DEATH OF MR. JER. ORMSBY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 171, 8 July 1909, Page 2

DEATH OF MR. JER. ORMSBY.

The Inquest. The inquest in connection with the death of Mr Jeremiah Ormsby was held at Te Kuiti Court House on Monday evening before Mr J. B. Teasdale, Di=itrict Coroner. Constable Matthew represented the Poilce and Mr John Ormsby, brother of deceased, represented the relatives.

Evidence as to the finding of the body was given by E. Paris and John Ball, who stated that they were walking up the railway line from Te Kuiti on Sunday morning about 9 o'clock and discovered the body lying face down close to the rails. The body was like at an angle with the head towards the South. Deceased's hat was lying a few yards ahead of him between the rails. Ball went and acquainted the family of the accident.

Antony James Ormsby, son of deceased, stated that his father usually went home to Waiteti on Saturday nights. Occasionally he rode, but also frequently walked. Lst Saturday his father was not expected home. The place the body was found was less than ten chains from the point at which bis father would have left the line and taken to the road.

Doctor W. F. Fullerton deposed to being called by Constable Matthew to the scene of the accident. He examined the body which was lying about a yard to the left of the metals going from Te Kuiti. The scull had a big gash on the side and was fractured. The lip was cut and the shoulder bruised. In his opinion death was due to fracture of tha skull and was instantaneous. He considered some part of the train had caused the damage to the skull. Deceased had not been thrown any great distance —not more than a vard or two. He should say deceased had been lying when struck. It would be impossible to distinguish between bruises which might have been caused by a fall or those caused by impact with the train. Very possibly deceased had fallen on the side of the line and stunned himself prior to being struck by the train. As far as he could judge be would say the occurrence was accidental J. M. Harris, Maori Missionary at Te Kuiti, stated he saw deceased on several occasions on Saturday evening, the last occasion being about 10.30 p.m. He considered deceased would have been capable of walking home along the line.

H. Hetet said he was with deceased during a good portion of Saturday evening. About twenty minutes past twelve they went along the line together. After a few minutes conversation at witness' gate, deceased said good night, and proceeded up the railway towards his home. They bad frequently walked that way home together, on Saturday nights. D. F. G. Barclay, Interpreter to the House of Representatives, corroborated the previous witnesses statement. He was in the company of deceased from about 9 o'clock till about 12.30. When they parted at H. Hetet's gate deceased was in a thoroughly fit state to look after himself, or to do business.

Constable Mathew gave evidence as to the position in which the body was found. In his opinion deceased had been struck by the train coming from Wellington. His theory was that deceased had either fallen beside the line or had laid down and gone to sleep. The driver or guard of the train bad not reported striking anything. In reply to Mr John Ormsby witness 3aid the cap worn by deceased was about three yards head of the body. There was no mark on the cap, and it had evidently not been on deceased's head when he was struck by the train. It was possible deceased fell and got stunned when he lost his cap. The coroner, who acted without a jury, returned a verdict to the effect that deceased met his death while on his way home by being struck by the train from Wellington.

Mr Teasdale expressed the deepest sympathy with the bereaved relatives and paid a high tribute to deceased whom he had known for over twenty years. He had always found the late Mr Ormsby an upright, generous, and worthy man in all respects.