DEATH OF MR. CHAS. BELL.

Otaki Mail, 31 May 1922, Page 2

DEATH OF MR. CHAS. BELL.

THE INQUEST

An inquest was held oil Monday before Mr A. Fraser, Coroner, of Fox ton, the- inquiry being conducted b} LuiisiauJe Bagno.

vi niiuiu .lunn Bell, brother oi ue-eeu-sed, gave lonnai evidence. Fitzgerald Bell, son oi tile deceased, oluteu that Ills miller Wu, 111 Levin ok autuida}. ne iuuo ivmii-osuoisc, and ien Home uenveeii ki.oo uuu n i.. me iiiuming. me Horse nas very Hum in tne mourn, imu was inclined io .evil Wiien going Udine, li, hud hoileu Willi deceased al>oui two moulds ago, and threw iuiii on a; me neat gate. \V ilhuln \V aiivilis, duiCner, v. e-rarca., gave evidence that a, adoUt 0 o'eioca on Saturday evening ue neam a iioist galloping nurd past me stiup. ne rail out to see wno it was, but ne w as uuabie to identify tile rider, a- me noise was going too last. About iuo .taius past me shop me horse appeared m shy and pull up, and. then went on again ai a gallop, the spot when die horse appealed to pun up ivaI the place vvueio deceased was juund. v\ iUiess had no idea that an accident ’ hud occurred, but lie lieurd„..ul it a few minutes later.

Dr. W. J. Macdonald stated that lie was called uljout 7 o’clock on Saturday evening to attend the accident When he arrived deceased showed ik signs of life. There was a siigh swelling under the, eyes, lnood abou die luce, and a qouud on the head 11# was ut opinion death ensued non a iraeture ot Uie base of the skull These injuries would be consisted with what one might receive by a fui from a hoi so.

Hone McMillan, lariner, Kopuiurui gave evidence that lie had known tl deceased for the past 39 years, lie mi

deceased beiweeu 5.30 and 0 o'clock on Saturday evening, and was with him when he mounted his horse and walked down Oxford Street with him lor some distance. Deceased then pulled up and continued talking wilh witness lor another livi minutes before going on home. Ihe horse appeared very qiiiei, arJ deceased Jiad no diflicuity in muunjtig it. On leaving witness deceased continued m walk ills iior.-e. lie was a slow rider and was quite sober. James W ebb, bail dresser,' Muted that, he saw deceased ai about ten minutes to six on ."Saturday evening. Jit; was then opposite the school in Oxford shreel, and was riding a bursa- lh- was endeavouring to .-tup the horse m order io light his pipe, hut the horse appealed to lie teslless and would not stand. Alter lighting his pipe, deceased let the horse go oh at a canter.

Gc-urge Joseph Hill, farm labourer, -il Tararua Itoad, deposed lliat about fi p.m. he was riding in lo Levin on horseback. Just alter passing IJemti Hoad lie noticed a man lying on the , main road. Witness got off his horse ami lound the man lying m a pool >'-l blood. The man was still breathing, or living to breathe, ami with assistance witness carried him to the side of the road and sent lor a doctor. The doctor and police arrived together, and witness assisted to carry tin: body to I the nearest house. Everything pus- | si Die was done by witness and other' for the deceased i The Coroner returned a verdict that the deceased met his death by a fracture ol the base of the skull, caused by an accidental fall from his horse.