DEATH OF MR. JER. ORMSBY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 170, 5 July 1909, Page 2

DEATH OF MR. JER. ORMSBY.

Accidentally Killed. Widespread regret will be feit throughout the district at the news of the tragic death of Mr Jeremiah Ormsby, of Te Kuiti, which occurred on Sunday morning. From the information available it appears that it was Mr Ormsby's custom to proceed to his farm at Waiteti every Saturday evening. Sometimes he rode, but very frequently he walked.

On Saturday night last Mr Ormsby was about town till a late hour, and must have started walking to his home at Waiteti some time after midnight. The road at present is in a bad state, and Mr Ormsby evidently walked up the railway line intending to take to the road where it crosses the line. Before he reached that point he was met by the express train to Auckland, and the dreadful accident occurred. Exactly how the fatality happened will probably never be known, but it is surmised that deceased tripped and fell beside the line, receiving injuries to the head which rendered him unconscious, and left him with his head close to the rail. This view is borne out by the fact that deceased sustained injuries on the face, while the wound which was evidently caused by the train is on the top of the head. The hat worn by the deceased was found on the line, and had not been] cut, a circumstance

which supports the theory that deceased had fallen and lost his hat prior to being struck by the train. The body was found by one of Mr Ormsby's sons early on Sunday morning when out shooting. Upon the news being circulated in the town, arrangements were at once made to have the body conveyed to deceased's house at Te Kuiti where it now lies.

An inquuest will be held at Te Kuiti this evening. Arrangements have been made to have the body conveyed to the Maori meeting house at Te Kuiti tomorrow morning to enable the Maoris to pay their last respects to deceased. On Wednesday the public funeral at Te Kuiti will take place from the meeting house to the railway station, it being the intention of deceased's relatives to have the body taken to Otorohanga by train, and conveyed to Kopua for burial in the family burial ground. The interment will take place on Thursday.

Mr Ormsby was one of the oldest and most highly esteemed residents of the district and his loss will be severely felt by both Europeans and Maoris. He has resided at Te Kuiti for about 20 years, and took an active part in public matters. He was one of those who were responsible for setting up of local government in the district in the shape of the Waitomo County Council, and had represented Te Kuiti riding on the Council ever since the setting up of the local body. Subsequent to the last election of Councillors Mr Ormsby was elected Chairman of the Council, a position which he held at the time of his death. A widow and eleven children are left to mourn their loss.