Coroner's Inquest.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4465, 27 April 1883, Page 2

Coroner's Inquest.

An inquest was held at the Salutation Hotel this morning, before Dr Kilgour, coroner, Into the death of George Edmunds, who was killedyesterday at Parawai. The following were the jury:—J. Cocks (foreman), D. Hunter, W. Hetherton, J. Danby, J. Jarvisi W. Martin, H. B. Cooke, R. Walters, H. Lyes, J. Home, T. Taylor, and R. Scott. Henry Wood, sworn, deposed—He was a gardener, and'was returning from town yesterday afternoon at about half-past three o'clock, when he saw a horse and cart coming galloping down the road; He saw something fly out of the cart, but thought at first it was a bag or bundle of some sort. He was then by the Bridge Inn, about 400 yards distant. The horse continued galloping and immediately afterwards the cart capsized into the ditch. He ran towards the spot, meeting Mr Dufty on the way. When they reached the place where witness saw something thrown out of the cart, they found the deceased lying on the road, and" apparently dead. His leg was broken and his head bleeding. A man was near with a spring carl, so they placed deceased in it, and brought him in to the Hospital. By the police—The deceased was lying a little way up the road branching off from the main road close to Mr Stillwell's.

Thos. Dufty gave corroborative evidence. He was standing at the Bridge Inn at the time of the accident. He saw the "cart capsize. The deceased was lying on the hard road. He examined the body, and came to the conclusion that life was extinct. Mr Arnold's spring cart was close to the spot, and they put the disease into it aTid brought him to the Hospital. They saw Dr. Payne at Mr Marshall's, and he told them to go on to the Hospital, He was well acquainted with the deceased, but had not known him to have but the one horse. The har ness was all properly attached with the exception of one breeching; stiap, which was broken, If this strap bad broken before the horse bolted, it might have caused him to do so.

William George Edmunds, son of the deceased, deposed that his father was accustomed to horses. The animal he was driving yesterday was quiet, but a little timid. He once bolted before when the breeching strap became unfastened. The strap was a little weak, and he told his father to take it up another hole, so as to have the strain on a strong part, but he did not know whether his father did this or not. He had examined the strap since and found it broken at the weak hole.

The jury,. without retiring, returned a verdict of "Accidental Death."