FATAL ACCIDENT AT NGAERE.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 March 1920, Page 6

FATAL ACCIDENT AT NGAERE.

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. An inquest was held at the Elth&ra Courthouse on Friday afternoon to consider the circumstances surrounding the death of David Horswill Humphries, a single man, aged 36 years, who died at the private hospital on Friday, from injuries received through being crushed by a falling tree at Ngaere on Monday.

Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, coroner, presided, and Constable Towrjend was coroner's officer.

Dr. H. A. Cooper gave evidence that lie was called to Mr. Davison's form on the Cheat Road on Monday last. He found Humphries suffering seriously from shock, also from wounds on the right side of the lower jaw, abrasions -on both sides of the chest, and both legs, a dislocated left hip, and four fractured ribs on the left side. One of the ribs had perforated the left lung. He was admitted to the private hospital later in the evening, where the dislocation was reduced. On Wednesday he developed traumatic pneumonia of the left lung, and died at 5 o'clock on Friday morning, from heart failure, the result of pneumonia, caused by the blow on the chest. Henry Davison, farmer, of the Cheal Road, Ngaere, said he knew deceased, who was his brother-in-law. Humphries had been living with him about four months, ami working on the farm. Deceased started to fell a fir tree on Saturday morning. The tree, which was situated near the house, did not fall on the Saturday, and he proceeded with it on Monday. He (witness) had been assisting him, but left at 4.15 p.m. The accident apparently occurred about 4.30. The position of the tree and body pointed to the fact that deceased was in the tree when the accident happened, and was knocked therefrom. The tree had a bole which branched into two parts. On?y one half of this was felled. Deceased had climbed the other half to saw off some interlaced branches, and as the hold of the two trees weakened the half which had been cut evidently fell, and a large»branch had swung around and hit deceased, inflicting the injuries which caused his death. He found deceased about 4.30 p.m., and when he saw that he was hurt he immediately sent for the doctor, and conveyed the injujred man into the house. Deceased was a single man, 35 years of age, and his mother resided at Hawera.

After hearing the evidence the Coroner returned a verdict that Humphries was accidentally injured while felling a tree on Davison's farm, Cheal Road Ngaere, and died at Dr. Cooper's private hospital from injuries receiver in such accident.