Coroner's Inquest.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 233, 5 April 1897, Page 3

Coroner's Inquest.

An inquest was held at Mr Jacobs residence, FeildingAsbursfc road, on Saturday last to enquire into the cause of death of Stanley Harris Jacobs, who was drowned in a gravel pit on Thursday evening. The enquiry was con. ducted by Mounted Constable Heally before Mr W. A. L. Bailey, acting coroner and the following jury, viz., Messrs John Andrew (f°«nan) R. L. Pudney, W. Fitch, L. Kelhck, t . b. Gray, J. H. Garlick. , Henry Jacobs, father of deceased, deposed to bis late son beiug 8J years of &S Jobn Hills deposed that on April 1, between four and five o'clock bis daughter told him she thought little Jacobs was in the gravel pit ; he immediately went to look and saw a piece of paper floating on the water ; Louis Kellick then stirred the water and found another piece of paper ; ho thoa went for a drag and dragged the body out: the child was quite dead ; the cravel pit was eight or nine chains from i witness' place, about a chain from the road • the banks were steep all round except at the entrance ; there was seven or eight feet of water in it ; the body was a long way from the entrance. A«nes Hills, aged nine years, deposed to going to school with deceased ; did not so home with him ; saw him but he went ahead of them ; he was with Sydney Mexted, who told witness and the others that Stanley Jacobs was in the gravel pit ; did not hear anyone call out; went and told her sister about it ; Mexted said be (deceased) was washing his face and fell in ; they were a long way in front of witness. Hillary Hills, farmer, deposed to bearing bf the accident from his sister ; went straight to the pit and tried to find the body, but could not ; his father found it ; it was nearly an hour before they found the body. Beatrice Mary Jacobs, deposed to her brother leaving school before her, being about a mile in front ; when they reached the gravel pit Sidney Mexted asked where Stanley was; witness replied she did not know, thinking fee had gone home ; he was on the road opposite the gravel pit aud said he heard a scream ; he went straight over to the pit and witness went with him ; saw her brother's hat in the water; went home and told her mother ; her brother bad some chalk marks on his Sydney Mexted deposed he was thirteen years of age; left school on Thursday with Stanley Jacobs and other children ; went nearly as far as Hill's wbare with deceased, who said ho would stop there and wait for his sister ; was going home when he heard a scream ; went back and looked into the whare to Bee if deceased was there, not seeing him, went to the pit, where witness saw the hat on the water ; the last time witness saw him was 200 yards from Hill's whare. H. L. Jacobs also gave evidence. The jnry returned the verdict that deceased was accidentally drowned by falling into the graval pit.