THE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE RACECOURSE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2228, 19 April 1881, Page 3

THE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE RACECOURSE.

THE INQUEST. An inquest was held this morning at the Hospital, commencing at 10.30 o’clock, before J. D. Frankish, Esq., and a jury, of whom Mr James Bowman was foreman, on the body of William Deakin, who was almost instantaneously killed on the racecourse yeete day. After the the body had been viewed by the jury, the following evidence was taken : Frederick Ward, a jockey residing in Christchurch, deposed that he was the rider of Traveller, a horse running yesterday in the Hook Race. When nearing the judge’s box, and within twenty yards of it, being within six feet of the north rails, the horse was last in the race, and going very fast. Several men rushed out from under the rails, and the foremost of them was knocked down by hia horse, which struck the man with its shoulder. The man was knocked down. Witness went back, after palling up and saw the man, who was the deceased. Witness did not think ho called out to deceased. There was not time to warn him. Had not seen him until the moment of the collision. Wm. Henry Smith, managing printer at the Press office, stated that he saw the accident. He was standing on the south side of the rails, and deceased rushed out from under the rails on the north side. The accident occurred as described by last witness. Thought no blame could be attached to the jockey. There were a dozen or more others who closed in with deceased. They were nil dangerously near to the horse which struck deceased. Saw deceased immediately after the collision. He was lying on the ground. Blood was oozing out of his nose. Saw nothing to induce the belief that deceased was intoxicated. Dr Prins deposed that he was called to sea deceased immediately after the finish of the Hack Bace, between 4 and 5 p.m. yesterday. Found him in the centre of the running course, about halt-way between the judge’s box and the end of tbe rails. Deceased was lying on the ground, supported in the arms of another man. Blood was oozing out of hia nose and ears, he was quite insensible, and died in about two minutes. Saw the body this morning, it was bruised in the region of tbe right groin. There had not bees a post mortem examination, but witness attributed death to the injuries done to the head—probably fracture of tbe base of the skull. No other bones were broken. Thomas Henry Deakin, brother of deceased, had identified the body. Last saw deceased on the previous Friday morning ; he was then in good health. _ Deceased was aged fifty four years, and a widower. The Coroner, addressing the jury, said it seemed to him tbe accident had been caused by a very indiscreet but very usual practice at races, for which the unfortunate deceased had paid the penalty. The jury, without retiring, returned a verdict of “ Accidental death,’’ adding their opinion that no blame was to be attached to the jockey.