WANGAEHU FATALITY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8302, 4 December 1906, Page 5

WANGAEHU FATALITY.

THE INQUEST.

MrThos. Duncan, Actio?.Ooioner, and a jury consisting of H. J. Baker, %■ F. Wallace, Ohae. Bentley, R. D. MoPharlane, M. Ryan and 11. E. SMoklesß, held an inquest yesterday morning into the oiroumstances relating to the death of Patrick Slattery, who was killed while working in a gravel pit at Wangaehu oo Saturday morning. Dr. Cowio gave evidence aB to examining the body of the deceased. He found a wound in the region of the right eye, a fracture of the left thigh, and bruises in the back and abdomen. These injuries would be sufficient to cause death. Bartholomew Cnlloty, n contractor, deposed that tho deceased was working for him in a gravel pit at Wangaehu. He saw the deceased last on Thursday. Deceased had told him that he was a single man, .and had a brother living near Christobnrcb. Thomas Collins deposed that he was working ' with the deoeased, who was stripping day off the face of the pit. Witness was looking towards the deceased, and how a fall of clay strike him. Deoeased fall on his rignt side about 15 yards from, where witness was standing. A quantity of.clay fell over the deoeased, aad a lump of day weighing about half a hundredweight struck him on tbe back. Witness went over to the deoeased, and found him bleeding from the nose and mouth, and unconscious. He was removed to a whare where he died. Witness thought that if the deceased had picked down the face of the pit instead of under-mining it, be would have been safe. Albeit James and John O'Loughlin, who also witnessed the fatality, gave corroborative evldenoe. The jury returned a verdict that the deoeased mat bis death by a fall of earth while working in a gravel pit, and that no blame was attached to anyone.