THE HUNTLY DISASTER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2324, 4 December 1914, Page 5

THE HUNTLY DISASTER

misj&ti of .MNsLLVQmrA: , ' ;,fßy iJeVtetij>ii—VKsa Aropotatipiaj _ | fl'n ui->. "''' •', Auckfan'd;..Dewmber,B... : ;;.Before Mir,,.E.':Eawsoii; SM„ ..to-da^.at Huntlj',' Jain'es Fletcher., appeared oh the charge that on September 12,- i9l"i; ■at Hunxly through -nejgleot in 'regard to the safety- ol miners in Balph's Mine,-, he caused the death ot .'WUfiam' 1 Burton .by oommitting.inianslaughter. Burton .was one 06 the. viotims of • the., Huntly. disaster. Mr. H. K. o,stler;-.,Crbwn .Solicitor : ,.. at Wellington; appeared for the prbseour tion, and ■ Mr,. T.unks, of Auckland, appeared- for the accused. • . ~,. , ' ■, Mr.' Ostler said he and .counsel for-the aotiused, had agreed to a .statement-of facta'; which would-save> the-time-.of-the Court, and which His Worship accepted. The. statement .was. to.the effect that,on September 7 accused, .-.became < incapacitated, and was so at the time of tho explosion, -and.. William, .Gowon,. „who, lost., his Ufe in the .eiplbsioii, hp4_Jbeoii appointed deputy, .manager in. charge. . ~„ \ 1 -.Mr. Boyd Beirnie,': Inspector of. Mines in the-,Auckland, oid'-Taranaki.,provincial districts',. gave .-.evidence, similar,, to, that ifivoh .during -the, inquest, and the inquiry by,Jtjyajl.,Oommissibh; ,A number of,witiiesses.iwere examined,at -length,;,the,obieofc'.of the I pr6secution,,.l!eing, to. obtain tadta io rf show-tbat,accused,',, while.aw.are pf,,,tne presehce.,df dangerous.mixtures, of gas' and, coal-dust in the iriine;,-dia .iio.fc take ;J the '~ precautions to. .ensure the sflety of the-men in .the mine, j.T-, -..There.- was practically.,nothing,, in ifre eyidehe'e ,which:,,, waa hot brought,out at >the-9f6cial.,inquiry.. : The Court is sitting to-night;