CORONER'S INQUEST.

West Coast Times, Issue 159, 22 March 1866, Page 2

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquest was held at the Court House, Ross Town, on tho body of a man named David Thomas, who on the 17th inst died at tho Provincial Hotel, from the injuries ho had received in a fighl thafc.molfning. , George Parkei', being sworn, deposed I-r-thatI -r-that between half past five ond six o'clock on the abovo daico lie saw between fcttd tiriion and Emerald Isle Hotels tho deceased fighting with a man, whose name ho (the witness) believed to bo Haggarty. In tho space of ten minutes they fought three rounds and at tho termination of tho last round Haggarty threw deceased heavily. lib did not got up again but remained perfectly q'uiel. All this took place in the bp6ii atreot. Witness had been spending the night at tho Emerald Isle Hotel and did not remember having seen tho deceased there. Tho men were not sober at tho timo they fought, at least Ilaggorty was not. Tho deceased When lying on the ground had his clothes on. James Mathews deposed — that ho was a miner and remembered seeing, on tho morning of tho 17th inst, two men fighting, thoy wore to tile best of witness' recolleclioii stripped. He did not j'ecogniso either but believes' both of them were druuk. He only stayed to see the first of the fight, and then went up to the public house again and thero saw tho deceased near a tree in the road. He was in a stooping posture and clothed, and appeared to bo drunk. About ,nn hour, afterwords witness saw him lying on his back. There weito no parties fighting around him. Ho was then alive and as ho appeared to be drunk only, witness did not go to bis assistance. Thomas Stanley, on his oath stated — that he was a violin player and that between five and six o'clock on the morning of tho 17th inst, he when going home saw two men fighting, the deceased boing one of them. Witness stood looking on for about lon minutes ond then Joft;, returning tp the Emerald Isle Hotel whore he had been playing all night. About half an hour afterwards he walked by the placo where the men ha' 1 V'rn fighting and then saw the deceased lying on his back, but as he •vppeared to be drunk witness walked away without spooking to him. By tho Coroner : tho deceased was thrown heavily by Haggarty. Thomas Jones, the landlord of the Provincial Hotel, stated on oath — that at about eight o'clock on the mormi-.g l of the 17th instant, a party came to his house and asked leave to bring in n man who was very bad. Witness at once ejave permission and advised them to make him as comfortable as possible, Tho man they were carrying was the deceased- When placed upon a mattress in one of the rooms he requested that a doctor might be sent for, which was at onco done and in about half an hour afterwards that gentleman arrived. Whilst waiting for him the deceased stated that he had been fighting with a mfth who belonged to the whim claim. Ho declared ho had not been kicked, but had received a blow upon the head that stunned him. ' Joseph F. Bond, deposed that he was a legally qualifiod medical man, residing at lloss Town. On Saturday morning last was called in to attend a man lying "at tho Provincial Hotel. He at onco attended and upon examination found tho man (who was tho deceased) suffering from paralysis of tho lowor extremities and the left side, and from his appearance came to the conclusion that death must supervene. Witness asked him how he came in such a state, when he replied he was having a bit of a row and had been knocked down, his opponent falling with him. Ho said he thought ho must have been stunned for ho had afterwards got up and tried but unsuccessfully to fiud tho Provincial Hotel. He also admitted that he was drunk and thought he had fallen upon something hard. Witness urged the necessity of his being at once removed to Hokitika, but found tho unfortunate man was totally destitute and friendless. Witness saw him two or threo times during tho day, and ,011 calling in the evening was told he was better. The next morning he again called and then found tho deceased much worse, his breathing boing /exceedingly labored through tho muscles of respiration being paralysed. He died whilst the witness remained there, 1 at about three o'clock on the afternoon of the 18th Just before death the paralysis becamo general. Witness further stated that assisted by Dr. Hoskins he subsequently mado a post mortem examination of the body, and on dissecting tho spinal column found no fracture or discolouration. The marrow was soft and rather pink in colour. All tho other parts was sound. Tho witness was of opinion that death was ensued by concussion of the spinal cord. After a short deliberation the jury returned a verdict that death was occasioned by misfortuuo and accident and not otherwise.