWNED. The Foreman of the Jury was Mr. Thomas HARRINGTON , a hale, hearty old man of 82 years. The funeral of the deceased took place on Monday afternoon, at Dovercourt Cemetery.