Fatal Accident in the Harbor Board Block

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 17, 28 July 1892, Page 2

Fatal Accident in the Harbor Board Block

On Tuesday last a young man named James Simmondsj about 21 years of age, whose parents reside near Blenheim, was killed whilst felling bush on Mr 11. Cornfoot's property in the Harbor Board j Block. He was working with a party of | seven other men, but at the time the I accident occurred he was some distance i away from the others, and they only be- : came aware of bis death when leaving off work for the day. The body of the deceased was brought to Feilding by his mates about five o'clock yesterday evening, and left at the Empire Hotel to await the inquest, which was held at 9 a.m. to-day, before the District Coroner, Mr Snelson, and a jury consisting of Messrs Hoskins (foreman), Petherick, Fowles, Woolven, M. Belfit, and F. Keen. Tbe jury having viewed the body. George James Page, contractor, living in the Harbor Board Block, deposed that the deceased had been in his employ during the past three months engaged in bushfelling; on leaving off work on Tuesday about five o'clock, Alex. Baymood came to him and said the dead limb of a tree had struck deceased on the head and killed him ; went to the scene of the accident and found Simmons quite dead. John Alexander Raymond deposed that he had known deceased for the past 4 or 5 years and that he came from Para, near Blenheim ; m his opinion the death was accidental and nobody was to blame; deceased was not an experienced bushfeller. Thomas Benjamin Page gaye corroborative evideuce. Dr Sorley deposed that he had examined deceased and found a slight wound on the left temple, the left collar boue was broken, and the left thigh smashed ; he considered that death must haye been instantaneous. The Coroner, in charging the jury, pointed out that hardly enough care seemed to be exercised amongst bushfallers generally. Still there was no evidence to show that sufficient caution had not been taken in this instance. The verdict of the jury was that de ceased met with his death accidentally, and no blame was attachable to anyone.