CORONER'S INQUEST.

Kumara Times, Issue 238, 10 July 1877, Page 2

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesteiday afternoon, at the Court House, before B. Glapcott, Esq.,. J.P., and a jury of fourteen, touching the death of Patrick Cooney, Patrick Kelly, and William Kiley. Mr St. Clair George was chosen foreman. After the coroner and jury had viewed the bodies which lay—two at Seddori's Hotel, and the third at the Hospital—the following evidence was heard:— AS TO THE DEATH OP WILLIAM KILEY. Daniel M'Namara deposed: I knew William Kiley. I assisted to get his body out. Could see the body after it had been uncovered, but left before it was taken out. One leg was jammed under a prop of timber. The body was quite dead when I first saw it # From what I saw I concluded that the timber fell down, and the earth covered the men. They were not many feet from the face. I consider the props and caps, more than one set, came down. I saw the body brought up the shaft. I consider the ground as safe as any ground being worked here. The cause of death was, I consider, the fall of earth.

John Flynn deposed: I knew deceased, William Kiley, I assisted to clear the earth from his body. He was dead when I saw him. There had been a very large fall of earth. Timber and earth—a large quantity—was lying on deceased. The claim appeared to have been properly timbered. I could give no opinion as to the-cause of the fell. All must have gone at the one time. I saw the deceased's body: it was much bruised.

James William Reily, wardsinan in charge of the Kumara Hospital Ward, deposed : I received a patient named Patrick Kelly, on Saturday, tile 7th, at 9 p.m. He has since-l3ied. He informed me, half aii hour previous to his dying, that one of the deceased men, Kiley, struck a " dog," and immediately the whole fell in like the clap of a gun. "He was quite sensible at the time hemade the statement. He said it was done in.order to get out a false set All the party wished it done, and he blamed no one for the accident. He said that Cooney and Kiley were dead, as he had ealled to them several times and received no reply. Martin O'Dea deposed that he had conversed with the survivor Thomas Quinlivan. Was the first to get to him when he was covered, and gave him a drink. The drive was all down. There would be five sets of timber, all on that side, down. Quinlivan told him they put the main set in and "dogged" it. They could not get out the false set without drawing the dog. Kiley in removing the false cap with the dog, knocked it out, The timber then spranguiiite th&face, and one" Bet carried another.

The verdict wrs that deceased was accidentally killed.

IN THE CASE OP PATRICK KELLY.

Martin O'Dea deposed: I was in the drive, and spoke to Kelly all the time he was covered. J was blowing air to him with a small honse-bellows. Kelly was about four feet from where I was working to get them out. He spoke to me all the time I was there. There was about 15 feet of earth over the deceased and his.mates. The timber must have given way. I have not seen deceased alive since he was taken out. He was

advising me, in as strong a voice as possible, to timber the ground. Dr. W. Fetherstonhaugh. deposed : I saw Patrick Kelly at the Hospital about 9 o'clock on Saturday evening. There were no bones broken, nor was there any sign of internal injury, but he was very and in a state of collapse. The cause of death, I think, was simply exhaustion from lying out in the cold, and under such a weight so long. If it had been possible to liberate him sooner hia life might have been spared. There were some bruises about the ankles, and the right hand was bruised a good deal. But there was no serious injury.

The verdict was, " Died from exhaustion, caused by long exposure, and in. juries resulting from a fall of earth."

IN THE CASE OP PATRICK COONEY.

William Ryan deposed : I was prosent when the three deceased men were foxmd. What was holding Kelly was a cap piece across his. ankles. There was a slab which had to be chiselled out. Kiley was lying over him. There was a large boulder shifted off him. There were more than one set of timber. We had to put in drives to get at them. Cooney was quite dead when found. The body was much injured, his face was bruised, and a deal of his blood was on the slabs, ano on the men who were removing him. I think he was killed instantaneously. The verdict in this case was the same as in that of William Kiley. The jury added to their verdicts the following rider:—" We are of opinion that there ought to be some steps taken' to urge the Government to appoint an inspector of mines in the Kumara district, on account of the dangerous nature of the ground."