The Late Fatal Accident.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4736, 12 March 1884, Page 2

The Late Fatal Accident.

COEONER'S INQUEST.

An inquest was held in the Sob Boy Hotel, Parawai, at 11 o'clock this morn* ing, info the circumstances atierding the death of Andrew Pest, who was found dead in the Waikeikei Creek, Parawai, yesterday. J. Kilgouiy Esq., Coroner, conducted,the inqitiry, and the following were the jury :—Messrs L. W. Parsons (foreman), E. Twohill, C. Wallis, J. Bennick, T. Garrett, T. Chalton, G. Cha^OD, W. J. Constant, F. Chalton, G. Kitchen, J. Verral, and B. A. Pope.

Af.er viewing the body evidence was h.rd as follows:—

John Peat, father of deceased, deposed —His xon Andrew went away on Sunday morning, lastjat nine o'clock to,see if the cow, running in the; neighborhood of the Hape Creek, was in milk. His ro A hon?e would lead close by tlie Waikeikei Creek, and witness trac 1 bis footsteps on that track, along which he must have ben coming homeward. The led had with him a rag with some matches wrapped up in it, in case he should be detair d after dark, and witae-s found this rag pieced on a -stump alongside the track, and opposite where the body wa^i fpund: They expected him to return by Sunday afternoon.: VFilness did not reach home from Pu'riri till 7 p.m. on that day, aDd hearing th?t his son had not turned up, he at once went in teach of him, but without effect. He was seen going towards " fern opening," where the cow was exp. eted to be found, on the Sauday. Witness md Mr A!lorn made eve/ possible search on Monday, and on Tues« day about fifty persons were engaged looking for the deceas d. After looking round Otunui, witness and nine others came back by the track mentioned, where the rag was found. Thsy then separated, and shortly afterwards the bt ly was found in the Waikeikei Cr jk.

By the juiy—The boy was 11 years o'd, and was well acquainted with all the tracks in the neighborhood. The spot where the body was found is about a mile and a half from the flat.

John Fletfc deposed that he was out yesterday looking for the deceased, and while in the Waikeikei creek he picked tip the boy's hat, a little below the falls, to the iop of which he hrd already traced his Lotsteps. He then went to a deep water hole below the fall, but could see nothing, though he observed that some stones on the bank had be?n recently knocked down. He returned to the hotel, but went back in company with three men, taking a long pole and a grappling iron, with which they dragged the hole, finding the body almost at once. On the forehtead there was blood and the marks of a blow, but he did not notice any other marks of violence.

By the jmy—There was about eight feet of water in the hole, which was within a few yards of where ho picked up the hat. The boy must have lost the track, and was probably following the creek home when he fell over the fall, which is very difficult to get past. The jury returned a verdict " That the deceased was accidentally drowned in the Wcikeikei Creek."

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