FATAL ACCIDENT AT TURAKINA

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8779, 5 April 1907, Page 3

FATAL ACCIDENT AT TURAKINA

The inquest,

An inquest touching tho deatli of John Neary was held at Tnraljiua yesterday l;efore iif R, L, Stanford, S.M. '(Coroner) and a jury of Messrs John H. Day (foreman), Duncan Glasgow, 11. Hillmer, L. Cameron and J. Grace,

Constable -FicY.patrick conducted the inquiry and'Mr Treadwell appeared on behalf of the licensee of Ben Nevis Hotel.

Dr. Crawford deposed haviiio; iua.de a post mortem, pxaiuinaiiou aud'i'oimd the body well nourished. From the appearance of the man, lie was about 50 years of age. There was a dislo-.-cation of the neck'ami it fjsw small abrasions on ihq left hip arid thigh. There was no' sign of injury on the head or brain. He found both lungs adherent to ih<i frails' of the' c'jiest. Tho causo of dear-lj was probably dislocation, of the neck or possibly heart failure.

E. J.'Barnes, licensee of Ben, notti, nan ne Know ueceased. He called at his hotel about- 7, In on Wednesday morning and he first saw him asletip Qn the bar parlour sofa. He slent till 11 o'clock and when 'he woke asked for the time. Ho y.-'v; surprised it was so late and said fie should have been at Foilding by that time. He asked for a bottle of beer, which was supplied, and decease! then loft, the hotel. Witness did not serve him with any drink from the bar. He was quite sober when leaving the hotel. A few minutes after leaving he returned to the hotel and wanted to purciiaso a loaf of bread. He was told that he could reach Bulls iu time for hmch, and lie then started on his journey. He had no breakfast at the hotel. An hour later witness was informed of the accident by two motor men. He returned with them and found the body on tho road about three chains down tho Turakina hill. His' horse and trap had been stopped further along the road. His dog was lying beside him and loose matches were scattered on the road. To Mr Troadwell: It was not uu: usual for deceased to come to hi:* hotel and have a rest. Other drovers did so.

Robert Carroll, porter at Ben Nevis Hotel, remembered deceased coming to the hotel about seven o'clock in the morning and wanted to pay a small account for previous lodging. He shouted for witness and had a'drink—a whisky—himself. Twenty minutes later lie came in with a butcher, to whom he had sold sheep skins, and again shouted, calling for another whisky. He then wont into the bar parlour and slept. Witness only served him J with the two drinks, Robert Knox said he saw deceased drive into Turakina about scveu o'clock. He afterwards saw him at the Ben Nevis hotol. This was about 11 o'clock. He was in the bar but could not swear deceased had a drink. He appeared to be quite sober when lie drove away. He enquired the distance to Foilding. To Mr Treadwell: He would not contradict Mr Barnes if he said he had not supplied him with any liquor, except the bottle of beer. Archibald Reid said deceased was quite sober when he left for Foilding. George Anderson deposed having purchased two sheep skins from deceased, who 'shouted for him after paying for them. Phillip Porter and Ethel Turner gave evidence as to finding the body on the road.

The Coroner said it was quite clesr from the evidence that the unfortunate man was not intoxicated. He recommended the jury to return a verdict of accidental death. It may have been from failure of the heart but the immediate cattse of death was dislocation of the neck. A verdict was returned accord-