FATAL COACH ACCIDENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 641, 23 May 1878, Page 2

FATAL COACH ACCIDENT.

THE INQUEST.

The following is the conclusion of our report of the inquest commenced yesterday afternoon on the bodies of Mr. Nichols and Master Maitlaud : William Connor, fcllmonger, lately residing at Tokomairiro, deposed that he was a passenger by the coach from Palmerston to Moeraki yesterday, whicli left the former place at about half-past 1 or 2 o'clock on Tuesday. Nothing went wrong until the coach reached the top of the Horse Range. He could not say how many were on the box-seat or inside the coach. On the roof on the luggage were two passengers. The last witness, Hunter, and the deceased Nichols were on the back seat, and witness and another man sat on the luggage on the rack. There were therefore six passengers outside, be* sides those on the box-seat, There was not much luggage on the roof of the coach. The coach had just got over the crown of the hill when witness hoard seme one cry out, " There is a trace loose," and the coach commenced to go very fast, Witness dropped to the ground and held on to the vehicle, running behind it. lie saw what he thought was a trace loose, flapping on the near side. 3e could not pay whether the brake was .ic ! .ing, but hoard it grating up to the time ,!;;; coach left him. From the place where he jumped • off to that where (he coach fell over the embankment, the distance would be about six or seven chains. Before the coach went over, the hist witness and two others jumped otf. He (witness) did not see the vehicle fall, and when lie saw it n xt it was lying about 40 or o0 feet down the embankment. The top was all smashed, and the body lay on its side, some of the wheels being broken. He saw the fore-carriage- senne five chains or more further clown the road, with what appeared to be two horses lying beside it. lie went back along the road, and just at the place where lie heard the cry he found the piece of iron called the " tree,"' that holds the trace, with a link of the trace, lying on the road. To the Jury : I. did not pick them up.

Witness continued : When he saw Mr. Xicli'ils he was lying about three or four yards from the remains of the coach, bleeding profusely from the month, nose. eyes, and ears. He v.-as alive then, but died about 15 or 20 minutes afterwards. The lad Maitland was tying with his feet on Mr. Jwcliols' legs, and was fearfully ll "°',"7' "i -'"■'"'V'-'p and head. Witness did not know of Jus own m,,,,,!^,.,. when lie died. The driver was sober, and drove, witness considered, very steadily and carefully. Witness could not sav whether the cry came from the inside of the coach. The horses were, he thought, very steady. His brother, who was an inside passenger, was hurt. To the Jury : 1 did not see the polo of the coach after the accident. Witness also stated that he and another passenger who was unhurt lifted the body of the coach oJf three persons who wore underneath it. This was all the evidence adduced, and the inquiry was adjourned until the 6th June, at the Court-house, in order to ibrain the evidence of the driver and Mi Fulton.