ELECTROCUTED.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 January 1928, Page 1

ELECTROCUTED.

UN USUAL Cl RCU-M STANCES. By Telegraph—Per Tress Association. HAMILTON, Jan. 11. An inquest to ascertain the cause of the death of Maurice Robinson Haile, engine driver, employed by the Waikato Valley Dairy Company, was held today before Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M. Haile was found in a dying condition on the floor of the factory oil Sunday, December IS.

Dr. W. Fulton, who made the postmortem .described the body as well nourished. The heart was healthy, and showed no sign of disease. Death was due to interference with the co-ordinat-ing power of the heart, the condition being known as fibrillation. Death in such a case would he instantaneous. This condition was found when a person was electrocuted.

Norma Montoith, a little girl, said that she went over to get some milk from the factory and found Haile lying on the concrete floor, breathing hard. She spoke to him, but he did not answer. She then called a neighbour. Alongside him was an electric globe, alight, on a flexible wire. James E. Curtin, engineer for the Waikato Valley Dairy Company, said that- on the day before Haile s death be made some alterations to tlie globe fixings on the flexible cord and removed the wooden handle by which ii was usually carried. This would necessitate carrying the light by the cord. Haile had no right to remove it from I lie deodoriser. The light on the deodoriser had failed on Saturday afternoon. Three globes were on successively. and each hurst. Witness then connected up an extension light.

Witness admitted that the apparatus was leaky when Haile handled it, hut said lie had no right to handle it. The company’s engineer, John Emmett Curtin, said the light extension apparatus was use frequently throughout the building when repairs were living carried ou.t Witness had altered the appliance just prior to the accident. The hull) had been taken out from the wooden handle and a copper shade had been put on it. Alexander Murdoch Bellamy, borough electrical inspector. Hamilton, said he would not have passed the apparatus produced, because it did not comply with the Government’s wiring regulations. Had the lamp socket been fitted into Vlic wooden handle and the lamp protected with a cage lie would have passed it. The apparatus as it was at present arranged was unsafe to use and the danger of using it would be considerably increased is the user weie standing tin a wet concrete Moor 01 it liis clothes were wet.

Constable Atkins said the light in the flexible extension was burning when lie arrived at the factory. Mhe Moor was very wet and when witness picked up the light he received tuo shocks, one of which was severe.

The coroner said lit* had no doubt that deceased had received a shock from a defective lighting apparatus. There were two unsatisfactory features about i lie evidence. Mhe apparatus bad been interfered with hv an unqualified person and had been lelt by him in a somewhat dangerous condition. It was in that condition when deceased took possession of it for the purpose of assisting him in cleaning out a boiler. The coroner said he had no satisfactory evidence that. Ihc appliance was ever inspected or tested. Ihe inspector could not say definitely whether the apparatus in question was the one lie had tested.