CORONER'S INQUEST.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1712, 29 January 1874, Page 2

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquest was held at Moonlight Creek on Monday, 26th inst., before O. White.foord, Esq., Coroner, on the body of Wm. Kirkman, who died there the preyions day. A jury having been sworn, of which Mr John Houston was foreman, they proceeded to view the remains, which were lying at Smith's Hotel. From the evidence it appears that the deceased, who had been mining at Moonlight for becween two and three years, was going towards his residence late in the evening of Thursday, 22nd inst., and in crossing a footbridge—formed by a fallen tree—over a deep tail-race, he slipped and fell into the race. On getting out he did not appear to be much injured, but, further along, he had another fall, and this time he,complained of a pain in the lower part of his right side. He went to the hut of a man named Bruce, and asked permission to remain there all night, saying that it was late, and he was unable to go home. 'The hut-mate of Bruce gave up his bunk to the dsceased, who went to bed, and from that time forth seemed very unwell. On Saturday he took some simple medicine, but he rapidly became worse. Shortly after midnight he went outside the hut, and the length of time he was away attracted the attention of Bruce, who also went out, and found the deceased lying senseless upon the ground. Assistance was procured, and the poor fellow was carried into the hut again, but he died shortly afterwards. Dr Phillips mide a 2>od mortem examination of the remains, and found great and general decay of some of the vital organs. The lungs (the right one especially) were in a dreadfully diseased condition, . so much so that it was astonishing the man could move about so long. Evidently the appearance of the remains betokened the existence of longstanding disease, the result ol tsipoanro and reckless living. The medical evidence went to show that apart from the inevitable shock to an already impaired constitution, caused by the fall, the results of the accident he met with, did not materially accelerate the end of the deceased, for the immediate cause of death was given as inflaraation and congestion of the lungs. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony. The deceased, who was an old miner and an early arrival on the West. Coast, was well known throughbut the gold fields under the sobriquet of !" Liverpool Bill." He was at one time a very energetic prospector, and he opened up several localities in the Grey .Valley, on the Inangahua, arid on the ;southern diggings, which were called after him and still bear his name. He was a snative of Liverpool, and about 46 years •of age. Shortly after the inquest the .body was interred at the cemetery at ■Moonlight, in the presence of the brother and another relative of the deceased, and jof nearly every resident of the creek,