The Caulfield Race Accident

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 68, 17 November 1885, Page 3

The Caulfield Race Accident

An inquest was held at Richmond (Victoria), on the body of Donald Nicholson, who was killed in the race for the Caulfield Cup. The principal witness was William Hurst, boots at Australian Hotel, Bourke-street, who said he knew the deceased. "Witness was at Caulfield on the fatal Saturday, at the turn inside the course, and had full view of the race and the accident. Coriolanus was leading on the outside. Too Too had been leading just before, and fell back. Sardius came up very fast on the outside, and cannoned against Too Too and threw the mare. Sardius fell on top of her. While Too Too was falling, she cannoned against Claptrap, and threw his ridor. Lord Exeter, ridden by the deceased, fell over Sardius in a half- circle to the left, and threw deceased on the same side. Prince Imperial fell over Lord Exeter, and several others followed. After witness saw deceased fall he got under the fence, and saw deceased with his legs lying under a horse. He got hold of: -deceased aud pulled him from under the horse, and took him in his arms. Deceased said : "Take me in," aud witness carried him about 300 yards, to the saddling pa-Idock gate, with the assistance of v boy, but he died in tho last 20 yards, wlieu carrying him. He was bleeding profusely, from the oars and mouth, and was most injured just unde the ear. He was not crushed by tho horse, which ouly lay on his legs. When ho fell he must have come right on the crown of his head. Wyman, the rider of Sardius, was not jostling, but trying to get through tho horses as well as ho could, and tho cannoning was accidental. Witness thought there was danger in allowing so mnnj' horses to start together on that course.