CORONER'S INQUEST.

Southland Times, Issue 1197, 18 January 1870, Page 3

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquest, touching the death of the late Mr James Dundas, took place at Lang's Golden Fleece Hotel, on Monday, 17th inst., at 11 o'clock, before Dr Deck, and a jury, of whom Mr J. Stock was foreman. The first witness called wns Alex. M'Naughton, settler, Wild Bush, who deposed as follows : — On Friday last, 14th inst., I was on the Waimatuku flat, leading an entire horse. Sometime after 1 o'clock, I was on my way back from Mr Davis's, on the edge of the bush, and going towards miy own place. I had passed Mr Boyd's when I left the regular road leading to the bridge over the river, and made for the old ford, wishing to wash the horse's legs in the crossing. I mounted the horse to ford the creek, and on going on a little I saw a horse grazing with the saddle and bridle on. I had heard two men talking within the edge of the bash just a little before that. Immediately after seeing the horse I observed a man lying across the track. I jumped off, tied my own horse to the flax, and ran to j his assistance, thinking him alive. I knew it was Mr Dundas. He was lying face down, his brow against the bank of the track made by the feet of the horses and cattle ; his face was in a little water, about an inch deep. I lifted his head, and found b.P was dead and cold. I then cooeyed for the two men ; they answered, but did liot come at first. I then went towards their tent, and they came out to my call. I asked them what they were doing here? They said, surveying. I then said, well, your master is lying down the road here dead. They said he only left a short time ago. We went back to the place. I examined the tracks of the horse deceased had ridden ; they were 8 or 9 feet to the right of the beaten path, I could trace them distinctly, and there wsb no appearance of the horse having stumbled. The horse was about 50 yards off when I first came to the body, but came up when I cooeyed, and I saw the right foot stirrup drawn over the saddle, corresponding with the way deceased had fallen. There were no marks about the ground as if deceased had struggled after falling; hia left hand was under his breast, his right extended behind him, palm uppermost, and his hat was lying three or four feet off. When I raised his head a little dirt fell either from his mouth or nose. His face was dark, but there was no froth about the mouth or nostrils. The men I called \o were about 200 yards off ; they could not see me, nor I them, from where the body lay, a bend in the bush hid them. They could not have seen the horse either from where their tent was ; deceased was lying at right angles to the track, his head on A, and his body on the right hand side of it coming from Boyd's. Harry Giller deposed that he was in Mr Dundas's survey party; that they were camped on the Waimatuku Bush ; that on the Thursday Mr Dundas joined them about half-past four in the afternoon ; towards evening they all — witness, Ifcoss, and deceased — went up to a settler's house, M'Kinnon's, where they remained awhile. Witness and Ross returned to the tent about 8 o'clock, and deceased about an hour afterwards ; they turned in about 11 o'clock. Deceased was complaining of toothache during the evening, and took several doses of chlorodine to cure it. He was very restless all night, kept the candle burning, and appeared not to sleep any. In the morning he took no breakfast, nor had he taken any tea the night before. He told witness to get ready to go to town to see Mr Baker, but changed his mind, and said he would go himself. He was not complaining of any pain, but looked nervous and very poorly, although in about his usual spirits. He left about 20 minutes to 11 o'clock ; he went away quite slowly, and seemed to be sitting his horse all right. We watched him till the bush hid him, and that was the last time we. saw him alive. I heard former witness cooeying, but thought it was Boyd's people, therefore did not go out to see till we heard the person coming. It was a wet day, and we were in the tent all day. We could not see the place where he fell without rounding the point of the bush. When M'Naughton came we all went ; deceased was dressed as I had last seen him. Witness then corroborated the evidence formerly given as to the position and appearance of the body, the stirrup, tracks, &c., and then, in reply to the lury, said — " I have been in deceased's employment two years. He was not subject to fits to my knowledge. He took chlorodine two or three times during the night. He was trembling a little when he left." Michael Ross, also of deceased's party, gave similar evidence, with the addition that he had noticed deceased to be very drowsy in the morning, and very weak and shaky when getting on his horse. Witness gave him a push up, and thought he got all right after mounting ; the place, where he had fallen was only 5 or 6 minutes' distance from the tent, but through a point of bush. Witness remained with the body until Constable Pierpoint arrived from town to take charge of it. The horse deceased rode was given to stumbling, but he had never known it to fall. Constable Pierpoint deposed to going out for the body and bringing it into town. He found it as already described, adding that the face was bruised on the right side, the nose flattened down, and the mouth and nostrils full of clotted blood. There were no appearances of a '

struggle having occurred at the spot. Deceased did not seem to have moved after falling. Mr Inspector Chapman deposed to receiving the body from former witness. He found no marks of violence about it, but the skin about the face, neck, and chest discolored by the accumulation of blood underneath. After a consultation, the jury returned a verdict in accordance with the facts, viz., that the deceased, James Dundas, was found dead, but that there was no evidence to show how dtath had been caused. •_