INQUEST.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 234, 29 August 1873, Page 3

INQUEST.

On Friday last an inquest was held at the Victoria Hotel, before W. Grumitt, Esq., J.P., acting Coroner, on view of the body of Bridget' Mungovan. Mr. Robert Keenan, Mr. John Hore, and Dr. Pick gave evidence. Mr. Keenan, on being sworn, said: That on Wednesday, the 20th instant, he was going to his farm at the Kyeburn in charge of two teams and drays—three horses in the leading - dray and two in the one following. He was riding in the first dray, and the deceased was sitting by him. The leading horse of the last dray was tied to the dray in advance. All went well until we arrived at the first gully beyond the junction of the Dunedin and Kyeburn road. On arriving there, he jumped off for the purpose of conducting the leading horses up the hill. Immediately on catching hold of the horse's head he saw the dray overturned down the hill. The deceased was sitting on the near side of the dray—the hill side. On going to the back of the dray he observed the deceased lying on her back, with her head lying down the hill. The side rail of the dray was lying across her stomach, her feet being under the dray. He endeavored to raise the dray off the deceased; and then, on failing, took off the wheel to lighten the weight. He again tried to lift the dray, but could not lift it sufficient to allow the deceased to escape. He then, with a spade, made a hole, in order that the deceased might, if possible, fall into it under the dray, hoping that the bars of the dray would catch the ground each side. He then levered the dray up with a spade, and placed a tussock under it. All this time two of the horses were on the ground, and one up —the shaft horse being on his back. He let go the leaders, and then mounted one of them and hastened towards the township for assistance. On his way he met a man called Andrew White, and informed him of the accident. Further on he met John Hore, who immediately went with him to the scene of the accident. On the way back he felt unwell, and Hore went on alone, witness following in a few minutes. On nearing the dray White called on him to run, as the deceased was still living. The three then raised the dray, and, while two supported it, he extricated the deceased. She at once fainted, but shortly recovered and drank some water. She then said her belly was burst, and asked for her sister. When the doctor arrived she was placed in the other dray, and conveyed to witness' house, where she died about twelve hours after the accident.

Mr. John Hore, being sworn, confirmed the last witness' evidence. In addition, he said that, on arriving at the scene.of accident, he attempted to lift the dray, but failed. A man named White then arrived, and together they attempted to raise it; but, owing to the kicking of the horse, they again failed. Robert Keenan then arrived, and together they lifted the dray. He believed a dray going round a sidling abruptly, like the one in the vicinity of the dray, might easily be overturned. Keenan told him that the leading horse was going straight up the spur, and on his going up to him he turned sharp off down the hill; and that, he thought, upset the dray.. In answer to questions by Jurymen, witness said that he thought the place that Keenan.was driving over was as safe as the road. Also, that Mr. Keenan was quite sober at the time.

Dr. Dick gave evidence that the deceased had received a shock from which she never entirely rallied. The weight of a dray falling, as had been described, on the deceased, was sufficient to cause death. He attended the deceased to within three hours of death, which took place by asthenia. The Jury found that the deceased Bridget Mungovan met her death casually, accidentally,, and by misfortune, and affixed the following rider:—"That the police should use more diligeuce in seeing that draymen always use reins."