A STRANGE CASE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1315, 14 August 1886, Page 3

A STRANGE CASE.

ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER Chbistchukchs August 13 An Inqne't wbs held at Lyttelton to-day on the body of Thomas Kelly, who was suppled to have died from Hjut'es received while un’oading a coal hulk. The enquiry put a different complexion on the affair. The evidence was to the t filet that the deceased had twice fallen down the hold of a cos’ hulk, where he was working on Tuesday, August 3, but apprized none the worse for the foil?, He appeared to be In good health, and continued working the remainder of the week. He was all right on Saturday morning but, according to the evidence of a girl named Lily Treleaven, when he went home on Saturday afternoon his wife pnehed him off the verandah down a flight of steps, a height of eight feet. He fell backwards, but rose op rnd went round to tbe back of the house, and nothing mot* was seen of him. Ihe girl appeared very in'elligent and stuck to her statement, hot no one else conld be found who saw anyth'ng of the occurrence. On Sunday Dr Harrison w: ' ailed in, and found deceased uncont clous. Ho had a few lucid intervals, but poqld not explain what had happened to jbim, and was suffjring from injuries to the spine, from which he died on Wednesday last. The doctor made a post moiiem examination, and found a large bruise on the lower part of the spine, aoparentiy five or six days old. He contested death had resulted from concussion of the spine, and that <f the de ceased bad received such an inja y on August 3rd, when he fell on the coal balk, he could not hare gone on working as he did till Saturday last. Deceased’s eldest daughter said her father was in btd ail Saturday, but this was contradicted by several witnesses. The jury returned a verdict of manslanghter against deceased’s fife, Catherine Kelly.