FATAL ACCIDENT

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10572, 1 March 1912, Page 5

FATAL ACCIDENT

A MAH'S NECK BROKEN. '■Ail accident which, unfortunately, had a fatal termination occurred' at Mr -George Shaw's farm at Te Ore Ore on Wednesday morning. : Sir Shaw, accompanied by two "of his; farm bands (Messrs M. Appleby and Shadrach Thomas Campion), went to'' put the finishingload, on a straw stack. The stack had been built a couple of days before, and, as is-us-ual in such cases, where a stack is finally completed, a wire was-passed over, the stack longitudinally to prevent damage from winds. The wire ■■•was twisted on to a length of firewood to keep it secure. Campion . jplaced a ladder at the end, • and mounted the stack, and Mr Shaw followed up the ladder. When Campion got on to the stack, four or five feet away from, the edge, ho hauled on the wire with the intention of • shifting it. Without any warning, ,the wire broke, and Campion fell '•backwards from the stack to the -■ground, a distance of 15 or 16 feet, and pitched on to his head and shoulders, with his feet in the air. Mr Shaw quickly went to his assistance, and seeing he was' unconscious,, sent'for Dr A. Hosking, who ■Arrived on the scene within "half au. hour. The doctor examined the injured man. and ordered his removal to the Masterton Hospital, "where he w«io taken without delay. H,e; lihger- ' ed on until the next morning,'occasionally recovering consciousness, but passed away at 4.15 o'clock, his death apparently being a painless -one. ■ J ■ An. inqtiest was held at the Court-; liouse yesterday afternoon before Mr J. Brown, J.P., Acting Coroner,' and a jury of six, of which Mr.'Eli Smith was foreman. The evidence of Messrs . -George Sliaw, Mark Appleby and Sister Agnes- Allan (the nurse who received and,,attended the patient), was taken. Br Cook, who made a post - .'mortem examination, stated the im-j mediate cause of death'-was a fractur-l ed bone .in. the neck, beprbduced by siich a fall as described 'by the witnesses. A verdict "of accidental death was returned, no blame being attributable to anyone. The remains are being conveyed to Canterbury, where deceased's brothers reside. •■ Mr Campion had been in . 'the employ of Mr Shaw for about 2} | years, and was descirebd by him, as'! a good all-round man at all kinds of Farm work'. He was forty-live years; of age, and unmarried. A sister, of deceased (Mrs Agnes Allen) resides~in ■ ; Masterton. I