INQUEST ON THE BODY OF ROBERT BROWN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume 1, Issue 14, 16 May 1868, Page 4

INQUEST ON THE BODY OF ROBERT BROWN.

, Yesterday morning an "quest was held before Major Croke, Coroner of this district, at Mr. swmate'a Union Hotel, on the body '*' Robert Brown, who on Thursday fell from nil hqrse, and died B wr% afterwards. - The jury war composed of the following gentlem; fl > residents of Wetherstones : > essrs - Murray, Mooney,' Carr, Ledger* 00 ** Ford* Hackney, Love, Rhev j y>. O'Gonnan, Bowes, and jjtzitahon. Mr. Murray, foreman. Bryan M'Swiney was the first witness sworn. His deposition- was as follows :—: — About four o'clock on the afternoon of Thursday I was riding towards Wetherstones, •pn • the Toad between the Union Hotel and Mr. Fahey's. I observed tha deceased riding after me. His horse wai galloping along-the -road, and had appari ently bolted. , He paasedme on thft road at a gallop. Before deceased passed mf I saw eight Chinamen coming "toward* me ; they seemed frightened. After de* ceased had passed me about thirty yarcfej he fell off apparently lifeless. When I first saw deceased he appeared a bad rider ; he was leaning over the side, aitl seemed ricketty and shaky in. &c saddle. I went up to him aftfr he' fell! He never spoke. 1 raisjd him to a' sitting posture. He appeared totally stupid and quit© tmconsciotß. I remained with him. His friends cane up ; and in a quarter of an^pur Dr. Halley came. By the doctor^iKderi, deceased was removed to the Unia* Hotel. In reply to questions by the juif,, witness iwd that deceased w«* lying 6*

TfcTwhen he went up to him. lie I Sltuy off the Horse, and the nors* weal I P^ume that deceased had Mard Pilling,' miner and storekeeper,neaXaipori, being sworn, deposed : AbJ four o'clock yesterday evening, i, was Tiding from Lawrence to Wether■to J accompanied by deceased, James Ri3e, and Thomas Butler. A short dSL outsiders town we., walked toiler. The mare Brown was riding J3» start, and .went off at a gallon J We did not follow him closely, exiiting that- deceased would be able to pujfaemarepp. He turned the point of tinJadatTahey's; and the first thing wfIJU after turning the point was the BufwitKout a rider.' Passing oh toW JL the Union. Hotel, we found de«eall on the ground, lying on his back. So if as I remember, he was helpless andipeechless. Mr. Butler raised him, audit. Ritchie got some water, and trieJo revive him. In a few' minutes Dr. ijalley came and examined him. We movjr him. to this Hotel, under Dr. Halll'a directions. He died A at the Uniod Hotel about half-an-hour after the iccidlt. Deceased was not a good koißsLo. He. had been drinking, but vaa lot drunk. He 'was joyously excited,' and in, glee, and seemed quite ttpable of managing his horse. Sergeant Smith said there were two other mtnesses, but the evidence was only corroberative of last witness. Tie Coroner did not see the necessity for calling them. Dr. Halley was then sworn. About four o'clock yesterday afternoon I was passing between Lawrence and Wether--stonea. I was. standing at the Union Hotel door, when I was called to see deceased. He was lying on the ground in■ensible, about a hundred yards from this hotel. I ordered him to be removed to the hotel, to examine him.- I found his pulse feeble, beating about UO. I judged him to be suffering from concussion of the brain. The features were livid. I enquired whether he had been drinking, and *ras told he had, but was not intoxicated. I asked Mr. M'Swiney to go for some wnmonia. When he returned, I saw it wag past all hope— he was either dead or dying. I managed to put some ammonia down his throat. I have Bince made a jpost mortem examination. There is a small scratch at the back of the head, and a alight amount of swelling. On removing the scalp, there was ecchy mosis corresponding to the wound. On opening the skull there waa extravasation over the surface >.of the brain, and a large amount of venus Wood escaped. I consider cause of death toiave been concussion of "brain, tfrougni; An by the- fall ; had he been drinking, it I 'uu ha*#fleen accelerated. 1 Meredith Smith was then V -•• ' Last night, at half-past five o' 1 ' earched the body of deceased R ".."own, and on hia person I found • -iDook, containing a number of letters, and £8 10s. 6d. In another jpocket, three wooden pipes, two knives, *nd a book. I found a parcel on the table of the hotel, containing a pair of trousers. I am informed deceased is a native of Ayrshire, Scotland. From appearance, p ha is a man of about thirty-five years of •p. -■ It appears, from ' letters in his' jKtket, that he has friends at Oamaru. wchard Pilling, recalled— I have known Brtwn eight months. He was in the of Calcut and Menlove. For eigtt weeks he was in the employment, of » few people in Waipori, looking after <kicy cattle. He has not any property j that I know of. He said he had a mate at Oamarn. -I have heard him Bay he was ft that he kad one ckild in Scotland still living. He was not in the wpit of drinking. He was working to «ienzen, produce merchant, Dunedin, to t^o years before he came to Waipori. The foreman of the jury, a minute or »»o aftei .the foregoing evidence was wfcen, saidXheyhad all agreed, and their - verdict -was—X^eaft.fc^ concua3 i O n of the brain, throu* an accidental fall from *m horse. "' -\