Fatal Accident at Tokomaru.

Manawatu Herald, 1 December 1900, Page 2

Fatal Accident at Tokomaru.

On Thursday Mr Alf Fraser, acting Coroner, held an inquest at Shannon on the death of John Davies, who was killed last Saturday night by falling over a cliff on the track in the Toko- [ maru Valley. From the evidence taken it appears the deceased and a settler named White left Shannon for Tokomaru between 5 and 6 o'clock in the evening. The deceased was said to be sober, but on the way he had a drink of whisky, and on reaching Mr Twomey's house a halt was made and some more liquor partaken of. The deceased was riding and Twomey cautioned him to be very careful as the road was dangereus. On the following evening as Twomey was coming home he was surprised to find deceased's horse tied up by the bridle at his fence, but on the opposite side of the gate to which it had been tied on Saturday night. Twomey rode the horse to deceased's house and not finding him at home feared he was lost, and on Monday morning commenced with others to search for him. Twomey, with Constable Forster, found the body on Wednesday night and the Constable described the body as lying on the side of an almost perpendicular bank 100 feet from the side of the road. The body was caught across the stomach against a fuschia tree ; the head and legs were hanging downwards. The head was smashed in on the left side and there were bruises about the neck and body. The road, the Constable stated, between Twomey's and the deceased's house is very dangerous. The track would be about two feet wide where the body was found. The inquest was held at the Albion Hotel, and Messrs Thomas Gilfillan (foreman), J. O'Connor, Thomas Brown and Edward Yuile were the jury. The verdict arrived at was " That the deceased John Davis was accidentally killed by falling over the cliff on the Tokomaru Valley Road, and thore is no blame attributable to any person, and that the attention of the Wirokino Road Board should be drawn to the dangerous nature of the road."