THROWN FROM HORSE

Evening Star, Issue 19797, 22 February 1928, Page 4

THROWN FROM HORSE

FARM LABORER'S DEATH INQUEST CONCLUDED The inquest oil the body of Campbell Henry Norman MTvinnon, a farm laborer, who died in the Dunedin hospital on February 15 as the result of injuries caused through his being thrown from a horse at Sutton, was concluded this morning before Mr J. 11. Bartholomew, S.M. (sitting as coroner). Mr J. B. Callan apeared for M‘Rao Brothers, the employers of deceased, and Sergeant Gilhgan represented the police. Dr Selwyn G. de Clive Low, house surgeon at the hospital, said deceased was admitted about noon on February 15. He was in a deep coma, suffering from depression of the brain following a blow on the skull His condition was too far advanced for anything to be done surgically and the patient sank and died at 11.30 a.m. on February 15. Death was due to pressure causing paralysis of the vital centres of the brain. Farquhar MTlao. farmer, Sutton, said he had the use of a racehorse called Cassels. On the morning of February 14 witness went to his brother’s place to get the horse and met him on the road, where lie got the horse, which the brother had been riding. Witness rode the horse home, a distance of about six miles. The horse was quiet. The animal had been used as a hack during the eighteen months witness had him. Deceased had been employed by witness as a farm hand since November last, and could ride alright. Witness lent deceased the horse Cassels to ride to Sutton, a mile distant, for the mail. Witness advised him to be careful because he had not ridden the horse before. Witness saw M'Kinnon canter the horse for about 200yds when he stopped to Adjust the stirrup leathers. The horse was quiet and had no vice. Witness had no fear for M'Kinnon’S safety.

To Mr Callan; It was four miles from his brother’s place at tho spot where witness got it, so that the horse had done ten miles before MTvinnon left for Sutton on it.

Percy Harding, farm laborer, Sutton, said he saw M'Kinnon ride into a. paddock at Sutton. The horse was galloping and stopped at the fence on the far side of the paddock. Witness saw M'Kinnon dismount. He asked MTvinnon what was wrong and deceased replied that tho horse had run away with him soon after ha left the farm. Witness advised MTvinnon to lead tho horse if he could not hold it. After deceased came out of thc_ Post Office, witness held tho horse while ho got on. The horse walked away quietly, hut after 30yds went faster and then increased tho pace to a gallop. Instead of the horse turning a sharp corner it went straight on into a fence, and there M'Kinnon was thrown. Ho landed on his back on the ground. The horse, trying to liberate itself from the fence, kicked lit Kinnon on the head and then made off. MTvinnon was found to b« unconscious and bleeding from a wound on the back of the head. He was taken to the hospital at Middlemarch. The horse seemed quiet when witness held it for M'Kinnon to get on. To Mr Callan: lie could not see what M'Kinnon did with the reins after he started. Witness could not say whether deceased urged tho horse on or endeavored to stop it. Duncan M'Rae, farmer, Moonlight, said lie had used the horse as a hack on his farm. He had used the animal foi shepherding, sometimes carrying a weal sheep or wool on its hack, and for stool driving. Witness could pull the hors< up with one hand. Gassels was m quiet a horse as witness iiad ridden, Witness would have had no doubt about lending MTvinnon the horse. The Coroner said the fatality was caused by the horse bolting and throwing deceased. Exactly how the horse came to holt was not clear—that was only a. matter of guess work. The evidence of tho M'Rae brothers and Harding showed that tho horse was a quiet one, the fact that it was used on a farm and had sheep and wool carried on its back showing that it was not at all flighty. Deceased was a farm laborer, twenty-five years of age and accustomed to horses, though it might be he was not a very experienced rider. He appeared to have had difficulty in holding the horse on the way into Sutton, and on the way hack the horse got away with him. The occur mice seemed to be purely accidental, '■ nd in view of the horse’s history he cm :cl not see the employer had any reason to apprehend that it was at all dar ;erons to lend the horse to M'Kinnon. A verdict was returned that d ceased died from pressure of the brain allowing injuries received in being a< ndentaily thrown from a horse lie was riding at Sutton on February 14.