FATAL ACCIDENT TO CAPT. FRANCIS.

Wairoa Bell, Volume IV, Issue 145, 13 May 1892, Page 5

FATAL ACCIDENT TO CAPT. FRANCIS.

The gloom, which has hung over the district of late owing to the great prevalence of sickness and the numerous deaths arising therefrom during the past few weeks, was greatly intensified when it became known that Captain Francis had met with a serious accident on Wednesday and died the same evening. The nature of the accident will be learned by the evidence given at the inquest wliich we summarise below. A brief notice of deceased, and an account of the funeral ceremony, which was conducted by the Masons, of which body deceased was an old member, will be given in our next. THE INQUEST on the body was held in the Aratapu Library on Thursday before the Coroner and the following Jury:—Messrs T. Nield (foreman), J. A. Rhodes. M. H. Airey, R. Barker, J. Torrington, and A. W. Jones, James Kirk was near Harrison’s wharf and saw deceased painting Mr Harrison’s office about 3.30 p.m, on Wednesday. He saw deceased go up the ladder and come down again for something ; he saw bin? go up again and get as high as the eaves—the ladder being long reached a good length above the eaves. He then looked away at a passing boat and the next thing he saw was the ladder slipping and going over the wharf carrying deceased with it. He went to his assistance and found him lying sense les3 in the water, with rocks on one side of him and a logjon the other. He called MiHarper and Mr Bennett to his assistance. Deceased was bleeding at the nose anrl had a bruise over the eye. Deceased was old and feeble, W, K. Bennett had seen deceased struggling with a heavy ladder and voluntarily nelped him to carry it and place it against the office. He corroborated the evidence of Mr Kirk. v Frederic Norton medical officer,' examined deceased on Wednesday evening and found a serious contusion over the left eye. Deceased was not sensible. He could detect no fracture of the skull. He saw him again about nine same evening and found life extinct, deceased having just expired. The cause of death was doubtless some serious internal injury. From the nature of the accident he had no doubt but that injuries arising therefrom would be sufficient to cause death, Deceased was a very feeble old man. The Jury, without retiring, found that deceased met his death by falling from a ladder on the wharf near Harrison’s. The body left Aratapu for the burial gjeund by p.s. Osprey at noon today.