FATAL ACCIDENT AT ORUAMATUA.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3318, 23 October 1919, Page 5

FATAL ACCIDENT AT ORUAMATUA.

-.-r"—°‘—-" CORONER’S INQUEST.

An inquest was held at 01-uamatua station on Tuesday before Mr J. _P. Aldridge, Coroner, into the circumstancés connected with the death of Edxnund Robinson Jack, who was found dead on Tuesday morning.

F. R. Cottre-11,, manager of the Ornamatua station, stated. the deceased had been in his employ about three Weeks; he cahie from Whangarei, Where his parents reside. He last sawdeceased on Sunday, 19th inst. He was a very quiet, conscientious worker, and had some experience of farm work_'Should not say he was a flrst-class horseman_ The horse he was riding was quiet. As soon as witness knew deceased was missing he went to the spot. He found deceased at the bottom of a pot-hole, with the horse on top of him. Both were quite dead. ‘As deceased had not eaten his 1-unch it was apparent the accident had occurred before mid—day. After great difficulty deceased was cxtricated and the body taken’ to the station. Witness thought it was rather a case of inexperienced horse~ inanship, that he rode close to the hole, the earth beneath him giving way, and they both rolled into the hole, a distance of between 15 and 20 feet. Deceased had been on the same round on other occasions

J. P_ Stewart. a general farm hand employed on the station, last saw deceased at 7 a.ln. on Monday, as he was leaving on his round. At tea time it was noticed that deceased had not returned and witness, thinking that something had -happened, he secured a horse ;and went in search of him a!b-out 6.30., .Going to the gates, he found de-ceased’s horse was not tl'lc-.re. Witness started off leading his horse along the whare spur, and had only gone about.soo_ yards down the hill when deceased’s two dogs ran out and barked at him. On; getting no response to his call-s witness followed the dogs 'to_:,the'edge of the hole, the ‘dogs growling at him_alAl:th-e‘tl9r_r_le. It being dark” witness _struck a match and on lookinugvinto t_h_e _l.l_>ole"saw‘the. mare deceased was 'riding;: it was quite. dead; ‘Onwlooking ro-und hesaw def czzasedslffoot sticking" out of the mud, whichgave him the inrpression that Le was head. downwards. Witness was not in the position. to. express an opinion about deceased’s experience in Itol'SelllaDShiP. A Constable Geraghty said he examined the body of deceased, whose chest and abdomen were sex"-«.ml_v bruised. His neck was broken, as was also his back. He was of opinion death was caused by the horse falling upon him. The COl-oner:’s verdict was that death was caused by the horse falling upon him in a pothole while engaged in his usual occupation. -