THE TIKORANGI FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 298, 11 December 1908, Page 4

THE TIKORANGI FATALITY.

THK INQUEST, t An inquest was held yesterday aft •!'- i .■oh, belore .Mr. 11. S. Fit/lierhcrt, S.-U., j oroner, acting willioul a jury', cou..in- , .iig the death of the .Maori woman, j .■enhanga, who died through injuries ( received by a tree falling on her, while .a camp at Tikorangi. Dr. Leatluini, superintendent of lh" N'ew Plymouth hospital, deposed that deceased was brouglit to the hospital octvvecu 5 and ti o'clock on Tuesday, December Bth. lie went up to see her Arm lound her to be suffering from severe injuries. She was profoundly unconscious. There was a contusion on tile temple, and severe laceration in front of the left, leg extending right across the knee. She died on Wednesday morning, and he believed death iva's caused »v hemorrhage of the brain, caused by a blow on the head. The in jury on the knee was not sullicieul to cause death. Taka Adlam, a. native, stated that he lived at Bell Block. He was working on Jury's farm at Tikorangi. Koro was working there. His wife was theic also. He knew her as Rewhanga. On ■Monday night they were all camped in the bush. Some time during the night his wife woke him and said, "What's this';" He went outside and met his father-in-law coming out of the tent occupied by deceased. Witness said lie found a tree had fallen, a-.id part of it was lying on the top of the tent. The tree was across Koro's and his wife's bodies. He shook the bodies, but

got no answer. Both were unconscious. With the help of his father-in-law he removed the branch, of the tree, and this cleared the bodies. He did not remove the bodies, but left them as they were lying. After going to a neighbour's place to get them to keep His wife company, he went to Waitara and informed Constable Price of the accident. The night was calm. He thought the* rain on Monday had made the tree heavy and caused it to fall over. The tree was a dead one. Constable Price, stationed at Waitara, stated that Taka Adlam had called at the police station and informed him of the accident. He despatched Adlam for Dr. Claridge, who immediately set out, and lis followed soon after with a vehicle. On arrivafnt the scene of the accident, the deceased and her husband were lying in the tent mi conscious. Dr. Claridge made an examination, and stated that both we-o very seriously injured, and ordered their immediate removal to the hospital. Witness arrived at the NewPlymouth hospital at 5 p.m. Both were unconscious the whole day. 'Je made .enquiries and found that deccas-d was known among the Maoris at Waitara as llewhanga, and among others a; Margareta lietiniana. The tree which fell was in an advanced state of decay. The rain had, no doubt, soaked tli'-J roots and caused the tree to fall. Thi! Coroner found that death was, caused by hemorrhage of the brain, caused by a tree falling on her while ia cainn at Tikoraimi.