SAD FATAL ACCIDENT.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 328, 26 December 1888, Page 2

SAD FATAL ACCIDENT.

On Monday morning fast, about eight o\itocl^amp^M«*eKrTh(Muas Burke, ap» -psuwiitJ^ between fifty *ncl "sixty 'years of og«!, beJiwod io be single and a pensioner, who has Kior some years ,|?aat off, and on been <2*tt!pl<*yed on the Auckland AgricultMVtl O©'« Wiiitoa estste f left the said eaUte -on horseback for i Waitoa, , accom : praiedlby a fellow workman named Xxeorge ■ W*lton. On arriving- at Waitoa they went into Gabolinscy's hotel, and it is stated there had several drinks, after which they left for home again, taking with them a •bottla of whiskey. After going through several of Mr li. Purr's paddocks il is oaid Burke galloped away from Walton, who came up to him a few minutes afterwards and ' found him lying on the ground insensible. Walton returned to Waitoa for assistance. Two or three men went with Walton and removed Bnrko to the bide of the puddock, believing there was nothing the matter with him beyond the effects of drink, which, it was expected ho would soon sleep off. A local resident named C. Collins, who knew deceased well, also camo on the scene and advised the others to leave him alone and let him have his sleep out, none imagining anything seriuus was the matter. Collins it appear*, went to see deceased once or twice ui'terwards, and thought he was sleeping all right, but on visiting him about four o'clock was shocked to find Burke whs no more, and had evidently been dead a couple of hours. The pnliee had the body removed to the Waihou hotel. An inquest will be held to-day before Mr J. llott, J,l\