FORMAL VERDICT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20023, 23 August 1939, Page 4

FORMAL VERDICT

DEATH FROM INJURIES PORTER INQUEST CLOSED WALKING BALANCE BAD A LIVE AT FIRST FALL? A formal verdict -to the effect that the deceased died from injuries sustained when he fell over a cliff at Wh'areongaonga on August 20 was returned toy the 'jury in the Coroner’s Court this morning when the inquest into the death of Francis Charles Porter, 'aged 53, a widower, was conducted before the acting-coroner, Mr. W. 'M. Jenkins, J.P.

Porter, a Public Works Department employee residing at Bartletts, was found dead at the foot of a 600 ft. cliff at W'hareongaonga on Monday evening after having been reported missing from the camp. Sergeant Moore conducted the hearing on behalf of the police, and the jury was sworn in as follows: Frank Harold Elliott, foreman. S'holto Douglas Buntin, Douglas Nicolas Downey and Donald Bain.

During the hearing of the evidence it was pointed out that the deceased, as a result of an injury to Ihis leg, was lame and that his (balance was affected. One witness also told the court that when the body of the deceased was found it was seen that the lace of Porter’s left boot was untied an'd it wa‘s thought that this might have caused him to trip and fall. Injured in Fall from Horse Thornley William Calcott, son-in-law of the deceased, gave evidence of identification. He said he knew the deceased to have been lame, due to a fracture of the leg received when he fell from the racehorse Count Cavour in 1926. This injury had caused him to ibe unsteady on his feet in later years. Wallace Raymond Bateman, residing on the Wharerata Hill, said that on. August 20 he went to Whareongaonga to visit a friend darned Whittaker, arriving about noon. After lunch, four Maori's and the deceased also came to visit to is friend. The deceased left on his return, to Bartletts at about 3.30 p.m. He was sober and in the best of spirits. The witness next heard of the deceased on Monday evening. Witness said he toad travelled over the Bartletts-Whareongaonga track several times. The track wgs steep, but, in his opinion, not dangerous. Finding of the Body ■Charles Eric Tee said that on the night of August 21 he assisted in the search for 'Porter, who had been reported missing. He and another man took the lead in the search and about 30 chains from where Whittaker lived they found a sack c.a the side of the track. The vicinity was searched, witness going down about 100 ft. below the track, Where he found a set of teeth in a pool of blood. Five hundred feet further down the side of the cliff the body was found.

“'ln my opinion, the deceased (must have recovered at 100 ft. as there was a flat -where he could 'have laid,” said the 'witness, adding that he thought the deceased must have regained consciousness and fallen from the flat to the (bottom of the cliff. The deceased had a (bad head wound, the back, of the -head being fractured. Witness noticed that the lace of the deceased’s left -boot wa's untied. Witness said he had known (Porter for 10 years, t'he deceased being a very hardy type of individual.

Due to his leg injury. Porter was inclined to trip a lot and was awkward on his feet. He usually carried a stick to assist him to walk. In the place where the deceased went Over the .cliff the track was only about 18in, or 2ft. wide. Search Party Leader As a result of information received, he led a search party to look for Porter, said Constable A. Andrew, of Bartletts. With seven other men he left iß'artletts and travelled towards Whareongaonga, and on. the track found a sack set up on the side of the track, this sack 'being identified as one belonging to the deceased. At the spot where the sack was found he met two men coming from Whittaker’s, these men telling witness that they had not seen Porter.

Witness detailed the finding first of the false teeth and later of the body of the deceased toy Charles Tee and also .the injuries suffered by the deceased, and said, that it appeared that Porter apparently had fallen about 600 ft. to his death. With the assistance of other men, the body was brought out.