Tuapeka Herald. AND GOLDFIELD REPORTER & ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 1873. " MEASURES. NOT MEN."

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 257, 2 January 1873, Page 4

Tuapeka Herald. AND GOLDFIELD REPORTER & ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 1873. " MEASURES. NOT MEN."

In its leading article of the 30th ult., the "Otago Daily Times" laments that "notwithstanding the enormous area over which Judge Ward's labors extend, there is not sufficient crime to occupy the attention of one Judge." This deplorable state of public- morality in Judge Ward's district, the "Times" says, rendered the late visit of the Supreme Court to L%\vrence not only unnecessary, but ridiculous. The process of reasoning by which the sapient writer of the article in question deduced this conclusion from the premises he laid down is unknown to men possessing minds of only ordinary calibre — knowledge of it atone being permitted to a certain order and degree of intellect. We will leave the remarks regarding Judge Ward to the- press of the district in which he exercises his judicial functions, and confine ourselves to that portion of the article referring to the Lawrence Circuit Cou*t. Before going further, we will draw actanr tion to a singular fact which wewill hereafter" com Cuen't upon, viz that from the beginning to the end of the article under notice of, thera is not even the most cursory allu> sion made to qivU. business

on my kaee ; he did so, and ajaw seconds after I asked him to pull on the reins. A few seconds later he let go, and when i we got to the foot of the hill the coach locked short, and went over in consequence. The horses went down hill a little smarter than usual, but they were not bolting. I had them well in hand. - One of the horses stumbled about the same time the coach locked, and fell, hut the capsizing of the coach was not caused by the horse. The horse was dragged, but I could not say what distance. The moment the coach went over, the king-bolt came out, and the horses bolted. In my experience as a driver, breeching is not required with a brake. Ido not think there are three quieter horses in the entire stable than those driven on that occasion. I believe that pressure on the brake caused the shortlock and consequent capsize. The horses used by Cobb and Co. are always well broken-in before they are uaed in a coach. Whether the horse had fallen or not, the coach would have turned over. The enquiry was then adjourned until three o'clock next Friday, at the City Council Chambers, for the production of other witnesses.

The adjourned inquest, touching the accident which resulted in tbe deatK of tke Re v. John Williams, was resumed at the City Council Chambers yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock. The following additional evidence was given :— James Ross Mitchell deponed : I was a passenger by Cobb and Co.'s coach last Friday morning, and sat on the box seat. I am accustomed to horses, and know a good deal about them. The horses in the coach seemed quiet and steady. They left town well, but were pulled up on two occasions to take up passengere. On each occasion they were quite manageable. Things went well until atout half-way down the hill past Lookout Poiut, where they became a little restive, and the driver asked me to press on his knee. I did so, but it did not teem to have much effect, as the horses were increasing their speed. The driver then gave me the n«ar side of the "ins and asked me to gi*e them a pulL Though still increasing ther speed, we got on all right until we reached the last curve, when one of the horses stumbled, and the coach went over. I was thrown out, falling on the near side. After I got up, I saw a passenger under the coach. I assisted in getting him out. I learned since that he was the deceased. I then started to walk to Caver*ham to get a conveyance to remove Mr Williams, but had not gone far when I saw the coach horses stopped at the Volunteer hotel. They were loose, and a man was leading them. I took one of the horses and started for town. About the same time, I saw MrWilliams and son taken away in a buggy. When we commenced to descend the hill, we were going at an ordinary pace. 1 think the reason of our going faster^ was, the driver not being able to make the broke hold sufficiently. The driver remarked that he thought some leather would have to be taken off it when they got to the bottom of the ; fall, as such an alteration would give greater purchase. The caHse*of the stumbling, I think, was that the coach was pressing on the horses. The driver pressed on the brake as much as possible all the way down, as far as 1 could see, I don't consider that the horses were wmnuig-»w»y- The driver was able to keep them on the middle of the road, but not able to pull them up. They were under command. I can hardly say what was the immediate canse of the capsize. 1 know what a short-lock is. but I cannot say tktfc the coach was so locked as to cause it *o turn over. M ost likely that and the horse stumbling at the same time caused the accident The horse was not dragged before the coach turned over. I did not see it fall, but it must have been dragged after it fell. The off-wheeler seemed a well broken-in animaL It did act snap at the others before the accident. I was not alarmed as we went down the hill, and I did not anticipate accident. Cross-examined : The horses were ♦quite quet when we left Manse street. I canmot Bay that the driver used tha whxp after we rounded Look-out Point. The swing-bar and one wheel did not touch the rock as we passed round the curve. I did not observe whether any of the horses had their feet over the traces before the accident. It is safer to have breeching on even with a brake, but with a well-appointed vehicle breeching v scarcely necessary. It would have been better had the reins been held by one person only The brake answered well while going •down CargilTs HilL I cannot say what caused the horse to stumble. I did not ob4serve any of the horses stumble before the accident. I believe the accident was unavoidable after the horses got way on. As far as I could judge, the driver started down the hill cautiously, and if he had been able to use the brake thoroughly, the horses would not have got way on. If the grip of the brake on the wheels had been perfect the horses increased their speed, they jnigbthave been pulled up. I took entire possession of the left-hand reins when asked by the driver. John M'Crobie deponed : I reside at Green Island. I saw the coach on last Friday morning coming over the hill round Look-out Point road. The leading horse was at a canter, the horse on the right wheel was galloping. The coach was coming down too quickly, and from the rate they were going at I thought the horses were unmanageable. 'They were keeping in the middle of the road. The driver was pulling them hard in, and, as far *a I could judge, the man Bitting next him lifted the reins, which I thought the leaders' reins, above the driver's hands. The horses continued at a fast pace until they reached the last curve in the road. The off wheeler then stumbled and fell, about seven yards before the coach went over. When close to the curve, the leader swerved in front of the right-hand wheeler. I can't state the cause of this. I examined the brake afterwards ; it seemed to be in good order and grip well. There were two, if not three layers of leather on each brake. The right wheel horse seemed to be running away. I have not said the driver whipped the horses while descending the hill. I have seen otfaercoaches come down the hill with as great speed as this coach. I did not see any cause of blame attaching to any one in this accident. The coach was about 250 jards from me when I first saw it, and 150 when it capsized. James Manning, deponed t I reside in Walker street, and saw the coach, with Mr William* on it, pass the end of theßtreet. I noticed that the pole-horse on the right hand side was rather awkward at the time, bearing on the horse on the left hand side. I did not observe .anything at which he was shying. I have seen horses going the same way at starting before. The driver was again called, and said : I was driving the coach three or four weeks ago, when the coach capsized on the Bame road. The horses employed on this occasion were not the horses used on that. I have Jt>een sccustomed to drive nearly all my life. Mr Chaplin said : One of the horses had "beett four years in the service of the company, and the one in question was well brokea-jn aud staunch before it was put : into the .coach. It was now in use about ■two moptb. The other horse was very .quiet and jgood tempered. With a light coach, snch as the one in question, breeching -was unnecessary 5 with a heavy coach it was -different. I think the driver is a steady, -efficient driver. He Jjas been with us about lour jwn Consutoing tbf character p{

the horses and the condition of the coach, I cannot account for the accident, unless it was that the coach began to skid on the road, depriving the driver of power over it. When the roads are dry aud bard, coaches are liable to skid. The jury retired at 5.20 p.m., and at 7.30 returned with the following verdict : — "That the said John Williams was travelling by one of Cobb's coaches on the 20th December inst. ; it so happened that accidentally, casually, and by misfortune the said coach capsized, thereby inflicting on the said John Williams certain serious injuries of which he died on the 22nd December inst." To the verdict were attached these riders :—: — •• 1. They are further of opinion that the driver should not have handed his near reins to the passenger ; and the fact of his having done so leads them to believe that he is, to some extent, an incompetent driver. 2. The^jury express their belief that wheel era in pass-nger-coaches should be driven with breeching in addition to the brake, and they ■wish that the question should be submitted to a competent body for consideration. 3. They are of opinion that stringent measures should be taken to prevent horses from being placed in public passenger-coaches nntil they have been proved to be well broken and free from vice."