INQUEST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 202, 11 September 1903, Page 2

INQUEST.

Tiiuusday, 10. h September, 1903. L.LreMf JR. L. Stanford, 8.M., Coroner.

£n inquiry iiito th;> circumstances causing Uio death d' Thomas O'Neill, died fife the hospital on Tu. sday niyht, was held in the Ooiothoiwy on Thursday sifte; noon, before the Orronoi and the following jusy : -Messrs H. J. | VV. Ilurle (foreman), John Oliver, J. IJ, IJaikor, Daoid Power, Josep'i Cotter and Frodiitk Bullott.

Sergfc. Haddrell conducted the proceedings on bohalf o£ the police, and called

James Malone, who deposed that he was bufhfaliing with deceased o.i Glover's section, Kahuiroad, Kahotu. The deceased w>-s hi* cousin ; th«y w:rn working on the 31st August avid t-tirtud ibjut 6 a.m. About 7.30 d.ce.is.d el me over to wituiss aid abked where the cigarettes were. Jfcle went back to where he was working and some time after Bu; stall calhd out to witness to coma as a tree had fallen on deceased. He went over and fouud a large tree lying on him. It was too heavy to move and we cut it through as soon as possible and got him out. Both his legs were broken. Want to the cimp for a stretcher, and we carried him out to Rahotu, where we got a trap and took himJ;o the hospital. I came with him, reaching the hospital at 9.45 on Monday evening, about 14 hours after the accident. Deceased was conscious all the time.

Thomas Burstall deposed that he was a bush contractor, Deceased had been working for him sicca early in July, Deceased and witnes3 were falling a tree about three feet through. It hung a bit:, an d we went on chopping, when it began to go back on them. Witness got out of the way, but on looking back saw the tree fall on its own stump, and the butt struck deceased on the lags. lb pushed bim along eomo eight feet, skidding him along the ground on his logs. I called out to Malone and tho others to come, and we chopped the tree through and released hiui.' Malone got a stretcher, and we tcok him out to Kahotu and sent him to the hospital in a trap. He was a careful man, and as good a man aa I ever worked with. The accident could not be foreseen.

Thomas Blacburn Liathsm deposed. Am a duly qualified med-cal practitioner. Deciiaeed was admitted to the hospital ut 9.45 on Monday evening. Examined him at ooc?. Found a comp und fracture of the right leg below tba knee, and a compound f rac*uro of the loft Itg bolow the knee, the bones being severely crushed, the soft parts excessively lacerated, and he had suffered great loss of blood. There was ako a fracture of the left thigh bone, Arxpa*ated the left log at the thigh and set the right leg in tho usual manner. Ha lived a few days, and then died from exhaustion, due to loss of blood and shock, principally the formor. He would have died at once but I gave him a saline injection, and repeated it next morning, but he had lost too much blood.

lo the Foreman: Had a touinoquot been tipplied immediately after tba accident it would have helped him through. I cannot say it would have uved him. The chitf loss of blood was directly after the accident and with immediate medical attention he might have got over it. The Foreman said the jury merely wished to emphasize the benefit of a knowledge of " first aid," not to in any way impute blame. The Coroner said he quite concurred, and said it was clear the verdict must be one of accidental death.

The jury, without retiring, returned a verdict that deceased was accidentally killed whilst falling a tree, no blame being attached to anyone in connection therewith.

The Coroner thanked tke jury and discharged them.