THE WAREA FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 May 1917, Page 8

THE WAREA FATALITY.

THE IXQU'EST. On Thursday, at the residence of Mr. C. Parker, Wnrca, an inquest was held before "tv. T. .P. Ihighso'n, J.P., acting coroner, and a jury comprising Messrs K. Clothier (foreman). (..'. Muir, J. A. Clarke. ,S. Hale, C. Wells, and J. Ross, regarding the death of the lad Leonard Parker, who was .killed the previous day whilst engaged on a metalling contract. Mr, C. Parker, father of the deceased, gave formal evidence of identification. Joe- Tamakaha, :t Maori, deposed that he was driving an empty bullock dray back to the crusher, and on coming to the hill near Manuel's place, ho saw deceased driving a loaded horse dray towards him. When opposite witness, the dray driven by. deceased pulled on to the road to avoid a boulder in the hank. Coming on to the metal from the soft road, tho dray slewed, causing a collision, with the result that the.horses ran away. AVitness, looking round, saw deceased fall oil' the dray, the wheel of which passed over his head. Witness went and saw that deceased was badly hurt,-and at once ran and told the men working on the road, who returned to the scene of the accident. Fred.Newport, foreman of tlic Egmont County Council and in charge of the road work, gave evidence that he saw a loaded dray coming along the road. Ho went to meet it and met the previous witness, who shouted that Parker was killed. Witness found deceased lying dead about 17 feet further along the road than where the collision occurred. He then took the body home. Constable O'Xeill gave evidence as to being advised of the accident and visiting the scene. Dr. Wade was present and informed him that death was instantaneous. A verdict was returned that deceased met his deatli by being accidentally run over by a dray, no biame being attachable to anyone. The jury passed a vote of sympathy with the parents.

THE FUNERAL. The funeral, 'which took place, at Okato on Friday,, was one of the largest ever seen in the district, thus testifying to the esteem in which the deceased and his parents were held in' the district and the sympathy felt for them in their sad bereavement. Rev. Gosnell (Methodistj conducted the funeral service, Revs. Adder,brookc (Anglican) and Lilley (Presbyterian) also being present at the graveside.