INQUEST AT ALEXANDRA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 403, 7 January 1870, Page 2

INQUEST AT ALEXANDRA.

An inquest was held before Vincent Fyke Esq., Coroner at the Eoyal Mail Hotel, Alexandra, on the body of Thomas Geddea a miner, who met, with his, untimely

end -whilst working in his claim at Conroy’s'Gully, on Monday morning last A jury of thirteen was empanneled, and Mr Robert Finlay, Mayor of Alexandra acted as foreman. George Scott deposed, that he Mid deceased were mates in a sluicing claim in Conroy’s Gully. On Monday morning last they both went to their work, and between half past tine and ten o’clock in the forenoon, deceased was engaged forking out stones out of the claim, he told witness to go 'up to the dam and let on the water’ (distant about two or three chains) he did so, and was not to the best of his recollection absent more than three minutes, on his return, the first thing that caught his attention was, deceased’s brains lying above -andiffie tween two rocks, the fork which theßceased had been using was put away, his side was a pick. Deceased had evicßitly left the place where he was first working, and had taken the pick to the rock. The rock which had fallen on deceased, weighed at least eight tons, by eight feet in length. This stone had been the subject of conversatfhh often, and they had agreed not to meddle with it if it stood fast, but if it fell they were to remove it. Deceased’s 'head was between the stone which had fallen and another which was fixed to the side of the claim. Dfaring my absence, I 'did not hear any noise, the late heavy’ ra ns had 100 sened the earth very much. I left and told what had happened to men who were living near, ami was advised to report the matter at once to the police. James Hancock deposed to having been told by the last witness, that his mate was killed by the fall of a large stone—picked up his brains which ‘was lying about the ground. Deceased told him the hst'CliriStm as holidays, that he was -twenty nine years of age, atid'au Irishman. Sergeant. Neil was also examined and corroborated the evidence of the previous

witnesses. Dr. A. Thomson, deposed,—l am a legally (£aalifiod practitioner. I have examined the body of deceased. Head completely flattened from side to side, and lying on its right side, and the whole of the brain substance squeezed out through a large lacerated wound of the scalp, imme diately at the junction of the parietal and occipital bones. All the bones of the head and face fractured and compressed. The upper jaw fractured through the middle line, and also the lower jaw, which was also separated from its left zzomatic attachment and was projected forwards. The cervical vertebra; were all fractured, the left scapula, the left clavicle and sternun were all fractured. A large lacerated transverse wound observed on the left half of the neck, leaving all the muscles of that part of the neck exposed and torn, the upperVibs separated from their sternal attachments, thesv.es, upper part of abdomen and thorax very' much bruised and laOPr^d. The abdomen was very much distended with gas, and decomposition had begun. No dissection was made, consequently the state of the internal viscera could not be described. From the appearances on the body, 1 am of opinion that death was instantaneous, and that deceased must have been in a stooping position when he was struck hy the stone. The jury retuvucl a verdict in accordance with the evidence. The funeral took place immediately after the “termination ofVhe inquest, which was very numerously attended. The service was read by the Rev. C. S. Ross, Presbyterian Minister in a very impressive manner. The deceased was a native of Tandagree, County Armagh, Ireland.