INQUEST AT ASHBURTON.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1667, 24 June 1879, Page 4

INQUEST AT ASHBURTON.

An inquest was held yesterday, at the Central Hotel, on the body of John Joyce, farmer, who met his death last Friday in a well on his farm at the Springfield run. Mr T. R. Hodder was chosen foreman of the jury, and Dr Trevor, coroner, conducted the inquest. A man named Macdonald, who was found to be intoxicated, was rejected as a juryman. William Ullyat, farmer, residing near the Springfield run, was brother-in-law of the deceased, and was in partnership with him as a farmer. Deceased, witness, and William Burke were engaged cleaning out the well at the farm last Friday, about one o’clock. Deceased was down the well, which was 140 ft deep, and had boarded some part of it. The well was about fifteen yards away from the dwellinghouse. Deceased was being hoisted up from the well, when one of tho ends of the wind-lass-barrel slipped out of the notch in the upright. Deceased was then within 20ft of the top of the well, and he fell to the bottom of the well, the barrel of the windlass falling upon him. Five minutes afterwards witness shouted down the well, and about ten minutes afterwards shouted again. On both occasions Mr Joyce responded, but to repeated calls after that he gave no response. Another windlass was procured from the distance of a mile away, and the body was got up about two hours after the accident. If there had been any catch over the axle of the windlass the accident would not have occurred. Deceased made tho barrel of the windlass himself and put in the axles. Mr Joyce was a single man, and was fifty years of age; he was very temperate. Sent for a doctor immediately the accident happened, on the chance of deceased being alive. Tho doctor came about nine hours afterwards.

William Burke, farm laborer in Mr [Jllyat’s employ, corroborated the evidence of tho previous witness. Ullyat and witness had hoisted Joyce to within eighteen or twenty feet of the mouth of tho well, when the riding turn of the rope on the windlass jerked, and the one end of the windless barrel jumped out of the upright on which it rested. There was no catch over the slit in which the windlass axle worked, but witness did not think it was dangerous, and would be perfectly ready to go down the well if the windlass were as firm as it was at the time the accident happened. Brought up Joyce from the well. Could not say whether he was alive when found, but he was quite dead when he came to the top. Dr. Trevor said he had been himself called to see the deceased. In addition to both legs and arms being broken and tho ribs smashed, there were numerous internal injuries. The Coroner pointed out to the jury that the case was one of those to which parties who used sunk wells were always liable. He hoped that, as this was the second ense cf death that had occurred within the last six months under similar circumstances, it would be taken as an additional evidence of tho necessity of a water supply for tho plains. To accidents of this kind settlors on the plains always would be liable until every well was closed. The jury returned a verdict of “ Accidental Death,” adding a rider that no windlass ought to be used that was not properly capped and guarded against an accident of this kind.