ACCIDENTS FATALITIES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2324, 27 February 1892, Page 2

ACCIDENTS FATALITIES.

A young man named Gaby while carting in grain at Taggart’s farm, Gapes’ Valley, on Wednesday evening fell off the top of a loaded dray, dislocating his right ankle and breaking the connecting bones of his foot. He was attended to by Dr Craig. We are glad to hear that Mr Patrick, under the care of Dr Fish, is improving, and with care will probably get over las injury all right. News was received in Geraldine, on Thursday morning, that a man named Samuel Chesterman had died in the Ashburton Hospital. Mr Chesterman left Geraldine a short time ago to go harvesting at Longbeach, where he has since been working with two of his sons. It is supposed that he had a sunstroke while working and was taken to the Ashburton hospital. Mr Chesterman was well known in Geraldine as a prominent member of the Salvation Army, and leaves a wife with a family of young children to support.

INQUESTS,

An inquest was held at the Geraldine R.M. Court on Wednesday evening touching the death of Martha Pratt, who died suddenly while on her way to the Geraldine school. The inquest was held before the coroner, C. A. Wray, Esq., and a jury of six of which Mr R. Morrison was chosen foreman.

Henry Robert Pratt, father of the deceased deposed : I am a house painter by trade. Deceased was about 6 years and 4 months of age. The child had always been healthy, and never had medical attendance. I first noticed 2 or 3 weeks ago she complained of pain in the chest. 1 thought it was owing to excitement in playing and over-exerting herself. I did not attach much importance to it and she soon got well again. She went to school on Monday and started to go today (Wednesday) about ,9.30 with two sisters older than herself. The first I knew about it was when Seymour Willoughby came and told me my daughter was bad. I went down and found her in, I think, Mrs King’s arms on the road leading to the school. She was alive, but could not speak. Mr Aitken was there, and we bathed her temples with water and tried to restore consciousness. When we found she did not regain consciousness we sent for Dr. Craig, who came immediately. We took the child meanwhile to Mr Brown’s house. She was dead before the doctor came. My other children, so far as I know, are healthy, I have six others, two boys and four girls. Did not know that there was anything particularly wrong with deceased. She died before ten o’clock. We thought she was suffering from heart disease by the symptoms a few weeks ago. Her heart beat heavily, but only at the time she was taken ill about 3 weeks ago. Did not send for a medical man. She was an active child, and was running about like other children. William Robert Seymour Willoughby deposed: lam a pupil teacher in the Geraldine school. About a quarter to ten this morning I was inside the school, when my attention was attracted by a child running up the school ground. The child was a sister of deceased. I went up to where the child was lying and recognised her as Martha Pratt. She was lying in the dry gutter and was breathing. I I lifted her up and tried to stand her on her feet but she could not stand, and was 5 unconscious. I thought she was in a lit by seeing her hands closed, but opened her hands and found them quite free. I rubbed the child’s hands without effect. Mrs Brown then came but did not touch the child. Mrs King came and took the child to the other side of the road and sat down with her. Went for Mr Pratt who came and took the child to the school. I went then for the doctor.

To a juryman : About a month ago at school deceased had a fainting fit. I took her out for ten minutes and she got all right again. Her sister said that when deceased TO about much it pained her. I believe she had been running on the present occasion. Dr John Craig deposed : 1 am a duly qualified practioner at Geraldine. Was called about 10.20 this morning, and went to Mrs Brown’s. When I arrived I found the child apparently dead, and on examination found it was dead. Had only been dead about 15 or 10 minutes. Was unable then to state the cause of death, but have since made a post mortem examination, and found the heart greatly enlarged, and discovered a malformation of one of the valves on its right side. 1 consider that the condition of the heart was such that any exertion would be

liable to cause death. The immediate cause of death was paralysis of the heart’s action. The child running about would have been liable to cause death at any time. The parents might have noticed unpleasant symptoms about the child, which, notbeing better informed on the subject, they would attribute it to general weakness.

Without deliberation the jury returned a verdict of “ Death from paraly.-is of the heart’s action, as shown by medical evidence.”

An inquest was held on Thursday afternoon at Wheelband’s Rangitata Traffic Bridge Hotel on the body of Robert Jakeman, who was killed on Wednesday night by a horse rearing and falling upon him. The coroner, C. A. Wray, Esq., was present, and the inquest was held before a jury of six, Mr Thomas being chosen foremad. William Wheelband deposed : I am licensee of the Rangitata Traffic Bridge Hotel. 1 knew deceased. His name was Robert Jakeman. He called here last evening about nine o’clock, by appointment, to meet a gentleman to sell some sheep. He resided about a mile from here on his farm. He remained in the hotel for about half an hour. He came here on horseback. About half-past nine he left with me to go to the stable to hold a lantern till I turned my horses in the paddock, I put out two, and fed one. He then went to the fence on the roadside to where his horse was tied. It was tied by a rope to a post. I went with him, holding the light, and saw him undo the rope. He put it carefully round the horse’s neck, and made it fast. He then got on its back. The horse was a bit fidgety as he mounted, and turned round a time or two. As he jumped into the saddle the horse reared, before he got into the stirrups, and fell back on the top of him. As the horse rose I tried to catch it, and the deceased was lying motionless on the grass. I couldn’t stop the horse, and immediately came back to see if the deceased was hurt. He was lying in a heap on his side, with his head doubled slightly under him. I tried to get him to speak, but could not. I unloosened his shirt collar and clothing, and found that he was breathing. I then called two of my boarders, Bonnington and Wilson, who were in bed. They came out, and I held deceased in my arms for a few minutes, and he still remained unconscious. We brought him into the house, laid him on the sofa, and got water for him, and sent immediately away to Geraldine for the doctor and Constable Willoughby, and they arrived about two o’clock. Deceased died about ten minutes after the accident happened. Deceased had two “ shandies ” during the evening, He was perfectly sober then. He was a hardworking, honest man, and was single. I have known him eight or nine years. The horse was a three-year-old, and was very fidgety, and I have heard him say that she reared with him often. He was a plucky rider, and I believe he broke the animal in himself.

Frederick Bounington, deposed : I am a sheep and cattle dealer, and reside at Ashburton. I came here about 9 o’clock on Wednesday evening and saw the deceased. It was to meet me -that he came. I bought the sheep from him, and he asked me after I had made the bargain if I would take a glass with him, and I refused, not feeling fit for it, and went to bed. Deceased was perfectly sober, and had not been drinldng to my knowledge. I was called about 9.20 by Mr Wheelband, who told me that Mr Jakeman had had a nasty fall and he thought was seriously hurt. I got up and went out and found deceased in a sitting position, held up by some person, and he appeared to be just breathing his last. I saw nothing of the horse. I helped to carry him in. He was then dead.

John Dowling, deposed : I am a clerk, residing at this hotel. I was in bed when the accident happened, and about a quarter to ten heard of it. I got up, went out and found him on the ground, supported by Mr Wheelband. I noticed that on the right cheekbone was an abrasion. He was speechless but breathing. I held his pulse and it fluttered for a moment and then ceased, and after an interval of about twenty seconds returned ; for a few beats, and he, then died, supported by myself and Mr Wheelband. Dr John Craig, deposed : I was called about a quarter to one and arrived here about two o’clock. I found deceased lying on a sota, and examined him and found that he -was dead. I found an abrasion on the right temple, and the spine had been dislocated about the middle. There were no other noticeable marks on the body. The cause of death was dislocation of the spine and shock. A fall from a horse would account for this, and I should imagine he fell under the horse and doubled up at the time of the fall.

The jury returned a verdict of “Accidentally killed by a fall from a horse, and being doubled up beneath it.’