INQUESTS.

Evening Star, Issue 3810, 11 May 1875, Page 3

INQUESTS.

Inquests were held at the Hospital at noon to-day, before Mr T. M. Hocken, District Coroner, on the bodies of John Claffey, Robert Byers, and a Portuguese named Zidorio. Claffey and Byers died from the results of injuries caused by the fall of earth where they were working, and Zidorio by fal’ing over a high cliff in Arthur street.

The first case taken was that- of Robert Byers, and the following evidence was taken:—

Charles Deans, contractor, deposed that on Rriday last the deceased was engaged in shbv idling earth into a cart in Chapman’s Bush, near Maori Hill, when a quantity of it gave way and fell upon him a distance of about eight feet. Witness and the other workmen, who were within about two feet of the deceased immediately went up to him and found him buried up to the breast. He was quite sensible, shad witness had him sent to the Hospital, where he died the tame afternoon. Before the earth gave way tne ground seemed perfectly safe, and it was properly pegged. He examined the land immediately after the accident and could n >t account for its giving Way. Deceased had only been working three days when the accident happened. Marv Byers, wife of the deceased, said that her husband was forty-three years of age at the time of his death, a native of Belfast, and a laborer by occupation. Witness had three children, and her husband left no means to provide for them. Witness was with her husband till he died on Friday, He said to her “ I’m done for—all through carelessness,” but did not say on whose part the carelessness was, James Massey, laborer, stated that he was working with the deceased on Friday last when the accident occurred. The fall came quite suddenly and without any warning. The pegs remained, and he had never seen ground give way like it before, although he had been employed on such work all Ills life. Had ftae ground given way two minutes later witness and two others must have been buried, as they would have been working immediately benenth it. Time was no carelessness whatever, every possible preoautim haviiur been Shown A vordiot of Accidentally killed ” was returned, the jury being ur.anamously of opinion that no blame was attachable to any one. The case of Zidorio was next taken, and from the evidence of Thomas Pavletich and Joseph Davis, publicans, it appeared that deceased was a Portuguese, a native of Lisbon and arrived here from the Gape of Good Hope some six months ago. He was addicted to drink. Evidence as to the finding of the body was given by Timothy -Byrne and Thomas Daley, who deposed' that m looking for ■ gravel yesterday morning they found deceased’s body lying in the upper Maolaggan street quarry. There were no foot tracks near, and it appeared as though deceased had fallen over the cliff from Arthur street, a distance of forty or fifty feet. Deceased, who was quite dead, must, have brought down a quantity of stuff in his fall, as about a drav load was around him. The statement of inspector Mallard, who had the de ceased’s body removed .from the quarry showed that the quarry was very dangerens, it. being, only fenced half-way.-that part near the extreme end of Arthur sti-eet being wholly unprotected. The fence should be continued, and a kmp placed near the end of the quarry. The jury returned a verdict of Accidentally killed,” and added a rider, calling the attention of the Corporation to the dangerous state of the quarry, »nd re commending them, to act on the Police Insnoe tor’s suggestion. F The last case was that of John Olaffey. and the principal evidence was given by George Sampson, who deposed that he was working, with deceased in the Mackggan street quarry on Friday last. While deceased was

pjjglgg.to bore a hole into the rock with the erOW*Bar, a quantity of earth gave way from above the rock and knocked deceased down. He was removed to the Hospital, where he died this morning. Witness had previously told deceased that he did not like working at the spot, and the latter replied that it was perfectly safe.

A verdict of “ Accidentally killed ” was returned*