FOOTBALL FATALITY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1547, 31 August 1905, Page 2

FOOTBALL FATALITY.

- A:FRIENDLY GAME. -tPp Press sA«*bclaHofl.)! . Dunedin. last night, An inquest on Wm. John Bailey, aged 24 years, who died from the effects of an injury in .the Southland-Otago football match, was hold to-day. Dr- Marks,, house surgeon at the. hospital, said that an operation performed demonstrated that there was dislocation of the sixth vertebrae of the neck- , The spinal cord was flattened, but so far as could be judged was otherwise uninjured. The dislocation was reduosd ;as far as possible. ■ ... ; 1 - 1 The depositions of deceased were read to the effeot that he (deceased) took the ball in the line-out, and was trying to put it on the ground. He fell forward, turned a somersault, add came down on bis bead. It was then he was hart. No one pushed him, and he could not say anyone threw him. There was no blame al all, and no rough play. He thought more than, one fell, and that someone fell on tojj of him, but he could not say who it was. J. Williams, referee, gave evidence that there had been no rough play. H. G. Cavanagh, a member of the Rugby Union, and secretary of the Caversham Club, to whioh deceased belonged,., gave evidenoe aa to tho game being most friendly, played in a true spirit, and without rough play..

Constable Marshall said the game was one of the friendliest he had seen this season. .

The jury returned a verdict that death , was due to injuries accidentally received, no blame being attachable to anyone. The friends of deoeased have fixed tho funeral for Saturday. This will interfere materially with the New Zealand matoh.