Inquest.

Manawatu Herald, 24 October 1896, Page 2

Inquest.

On Thursday afternoon the Coroner held an inquiry into the death of Frank Battersby who was killed early in the morning by a (all from | a hone. Messrs T. Wei t wood, J. B. Stanßell, A. Jonson, J. Hibbert and J. E. McElwain were the jury, and Mr Stanaell was chosen foreman. The following evidence wai given !— Edmund Batteriby being sworn, deposed—l am the father of the deceased and I laat saw him alive last night. He was well then. The deceased wai born at Petone and Was eleven years of age on the 15th of this month. About a quarter past eight this morning my son Vincent informed me that his brother Frank, the deceased, had bad a fall and that I was wanted. I went to the road past Mr Austin's house and found the deceased lying off the road, on his back with his arms and legs straight. His nose and top of his skull were broke, and a clot of blood on his nose had horse hair stioking to it. I felt his heart and found he was dead. The horse I have had two weeks and is right enough. I rode the horse last Sunday to Otaki and did not find him inclined to stumble. The hone is an old one. From what I saw I attribute my son's death to an aooident. There were several present at the body when I got there. j James Andrew being .sworn, deposed—l have seen the deceased. This morning about a quarter past seven I met the deoeased in Stewart , Street, he was standing by Mr Gray's gate holding a grey horse, he Baid " the horse has just fallen down " and I asked if he was hurt and he said " No." I «aw no more of him because I went on to the clay pit, and returned to the reserve, and on going to »he pit again, then about a quarter to nine, I saw the deceased off the road on the side near Mr Austin's, lying face downwards right in the bottom of the ditch. The horse was standing about five feet from the deceased's feet. I jumped out of the dray and lifted his head up and spoke to him. I got no answer. Directly I saw his faoe I recognised he was dead. There was froth on his lips which wera dark blue, and blood on his nose. His arms and legs were straight down. I moved my dray past and took the grey hone to ride to tell the constable. I met William Anderson on my road and told him what had happened, and asked him to mind my hones, which he did. The grey horse had no saddle, but had a pair of blinkers with flax for reins. I also told Mr Hamer, the chemist, what had happened, and asked him to go op. I also told Mr George Gray. I met Vincent Battersby as I was going back and told him to go and tell his father of the accident. I think the horse must have fallen with deceased, both from his position and the state of the ground. The horse had a stain of blood on the hind hock. The deceased must have been driving the cows to the paddock as the horse tracks were that way and one cow was on the road. The jury immediately brought in , a verdict that deceased was acci- j dentally killed by being thrown from the horse.