INQUEST.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2125, 8 May 1920, Page 3

INQUEST.

MOTOR CYCLE FATALITY. -

The adjourned inquest on the body of Neil Neilsen, of ,Moutoa, who was hilled by a hick from a racehorse while motor cycling on Maxwell’s line, Palmerston North, on the first day of the Manawatu races, April 21st, was held before Air W. F. Durward, J.P., and a jury at the Courthouse, Palmerston N., yesterday. Peter Neilsen, freezing works employee, of Kakahi, a brother of deceased, gave forma! evidenee of idea! .ideation, Elizabeth Weeks stated that on April 21st last she remembered Neilsen going into the accommodation paddock near the course in the morning, and putting his cycle there. He came for it later in the da\\Deceased appeared to have been drinking, and she advised him not to ride ids motor cycle, but he took no notice of hex’. Deceased appeared quite alright after he had been put on the cycle. She did not see the accident.

Cross-questioned by •Mr Tunes, witness stated that there was a good deal of (rattle on the roads ;u the time ,of !ho accident. ])r. Putnam deposed that while returning from the races on April 21st lie saw a man lying on the right-hand side of Maxwells line. He examined deceased, who was (lieu alive. He carried him to the garden of a cottage on the other side of the road. He was bleeding from the head and mouth, and had o gash on his fa Jc. The man died almost immediately afterwards. He gave instructions for the people pf the cottage to send for the police. Aptness considered at the time that deceased had a fracture of the skull.

Martin Te Matuki, farmer,. of Kauwhula, deposed that Ncilsen Intel come into the accommodation paddock for his motor cycle. The man’s condition was such that he thought ho should not have ridden his machine. In witness’ opinion deceased went at too great a speed considering the Ira flic on the road at the time.

.Joseph D. Cooksley, farmer, of Kangiolu, who had seen . dec-eased in the accommodation paddock, gave similar evidence to that of Miss Weeks.

Walter Blanche, apprentice jockey, employed hy (Mr F. Carmont, horse trainer, of Foxlon, deposed that he had left the Awapuni racecourse at about 4 p.m. on April 2.151. He was riding a horse called Ford Desmond. Another hoy, Fen. CarmonF was with him leading Sweet Tipperary. They turned into Maxwell’s line, where lie rode on the grass on the left-hand side of the load. The horses were walking. He heard a motor cycle coming along, and he looked round and saw the cycle about 100 yards behind him. ft was coming at about 20 miles an hour. The cycle was then on the right-hand side of the road. Neil-m-ii crossed the road before the horses wore reached, and Ids horse shied, and jumped o,n to the metal road. At this time the cycle l was alongside the horse, and the stirrupiron hit deceased on the head. Neilsen felt face downwards on the road. The horse then bolted, hnf witnes'S pulled him up and came hack. He saw blood was oozing from deceased’s head. The motor cycle had struck the horse’s front leg, hut witness was satisfied that ids horse did not kick the cycle. There was nothing to prevent deceased from passing the horse easily. The horse did not kid: deceased. X. H. Xankiveli; butcher, employed at the abattoirs, stated that he witnessed"!ho accident, and saw the horse lash out at the man after he had fallen from the cycle. No blame was attachable to the boy who was riding, as he was doing his best to keep the animal in hand.

Thomas B. Dwan, of ‘Wellington, pari owner of the horse. Lord Desmond, stated that he had a photograph of the horse taken after the accident, and the bruise shown in the photograph showed that the cvcle had struck the horse.

The jury, who did not leave the Court, returned a verdict that the deceased was accidentally killed as the resultof a collision with a racehorse, no blame being attachable to anyone.