♦ An inquest was held by Dr Johnston at the morgue yesterday afternoon on the body of the child Alexander Anderson, who was drowned on Monday. The firat witness called was Ernest Arthur Minifie, seven years of age, who made a statement to the effect that at twelve o'clock on Monday he saw the deceased and other boys on Hunter's wharf. The deceased was playing with a large dog which swam after sticks he threw in, and when he (witness) went home with hia little brother, four years of age, he believed the deceased was still playing with the dog. When he got to bis father's gate, in Abel Smith street, his brother told him the dog had knocked Alick Anderson into the water, but he did not think ife was true, and did not tell anyone. A big boy, named Johnnie Moran, was on tho wharf when he and his brother left. This witness could not give any evidence as to tho deceased falling into the water, and his brother was too young bo be called. A con stable was sent for the boy Moran, but he had gone lo Evans Bay. The constable reported that he bad been cold that Moran had known nothing about the accident until the boy was found in the water. Dr Harding proved that the deceased was quite dead when he was called to see him at twenty minutes after one o'olock on Monday. He was of opinion that death hod been oaueed by drowning. Mrs Arabella M'lnto&h, wife of Mr M'lntosh, landlord of the New Zealander Hotel, gave evidence ae follows : — At about a quarter-past 1 o'clock on Monday a man whose name I do not know came to the hotel and said, " Mrs M'lntosli are all your children right ?" I said " Yes, so far as I know." He replied, "No they are not, there is one lying dead in the water." I ran down, and I saw the child was not mine. He was lying in the water with his eyes open. I asked to have

the child taken out of the water, and the men who were there said "No." They seemed afraid to take the child out, Ido not know why, but they said the police would interfere. 