INQUEST.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 381, 12 August 1874, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquiry was held at the Tuapeka Hospital yesterday afternoon, before E. H. Carew, Esq., District Coroner, into the cause of the death, of Andrew Taylor, who was found lvinc on the road between Lawrence and Tuapeka Mouth, on Sunday, in an unconscious state, ■with his skull frightfully broken. Mr. M. Fraer acted as foreraau of the jury. Inspector Thompson watched the inquiry on behalf of the police. John Kelso, livery stable-keeper, was the first witness called upon, add deposed as follows : — I have seen the body of deceased, and identify it as that of Andrew Taylor. I knew him well, and last saw him alive on Saturday afternoon^— aWtrfe ■& o'clock, irben I accompanied him from my stables to the town boundary above Mr. Peter Robertson's house. He was riding a colt that I had beeu breaking in for him. The colt was nofc what I would call thoroughly broken in ; my contract was simply to ride him a few times and handle him. Deceased was well pleased with the colt, and the manner in which he was going. When we reichedthe town boundary, I was leading the horse deceased rode up from Tuapeka Mouth, and he desired me to let him go, stating that he would run home before him. I let the horee go, and bade him good-bye. He then proceeded on his journey. The colt had been in my hands for a fortnight. lie was not vicious, but was rather high-spirited, aud inclined to be playful. Deceased did not express himself in any way as being afraid of the colt, as he was a good rider, although he had lost his right arm. Deceased was perfectly sober when I left him. The only difficulty I had with the colt was in mounting and cliarnounfcinf hh» ; once on his back, lie waa as quiot as a lamb. Examined by Inspector Thompson : I told deceased I did not think it saCe for him to ride the colt. He said, "Is he quiet." I replied, "If you get oH, you will have some difficulty in getting on" again." The colt would run round wheu any one was trying to mount him. He once kicked at me. Aloxander Robertson deposed — I met deceased about four miles from Lawrence on the Tuapeka Mouth road, shortly after four o'clock on Saturday afternoon, near to the hill known as Breakneck. He was riding a young horse, and travelling in the direction of his home. I spoke to him. He said he was pleassd the colfc was quiet enough for him to ride, as he would get home much quicker than if he were leading him aud riding his old horse. He further remarked that the colt was going quiet and steady, but that he was very round and the saddle did not sit well on him. Witness offered to tighten the girths, but his offer was declined. He then left. By Inspector Thompson — It was'about f our miles from Klingst's where I met deceased. Shortly after passing him snow began to fall heavily. The roads were' very soft and heavy. Daniel Evans deposed — I am in the employ of Mr. Taborn. On Sunday last I travelled from Clark's Flat to Mr. Klingst's, and when about three quarters -of a mile on the Lawrence side of his house I noticed a man lying with his face downwßrds a few yards from the road, I rode over to the spot, but did not recognize the man, I called to him but did not get off my horse he did not auawer so I passed on thinking he was in liquor. No blood was visible a 9 he was lying on the wounded part of his head. I afterwards met Klingst and told him about it. After I had been at Klingst's place a short time Andrew M'Beath and James Bailey rode up to the house and asked if Mr. Taylor had been there. I told them of seeing the man on the road they concluded it was deceased, and immediately proceeded to the spot described by me. I and Klingst followed them. Just before reaching there we met Bailey returning who said that it was Taylor, and that M'Beath had ridden into Lawrence for a Doctor. This would be about three o'clock. We then all returned to J w&ere deceased was lying, and Bailey and I turned the body over, deceased was then alive. We noticed that his head was severely cut on the right side. There was no blood coming from the wound at that time. Deceased's hat was lying about twenty yards from his body on the Lawrence side a' little distance from the road. He was lying across his horse's tracks which were quite fresh. I judge the horse had been galloping at that spot on account of the footprints r,eing sunk so deeply into the soil. Bailey then, at Mr. Klingst's request, started on horseback to Lawrence to fetch a conveyance to take deceased to the Hospital, but he died before it arrived Dr. Stewart came back with Andrew M'Beath. Some time before he had pronounced the case hopeless, and said deceased would not live long enough to get to the Hospital. Mr. M'Beath then left for Tuapeka Mcuth to acquaint Mrs Taylor ot the accident. Deceased never spoke. He ! never appeared to be sensible whilst I was with him. There was no appearance of deceased having had any difficulty with his horse about the spot where we found him. The horse's tracks where in in a continuous line. Charles Kling3t deposed I am a shepherd and reside on Greenfield Station, near the Tuapeka Mouth road. '' On Sunday morning last the lad Evans overtook me near my house, ancl said there was a maa lying drunk about three quarters of a mile back on the road. I&d not take much, notice, but went to dinner, taking the lad with me. Shortly after, Andrew M'Beath and Bailey came to m y place, saying that; Taylor hjid not re-

turned frpm Lawrence as was expected on Saturday evening, and that they were searchfor Mm It then occured to me that the man described by Evans would be Taylor. I stated my suspicions to them, and we all started for the spot. They being mounted of course reached there first. When I ascertained that Taylor was severely injured, I requested Bailey to go to Lawrence for a conveyance. M'Beath. had then gone for a doctor, and I returned to my house for blankets, ahd then proceeded to the diggings on the Tuapeka river, and returned with several minors from there. The evidence given by the last witness is correct. -I saw the horse's footmarks close to the body. From the deep imprint of the hoofs, I judge he must have been travelling at a rapid rate down the hill. By a juror : Taylor was alive when we found him, but died about three hours afterwards. The doctor was present when he expired. Andrew M'Beath deposed — I am a storekeeper residing at Tuapeka Mouth, and was intimately acquainted with deceased. I knew that he had gone to Lawrence on Saturday to fetch home a young horse ; and, like the rest of his neighbors, became uneasy on his non-arrival on Saturday evening, according to promise. Went down to his residence on Sunday, when Mrs. Taylor asked me to lend j my horse to a man named Pierce, who had offered to go and seek for her husband. I offered to go myself, as my acquaintance with the road was better than bis. Bailey said lie would go witlimOj when iust as we were starting a man came along mm told us that Taylor's hor3e, which he bxd ridlen from Tuapeka Mouth the previous morning, was running on the flat with a halter round its neck. We then started on the road for Lawrence, and called at IQingst's to make enquiries, when the lad Evans told us of having seen a man lying near the road about a mile further on towards Lawrence. We immediately started for there, and found it to be Taylor, who was lying on his chest, with his face a little on one side. On first seeing him I thought ho was dead ; but when I got off my horse and found he was still breathing, I resolved to go immediately for medical assistance. There was an appearance as if blood had been issuing from the mouth or nostrils of the decer ' I called to him, but found he was unc&ftscS^B* We did not then disturb him, and I then rode off to Lawrence for a medical anan, and returned with Dr. Stewart, when I found deceased had been shifted, exposing the wound in his skull, which I had not seen before. Deceased was still alive, but Dr. Stewart told me that he would not live long. I then left for Tuapeka Mouth to acquaint Mr 3. Taylor of the accident. The colt deceased had been riding was brought home last night. The saddle and bridle were still on him. It did not appear as if the horse had rolled on the saddle. Deceased was a good horseman. By a Juror. — There were no stones or stumps of trees about the spot where deceased Las found. • James Bailey, miner, Tuapeka Mouth then deposed — I know the colt deceased rode from Lawrence. I found him yesterday afternoon about three miles from Tuapeka Mouth near the road. He then had a saddle and bridle on, also a bag Strapped to the saddle containing newspapers and other things. One of the martingale rings was broken, and the bridle reins were trailing on the ground. I caught the horse and led him home. By a Juror — The stirrup leathers were both on tue saddle. The bridle was a single reined one. Dr. Stewart deposed as follows : — Andrew M'Beath called upon me on Sunday to visit Taylor who he said was lying on the Tuapeka Mouth road in an unconscious state. I staitsd with him fer the scene of the accident at ten minutes to four o'clock, arriving at the place where decea33 J was lyiug at twenty-Sve minutes to five. Deceased was then pulseless and unconscious. I administered stimulants, and on examination found on the right side of his head a compound conrninuted fracture lof the cranium. There tTaa a pool of blool I under where his head seemed to have lain. i lie was then groaning. I had not the slightest hope of his recovery. 1 consider the cause.of his death to be fracture of the skull, and injury to the brain. On examining the body to-day I found a mark of the rein on his left wrist, as if he had been dragged when failing or getting off the horse. Excepting what 1 b.we described, there i 3 no other marks of violence on the body of deceased. The fracture is four and a half inches long — sufficiently large to insert my hand. No surgical skill, if it had been available immediately after the accident, could have saved deceased, although his life might have been prolonged a short time. In my opinion the wound was caused by a kick from a horse who had been recently shod. The ground near where the accident happened was torn up by the horse's feet, as if he had been galloping, though the ho^jpf had evidently been going quite straight. Deceased died three quarters of an hour after my first seeing him. I remained with him until his death. This concluded the evidence. The jury brought in a verdict of " Accidental death, caused by fall from a horse ;" with a. rider to the effect that Messrs. Klingsfc, M'Beath, and Bailey deserve great praise for the prompt an I dacisive manner in which they rendered every assistance in their power to deceased.