DEATH OF S. A. HANSON.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8546, 2 October 1907, Page 7

DEATH OF S. A. HANSON.

CORONER'S INQUEST. The circumstances surrounding the death of Stanley Allen Hanson, who wa;s killed by the capsizing of a dray on the banks of the Waipoua River on Monday afternoon, formed the subject of an inquest. last evening, before Mr W. P. James, Coroner, and the following jury:— Messrs Joseph M. Hickson (foreman), D. McPharlane, John Mackay, Thomas J. Nott, Raymond Maltby, and William Croxson. Charles Holmwood, farmer, of Opaki, said the deceased was a cousin of his. He was not an experienced colonial worker. The deceased was 23 years of age. Harry Cole, contractor, said the de:eased had been in his employ since Tuesday, September 24th. He had been employed removing logs from the Waipoua River for two days. His duty was to drive the dray, around the axle of which was a wire rope. The other end ol the rope was wound round the log, which had to be drawn from the river. When witness' son cried out that the deceased was under the dray, no time was lost in extricating him from beneath. It was then found that he was dead. Witness went on to say that the dray was about four feet above the top of the log *nd the connecting rope did not touch the embankment. He had done similar work, on and off, for forty years. fjgf' Daniel Francis Cole, son of the '. last witness, said he was driving the "leaders attached to the dray. De- ■ ceased was standing in the dray, and had control of the horse in the shafts. : . When word was given to move, witdrove the leaders ahead. He gone a few feet when he looked round and saw that the dray had capsized. The deceased was pinned to the ground, face downwards, with the head and shoulders protruding from the side of the overturned dray. The leaders did not swerve, but when he looked around he saw that the shafts had been turned towards the right. The log was abo,ut four feet in diameter. . Dr. W. S. Ross said he examined the body. Death was probably due to an extensive crush and laceration of the tissues of the lungs owing to the edge of the dray striking the deceased a forcible blow on the back. The deceased was probably suffocated by the sudden effusion of blood into the air passages. There were no external injuries visible and no evidence of the back having been broken. Death would be almost instantaneous. ■ David Jackson, who was one of the party present' at the time of the fatality, also gave evidence. He did not think the cart could have capsized if the horses had not swerved. The jury returned a verdict that ' the deceased met his death by acci- j dent-no blame being attachable to, anyone. 1