INQUEST.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 254, 27 March 1860, Page 2

INQUEST.

On Friday last, the 23rd instant, an inquest was held at the Court House, Nelson, on the body of the late Mr. C. J. Barrlett, Trafalgar street, of this city, who came to his death through a collision with a horse and cart, belonging to Messra. King and Goodman, bakers, of this city. At 12 o'clock the Coroner and jury assembled, and a large number of the inhabitants, who deeply sympathised with those who are left to mourn an affectionate husband and fond father. The following gentlemen constituted the jury:—George Baker, James Lucas, Thomas Richard Hackett, B. Crisp, Thomas Foy, H, Baly, W. Wilkie; Charles Harley, Frederick Huddleston, B. Jackson, W. Wilson, J. P. Black, and Giles Coates, foreman. ■ ! :

The jury, after being sworn, proceeded to view the body, then laying dead in the Hospital, which presented an awful spectacle. They then went to the place where the accident occurred.

The jury, on re-assembling, was asked by the Coroner whether the witnesses to be examined should be in Court or not. It being decided they should be out of Court, • . ■

William Byers Sealey was called in and examined : I am a physician and surgeon, practising in the town of Nelson; knew the deceased Charles John Bartlett of Trafalgar-street, draper; that was his body which the jury has now viewed; deceased died a few minutes before 9 on the previous evening (22nd March); heard of the accident, and preceded the body of the deceased; he was brought in a few minutes after; it was then after 8 o'clock; he was in a state of total insensibility, but still living, breathing spasmodically; was entirely pulseless, as well as insensible; the ctfuse was a most extensive commuted fracture of the frontal and nasal bone; the skin was very little broken; the wound was on the left temple; some of the finger nails on both hands appeared to ba partly torn and bent back,- aa-though deceased fell on his hands to the ground and dragged along; the fracture must have been caused from a fall on some hard smooth substance; do not think it was caused by a kick from a horse; there was a good deal of hemorrhage from the nose, caused by the fracture; deceased never recovered consciousness after, and expired about 9 o'clock; the injury mentioned was sufficient to cause instant death.' - ■

W. T. L. Travera sworn: I am District Judge of Nelson; knew the deceased, Mr. Bartlett: was going down the beach accompanied by Mr. James Hacket about 8 o'clock in the evening; it wat raining very hard at the time and extremely dark, bo dark that it was impossible to see any person three or four yards distant; had gone about 50 yards beyond Mr. Symons' store, between that and Mr. Wilson's, when vr& heard the sound of a cart coming oh behind us; immediately afterward heard another cart coining towards us; the one from the beach being the nearer of t the two; I drew on the right or north side of the road, nearest the water; the cart immediately after passed, drawn, as witness thought, by a grey horse; when about 10 yards from each other I stopped to see both cars and felt certain that a collision would take place, which did immediately after; the cart that passed appeared to be trotting at an: ordinary trotting pace, and the other about the same; it was the darkness of the night and not the driving that convinced me that a collision would take place; the cart that passed me was on the opposite side of the road, which would be on the driver's right hand coming from the beach; the cart coming down appeared to be occupying the crown of the road; on hearing no one I thought that the wheels,only had been locked, both horses were struggling, 4 and the drivers unable to quiet them; immediately after I heard a faint cry which appeared to come from an injured horse." Mr. Hacket proposed that witness and himself should go at once to help them; went ftrst to Mr. Symons' for a light; it was impossible to see what was going on; ' Mr. Hacket also got a light; went down immediately after; it could not have been more than a minute and a half; found a grey horse laying in the shafts of a cart, dying, with Mb head pointing towards the beach road; the other horse (a dark one) had been taken out of the shafts and the other cart was tilted on-the back part, with the shafts pointing towards Mr. Wilson's store; underneath were two men with their heads lying towards the palings, entangled in the harness, and the cart on their legs. Did not at the time know either of them. One of them was breathing very heavily, and had a quantity of blood on the lower part of the face: this was Mr. Bartlett; considered him dead or dying, The other (Watts, a cab driver) appeared to be merely stunned, but insensible. Immediacy despatched messengers for Messrs. Sealey, Williams, and Thebing, to request their immediate attendance at the hospital; sent also for some shutters; after placing the bodies on;the shutters and putting them into the cart, several persona who were present wheeled it to the hospital; preceded the. cart until we got to the hospital, and went immediately, for Dr. Sealey, who went directly to the hospital; not above eight or ten minutes could ' have elapsed before Dr. Sealey was in attendance. On returning to. the cart, a few minutes after, found Watts, who had partly recovered, struggling to get out of it, and seeing that the other person was in a dangerous state, and not wishing to delay the cart, took him by the shoulders and threw him on one side oftheroM; he scrambled up to the cart and fell under it again; some one dragged him out, and We left him there, and proceeded to the hospital. Deceased was immediately placed in Dr. Sealey's hands; deceased was in the same condition as when witness first saw him. Went immediately and broke the matter to Mrs. Bartlett. This is all I knpw of the matter. Did not personally know any one who was driving the other cart, but was told that a person named Scott was in it. The real cause of the accident appeared to be the want of lights on the carts; do not think that any driver could tell his position eight or ten feet apart, and should say they were rather trusting to their horses' eyesight than their own for safety; | from the turn in the road should say it would be imj possible to avoid it. By a Juror: Would not trust myself in any cart on such a night as that. Saw Watts about two or three o'clock of the same day; ho appeared to be perfectly .soßer and clean. He attributed his conduct on the Waimea-road to the effect of the fall, and not to drunkenness; did not see anything of him afterwards. JohnTilder Lay ton sworn: Am surgeon to the vessel Wild Duck, now at Wellington; knew the deceased; we were going to the port together, at half-past seven last evening; we went in a cart; a man named Watts, lam informed, was the driver; do not know him personally; we were trotting on at an easy rate, aud just outside the town we came into collision With another cart, which could not be seen; it was raining heavily at the time, and very dark ; our heads were down; did not hear nor see the cart coming towards us; there was no light in the cart; jnstt>efore we came into collision Watts was requested to call at Dr. Tatton'S for a coat which I had. left there; Watts said "All right!" Did not particularly observe at starting whether he was drunk or sober, but from the way he answered should think he was sober. We were thrown foVward out of the cart; I was sitting on the near side, Mr. Bartlett in the middle, and the driver (Watts) in his proper place; was not stunned ; in trying to get out from under the cart was dragged ut by some person \ 4$ not k^ow th,e condjtion of

the other parties until a, -light.was! procured, which was some few minutes; the horse was not down, but the one in the other cart was:;"was perfectly satisfied with the conduct of the driver at the time of the accident. Assisted to take up Watts after Mr. Bartlett had been taken up; considered Watts stunned and not intoxicated; went to Dr« Tatton's ■ after the accident and both went ba«k to the hospital together; deceased died shortly after our arrival. Left the hospital, accompanied by Mrs. Bartlett, and then went to the Trafalgar; saw Watts there;' he was in bed and fast asleep ;■ we tried to rouse him, but could not succeed: we examined him, but only_ founda.slight scalp wound at the back of. his head; thought then he had been drinking; from the state of stupor he was in, Bhould think him to be in a state of .ntom J; this was about an hour or an hour and a half after the accident; he continued in that stupor until we left hi By a Juror: A fall from a cart might make a person I.W us near Mr. Wilson's store, going towards the behind us neai mi. raining: turned round beach; it waa very daik and rai b , from general appearances cQmeg from the beach towards me ° Watts and his the man they cal Mad Jack me y •Cart) ,' Clravers "nade any reply; imin.; do nol*l"^^ carts came into collision; we mediately after the two ca' ■ *!» but could stood still, and heard to^f™ *» w could get by, mtß ee who the parties weie^wh g b we immediately went to^y returned imaD d ?aw two men lying ofttho gu>u mediately to the samePPee^ cc there were several two men were put »™ tn insensiWe att h e lights on the spot r^ejr taecaTt; one of the time they were f^^^t CO uld not say which; carts was on its beam enas^ rocovere d from the was with the «rt whon^VW and caUed out> Wo , effect of the fall;;be» up: S oufc cart as to the horse, and swoie ne whafc was being pushed along by d Watts said and the wayw morning think h^/ w S en Tober; cannot say the exact about e.ght, he was then so ,^ aMMflnt . took SSS teing^dark; was on the seasideof the road at the time. d con9taMe ofthe or Hamilton (who went wyn^ mr^he?ime- he is'not a temperate man; have wfthhtm%s not aware that he was in a state of onewneeiwas^ ' , te; was slt ting on the :^aS r Eing and Goodman, cart krt evening when the collision took place, coming up from the Albion wharf; Goodman was dnving as fast as they were driving; cannot say how l got on; saw Watts the same day, but cannot say whether he was drank or sober. dumber • Thomas C. Crook sworn: I am a P lumber; was at the place of the accident immediately after it i Tccurred; assisted in removing tto bodua; put Mr Bartlett in the cart first, and then Watts; up to the hospital; saw thentas they were coming round the comer of Wilson's store; they were insenS; when passing the Fleece Tavern I was reZSU to get up and keep down Watts, who tried to get away, and atthe request of Mr. Travers, did so; fe was assisted out, and fell twice to the ground, touching the cart in his last fall; thought from his manner he was tipsy. . , anf tft «' James Noel Wilkinson sworn: 1 am assistant to Mr. Luck at the Trafalgar; «aw Mr Bartlett in the pasLe of the Trafalgar at about half-past 7 ; and asked him if he wa 9 looking for any person; sawJYatta after five o'clock same evening; supplied him with drink in the afternoon but not in the evening; saw Watts after the accident; saw him walk into the kitchen and afterwards upstates to bed; he did not Beem to walk or talk like a sober man; I believe he was not conscious of what he was talking about yhave often seen him tipsy, and from former experience should believe him to be in the same state then. Philip Duke sworn: lam stopping in Nelson; at present following no occupation; went down wife Mr. lagan in Watts' trap, and returned alone with Watts; weleit and returned to the Trafalgar; it was dusk; Watts was driving; had no sMpicion that he^as drunk: thought him sober when he leit the lrafaVar; Watts then left again with two persons. He had no drink in the meantime; he did not get out of This closed the evidence in this melancholy case. . The Coroner said that the case had lasted a long time, and went over the whole of the evidence, pointing out to the jury the various evidence of the witnesses in a very clear manner. The Jury retired a little after 6 o'clock, and returned into Court at 740 with the following verdict: !_•• We find that the death of Mr. Bartlett was accidentally caused by collision of two carts, owing to the darkness ofthe night. We would also recommend that alTpersons plying vehicles for hire should be subject to certain regulations for the security of the public, and be compelled to cany lights. The jury are also of opinion that a man of such intemperate habits as Watts should not be allowed to drive any public vehicle for hire."

The funeral took place yesterday, shortly after 3 o'clock, arid was most numerously attended by the Burrounding inhabitants, who formed a large procession. The shops in the town were closed during the mournful ceremony, and much sympathy has been expressed from the commencement of this painful occurrence, which has resulted in the sudden los 3of an exemplary husband and father, and a good and industrious citizen.