AUCKLAN.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 69, 16 June 1877, Page 2

AUCKLAN.

[Feom the "Abgtjs."]

I ■ , Tuesday. I At the inquest to-day on William Frederick Pillingj killed in the football match) Messrs Hesketh and Kissling, solicitdfs, Appeared for James Frederick Haultain. The latter gave evidence of how the accident occurred. He was running hard towards the deceased, • obliquely, at an angle of forty-five degrees, and came into- collision with Pilling, his head being down. Deceased's head struck the muscle of witness'arm and stiffened it, inflicting a slight bruise.' The' deceased's death was caused more by the force df-his own person than that of witness. Witness had never seen a forcible player put down his head wnen running. They usually ran in shoulder to shoulder. He knew a man have his c6llar T bdne broken at football. Lashley had his < thigh broken in the interprovincial match, and Sharland broke his leg. Deceased was a heavier and a stronger man thanv witnesSi Edward Neville Forder had frequently seen short foot- . ball players lower their heads to butt. Dr. Ellis deposed that deceased was a powerful healthy young man, 'aged 22. ' He found the lower limbs completely paralysed. The mental "faculties were entire. There-were no outward contusions. He could detect no fracture or dislocation of the spine. Diagnosis shewed :concussion. of the spine. Atabout 6' o'clock on Monday morning there was depression in breathing, arid about nine, tetanus twitches set In. At a quarter to 10 an epileptic fit'decorred. ,The post mortem, examination, with Dr Hooper, shewed an oblique fracture of the third dorsal vertebra, but no fracture of the spinal process. The spinal cord was not pressed upon.* The cause of death was concussion of spinal cord. He considered the game of football as ■ played in England, and Auckland dangerous. He had seen six cases of injury from.it Muring the last two years. The game was more dangerous for men than boys. ~ Reginald Peacock deposed that deceased had told him*after the accident that ' he had lowered his head and ran straight at Haultain., He did not attribute blame to Haultain. Witness had repeatedly cautioned deceased against running with his head that it might break his neck. Deceased said there was little chance of it. A verdict of death the result of accident, and no blame attributable to anyone,' was returned. The jury also recoiri--mended a modification of the rules, to prevent such accidents.Mr ' Carruthers, - Engineer-in-Chief f has purchased 1400 acres .near the township of Ngaruawahia, Waikato,. at nearly 50s per acre. [PEB PEESS AGENCY/) During May fourteen* deaths were registered in Auckland, against twentyone for the corresponding quarter of 1876. - fr.s. Manuel de Fratz, charged with illicit . distilling, was fined £120, in default six months' imprisonment. . At the North. Shore on'Sunday night some thieves broke into the residence of Messrs Duder, and stole between £60 and £70 in notes/£7CT'in gold, and £160 in promissory notes. The footmarks ;of a man and a women were, found. Such | a sense of security reigned, at the North Shore that the residents were in the 'habit of leaving doors on the latch. Valuables in the adjoining room were untouched.