A CURIOUS INQUEST.

Temuka Leader, Issue 269, 1 July 1880, Page 3

A CURIOUS INQUEST.

The District Coroner is often put to much trouble and inconvenience when an inquest has to be held in some country district far removed from any township or hostelry. On Tuesday afternoon Mr Strickland proceeded to Hill Bid to hold an inquest. Knowing that the only chance of obtaining a jury in that locality was by empanelling the men working on the Hill Bill contract, the Coroner did not commence proceedings tin il 5 o’clock, so as not to incommode the workmen. Immediately the m<=n left of W uk, twelve fo them were rounded up and marched towards the Coroner, who was found seated gracefully on a stump, surrounded by hushes, writing materials, a Bible, and a piece of candle. J use then a well-known Sandhurst draper drove up in a buggy, and seeing a crowd a round a short man perched on a little black stomp, asked, what was the matter The Coroner replied that he wanted him for a foreman of the jury The draper at once gathered up the reins and drove his jaded nag down the hill at a gallop unti he was out of sight. The Coronet proceeded to. business, but darkness over took the party. The candle was lifted and htld aloft, while the coroner wrote down the evidence with stenographic spa d, tue monotony being varied now and again as a drop of hot candle grease fell in the wrong spot At the can. die burned out. Just the’n the under taker arrived wifh the coffin, which was taken to a lint close by An adjourn meni was accordingly made to the hut. More light was obtained, and sitting him self beside the coffin the Coroner used it as a desk, and thus, finished Ida labors So it will be seen that a Coroner’s life is not one wherin arm chairs and mahogany furniture regularly play a parti