Fatal Occident at Tararu.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3381, 23 October 1879, Page 2

Fatal Occident at Tararu.

CORONER'S INQUEST.

A coroner's enquiry touching the death of Charles Pedersen, who was killed at Tararu Creek yesterday, was held at Godkin's Royal Hotel this morning, before Dr. Kilgour, corouer, and the following jury:—Messrs 0. Ellis (foreman), R. Jinkin, F. Wells, J. McDerinott, J. Downs, T. Clark, J". Meredith, W. H. Jiakin, F. Bennett, J. llendle, aud "W. Page. The Jury having been sworn, and viewed the body, the following evidence was taken: —

Stephen Fisher, sworn, deposed—That he was a bush man. He lived at Tararu. On Wednesday about noon he was at work with the deceased at the head of the Ohio Creek. They had just felled a tree, and had measured it for the purpose of ascertaining how many lengths they could get out of it. Pedersen iit his pipe, and sat down on the log to smoke it, witness being at his side. Witness heard a loud crack overhead, and on looking up saw a branch falling. He called out to him, " Look out, Charlie, get underneath." Witness ran up the barrel of the tree as he called out. When the limb had fallen he could not at first see his mate, but on going up to the fallen branch saw him underneath it. Wheii he went up he was quite unconscious. In a few minutes he began to groan heavily. Witness then called out to Jas. Duncan, who was working near, to come, as Charlie was killed, at the same time lilting the weight off his back. Witness' brother heard him call out Duncan, and he came up also, and with his aid they pulled deceased from under the limb, and he then commenced to groan heavily. Three others—Waitc, Me Masters, and Farrelly then came up, and they carried the injured man to their whare. Witness then went to another whare t» ask the assistance of another bushman to carry the man to town, and on his return .Duncan gave him two drinks of water, and asked him whether his back was sore, and he answered " no," and where he was hurt to which question he gave a similar reply. These were the only words he ever uttered. Witness was an experienced bushman, and so was the deceased, who was a very cautious hand. They were perfectly sober. The accident was one they could not have anticipatedi He believed that the limb which caused the accident had been broken in the fall .of the tree which they had just cut down. James Duncau, sworn, deposed, that he was a bushman. He resided at Block 27 for the past two months. He had been a mate of the deceased. On Wednesday about noon he was engaged in squaring sleepers near the head'of the Ohio Creek. While he was so engaged his mates were falling a tree. He heard it go down, and soon after beard Fisher call out " Come Jimmy, quick." He rushed to where he was, and by his assistance they were able to remove the limb from off Pedersen's body. With the assistance of three others they removed him to the whare, about three hundred yards away. He was then alive; He lived for about half an hour. Witness gave him two drinks of water by means, of a spoon, and asked him whether he was hurt, and where, and he answered, "No, no." In answer to questions the witness said that deceased was a Dane; that he was unmarried ; that he had no relations in the colony ; that there was an interval of about ten minutes between the time the tree/ was felled, and the accident happened. Sergt. Mulvilie deposed that he bad viewed the body, where it was now lying, at four o'clock on Wednesday. He searched it, and found, in the pockets a knife, some tobacco, and a box of matches. The right side of the back was much bruised, and the ribs were discoloured and broken in. There were no other marks of injury. The Coroner having summed up the evidence, the jury returned a verdict " That the deceased met an accidental death."