Fatal Accident.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4484, 19 May 1883, Page 1 (Supplement)

Fatal Accident.

! A man named; Edmunds,, until a few months ago employed at the Shortland Sawmill, but who has more .recently been cultivating a piece of land close to the water race, at. the back of the Bob Boy ;Hotel, was killed on the 26th ult. He was in a spring cart coming down the road opposite Dufty's, milkman, at Parawaii and was going at a; good pace, when be was thrown out, falling on his head. He j was picked up, and conveyed to the Hos-'] pital,-- but died before'that institution was !i reached. . : ) ? Cobonee's In quest. i r; Ail inquest was held at the. Salutation Hotel next morning, before Dr Kilgourj* •coroner, into, the death of George Ed[m'unds. The following were the jury :—J. JGocks (foreman), D. Hunter^ W. Betheriington, J. Dan by, J.Jarvis, W. Martin, jH. B. Cooke, K. Walters, H. Lyes, J. iHorne, T. Taylor, and B. Scott. s Henry Wood, sworn, deposed—He was a gardener, and was returning from town syesterday afternoon at about half past I three o'clock, when he saw a horse and cart;s coming- - galloping down the road. He saw something fly out of the cart, but thought at first it was a bag or bundle of sometsort. 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 M r 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 carti 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 sthe main rqad close to Mr Still■well's. "v ■" ■'" .'."""

Thos. Dafty 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 deceased into it and brought him- to the Hospital. They saw Dr. Payne at Mr Marshall's, and be told them to go on to the, Hospital, He was well acquainted with the deceased, but bad not known him to have but the one horse. The bar ness was all properly attached with the exception of one breeching strap, which was broken, Ifthis strap had broken before the horse bolted, it might have caused him to do so.

William George Edmunds, sou of the' deceased, deposed that his father was ac-j customed to horses. The animal he was; driving yesterday was quiet, but a littlej timid. He once bolted before when the; breeching strap became unfastened. The strap was a little weak, and he told hisj father to take it op 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."