INQUEST.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1540, 25 January 1879, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesterday morning, before Dr. Trevor, coroner, at the Ashburton Hotel, Ashburton, on the body of a child named ,Charles John Doylo, who fell down a well on the Hinds I'lains. Mr GK M. Kobinson waa chosen foreman of the jury. John Doylo, a farmer, sworn, said—l reside at the Hinds. The deceased was fifteen months old, and my child. I am doing contract ploughing for Mr Moffat on the Hinds Plains. I last saw deceased alive on Thursday, January 23rd, at 7.45 a.m. I live in a large house, the stable being under same roof. The well is six or eeven yards from the door. There is no cover on the well, which is 195 ft. deep. The child was just beginning to walk. He was my only child. About halfpaßt nine, when I next saw him, he was dead. A contractor named Nicholas Craig brought him out of the well dead. I was ploughing half a mile from the house when the accident occurred, and returned through hearing the Bcreamß of my wife when she missed the child. The opening of the well is 3ft.'Gin. by 2ft. Bin., and there are two large buckets to work it. A couple of shillings would put a cover on the well, there is no real difficulty in having a cover. I have been living there ten months. The deceased has not been in the habit of running outside. The house and well belong to Mr Moffat, of Lincoin. The timber of the well comes 2ft. Gin. above the level of the ground, but the gravel slopes up to it, so that a child could walk straight into the well. There is a post and rail fence (one rail) to keep the cattle out, but there is nothing to prevent a child walking under. "With the exc ption of a bed-ridden old woman, thero was no one in the house on the day of the accident but my wife and the decused child. By the Foreman - It was the first time the child had ever been oufside the door by himself. There was a case put in front of the door to prevent the child getting out, and he never tried to remove it till the morning of bin death, when he pushed it away and got out. I apprehended no danger to the child. Nicholas Craig sworn said—l am a road contractor, living near Maronan. I know where John Doyle lives. I identify tho body here a 3 that of a child I took out of a well yesterday on Mr Moffatt's property near the Hinds. I saw Doyle that morning making signs of distress to me. I went to him, and he said he believed his child had fallen down the well. I was lowered down tho well by the rope that drew tho buckets, and found tho body of the child about 18in. or 2ft. under t'ne water. He wu? dead, but not quite eold. There was no covering to the well, but there were boards about that looked as if they had been used for covering it. The well is about, 190 it. deep, and some ten or twelve yards from tho house, to the beat of my belief. I do not know tho depth of water in the well.

There wns no blood on the body of tho child, but a murk on the groin where it, hsd struck. The child was dressed, and the clothes were undisturbed.

Honor Doyle, sworn, said —Deceased was my child. I last saw him alive about 9 a.m. yesterday. I left him in the kitchen with a a box in front of the door whilst I went into the back room. I was only four minutes absent, and when I went back I found he had pulled the box away from the door and got out. I have often left him before. I searched for him, and not finding him I gave the alarm to my husband, and he got Mr Craig to go down tho well, where he found the child. This concluded the evidence.

The Coroner commented on the culpable careleesnees in this case, stating there were many unprotected wells in the same diatriot where accidents might be likely to happen of fi similar kind. He wished the jury and the public to know that where a case of culpable negligence of this kind occurred it was i . eible to bring a charge of manslaughter against the person through whose carelcssnesss the death happened. The jury returned a verdict of " Accidental Death," at the same time adding a rider to the effect that they wished to draw the attention of the public to the many unprotected wells in the district and warn those owning them of the risk they ran of being accused of manslaughter in the event of any fatal accident occurring through their negligence. The jury further called the attention of the coroner to the great pluck of Mr Craig in going down such a deep well by a rope that had been long used and was in a very imporfect state. Mr Craig, who was present, was publicly thanked by the coroner and the jury, and the proceedings terminated.