INQUEST.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2402, 27 November 1880, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesterday after noon at. the Pleasant Point Hotel before B. Bectham, Esq., Coronor, and a jury, on the body of Louis B. Baddon, who was found lying dead at Opihi on Thursday evening.

John Worthington, farmer, Pleasant Point, deposed that lie knew the deceased. Saw him with a dray and a little boy about 1.30 p.m. on the 21th. He said he was going’to Bainclitf, which is about 15 mites from the Point, He appeared quite sober. Joseph Nelson deposed—f am the licensee of the Opihi Hotel, at the Opihi river. .My house is between four and live miles from Pleasant Point. The deceased arrived at my house at about half-past three o’clock on the 24th. He had a horse and dray with him. lie had a boy in the dray also. lie came in and told me that he was in some bother with his horse. That it had been jibbing. He bad a load on. lie stayed there three-quarters of an hour. I found him some rope, and put his load right. He had a glass of whisky and gingerbeer. Afterwards lie bad another in about ion minutes. This is all be had. I could not say what slate he was in except that he was excited about his horse. When he went away T could sec that he had had a glass, but he could walk steady. He left about a quarter pastli pm. I watched him for 70!) yards. He and the boy were sitting in the dray together. He said he would go round by Collik’s. and stay with Hadfield all night. There arc no rivers on the road he said that he was going. I know where he was found. It is not on the road ho mentioned, nor is it on the direct road to his farm. He could get that way. He was found about three-quarters of a mile from my house. Edwin Levy deposed to seeing Baddon on Nov. 24 ; met him about half a mile before ho reached the Opihi Hotel. He did not appear sober and wanted witness to tight. He was hitting the horse with a stick and seemed dazed as if lie was drunk. Saw him and the boy later about hull: a mile the other side of the hotel. The dray was found about five or six chains from where witness last, saw him. The road was rough and unformed. Joseph Stanley deposed : f am n constable stationed at Pleasant Point. Yesterday about 7 p.m. 1 wont to the Opihi river. About two miles from the hotel L found the body of a man, which I recognised as Baddon. lying under the near shaft of a dray, which was overturned on the near wheel. His face was downwards in about a foot of water. The harness on the horse, which was tethered near, was broken. I could sec where the dray went over. The horse bad shifted the dray and had kicked a large hole where the body was lying. There are many large sharpedged stones there. I saw Baddon about half-an-hour before he left here ; he was sober then and not excited. He always seemed a little jolly and inclined to joke and fun. .Nothing has been found yet of the boy. The boy s hat has been found to-day down the river, about three chains below where the body was found. The deceased's hat has also been found near that place. This being all the evidence, the jury, after a short deliberation, returned the following verdict; —"That the deceased, Lewis Bobert Baddon, was accidentally killed by the overturning of his dray while in a state of partial intoxication.”