FATALITY AT MOTUROA.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 May 1917, Page 4

FATALITY AT MOTUROA.

BOY'S ACCIDENTAL DEATH. An inquest was held at the hospital yesterday touching the death of a boy named James Xorman Wright, who met with a fatal accident on board the dredge Piiritutu at the New Plymouth wharf on Sunday afternoon, Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., was coroner, and Senior Sergeant Bowmen conducted the inquiry, on behalf of the police. Dr. E. F. Fookes deposed that on Sunday afternoon he was called up by telephone and informed that the deceased, James Norman Wright, had sustained a fall on the dredge Paritutu at the breakwater. The message stated that the deceased was unconscious and witness ordered him to be taken to the hospital immediately. Very shortly after his arrival at the hospital witness saw hiin, a little after 4 o'clock in the after-' noon. He was then suffering from shock, the result of concussion of the brain. He had a bruise on the forehead ■ind a swelling on the right side of the head He was sufficiently conscious to answer one or two questions which witness ( put to him. He'remained in this condition throughout the night but in the early hours of the morning he became suddenly profoundly unconscious, sank rapidly, and died shortly after 2 a.m. The cause of death, in witness' opinion, was heart failuure, the immediate result of hemorrhage of the brain caused by a fracture at the base of the skull.

Henry Cecil Wright, aged 11 years, and a brother of the deceased, stated that the two of ttiera went aboard the dredge about 1.30 p.m. on Sunday, and fished from the deck of it for about two hours. They then finished fishing and made a start for home, They went from the* deck on to the' captain's bridge because if. was easier to get on to the wharf that way. Witness was carrying his iiish bag but deceased was not carrying anything. Witness was the first to rcaph the bridge and Went to the end nearest the wharf. They had to step over a i;ail to a lower platform to enable them to step ashore. Deceased was in front of witness at this stage, and as lie was stepping over the rail he missed his footing and fejl down on the deck, a distance of about ten feet. Witness Iran to deceased and tried to lift him up; spoke to him but he did not answer. He was not bleeding. Some people then took him away to the hospital. Flora Maud Wright, mother of deceas-! Ed, stated jthat he was born on July 25, 1908. Hit/ father died four and a-half years ago, and since then she had lived with her children at Moturoa-. This was allt the evidence and the' coroner returned a verdict of accidental death.