INQUEST AT TAIHAPE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9394, 15 March 1909, Page 5

INQUEST AT TAIHAPE.

From Our Own Correspondent,

The inquest on the unfortunate man, O. Stevens, killed at the Manawatu Timber Company’s bush (not Perham and Larsen’s as previously reported) was held in the Courthouse, Taihape, on Saturday afternoon, before Mr J. P. Aldridge, Coroner, and after hearing the evidence of William Boyd (the only man that was near at the' time), of J. Jesson, who assisted to get the poor fellow from underneath the log that knocked him down, and that of Dr. Barnett, who was called, a verdict of accidentally killed was returned. It appears that deceased and the witness were falling a matai tree for mill purposes, and a dead binau tree was in front of it. The matai was felled into the bluan, which broke off at the top and left abont 20 feet standing. They measured the length wanted of the matai, and had got it abont half sawn tbrongh when another piece from the hinau without warning broke off and fell on its end and slipping over fell right across the unfortunate man Stevens, who seeing it coming tried to get out of the way, but was unfortunately not quite quick enough, and the piece fell on the lower part of his back, breaking the left pelvis, and also the thigh. On the arrival of the doctor he at once saw that the poor fellow, though quite sensible, was dying, and thas nothing could be done more than to make him as comfortable as possible. All that could be.done wan done, but the poor fellbw only lived about hours after the accident. He was a single man, about 45 years of age, and was known as a steady, hardworking man. He had some friends in the district, being a cousin of Mrs T. J. Torry, sen., and I believe has other friends in Australia. He wag to be buried on Sunday afternoon [at Taihape, the Rev. John P oss to officiate at the funeral.