CORONER'S INQUEST.

West Coast Times, Issue 351, 7 November 1866, Page 2

CORONER'S INQUEST.

Au inquest w_as held yesieiday by Dr. Beswick, District Coroner, at the Tyrone Hotel, upon the body of Michael O Brien, who was killed on Sunday night in a claim on the Hau Hau uiggings. Tne first witness, Alfred Breard, deposed that the deceased and Jnmstlf were mates. On Sunday nighi last, they went to work in their claim on one of the brnqch creeks which interaeit the Hau Hau goldfield, O'Brien and himself being on the night shift. The former went to the face of the drive, and commenced putting in a false set of timber, and witness was eraployed wheeling out the washdirt. On returning with the barrow, deceased remarked that one of the fal c pious had come down and commenced replacing it, but before he had time to do so the cappiece lathes gave way, bringing down a quantity of earth, which completely buried him. Witness was also knocked on one side, and buried up to the knees ; he, however, managed to clear himself, when suddenly another rush of earth took place, and then the whole creek came down, and filled up the drive. Witness, however, escaped, and at once procured the assistance of twenty five or thirty men, who worked hard, but did not succeed iv recovering the body until eignt o'clock the uext morning. The accident occurred about ten p.m. the preceding night Thomas Gorman, also a mate of the deceased man's, gave evidence to the follawing effect: — On Sunday mght lireatd and O'Brien went to work in the tunnel, and witness and another mate turned in to bed. Between ten am! eleven o'clock they were aroused by Breard, who s<id that the ground had caved in and buried O'Brien. Witness immediately proceeded to the tunnel, aud assisted by twenty five men commenced to shovel away the fallen dirt, but as the creek kept running in bringing with it much gravel, it was at the suggestion of witness " flumed," and after working hard all night the body was recovered at eight o'clock next morning. When found it was | in a sitting posture surrounded by large blocks of reef, and closely enveloped in, mud and gravel. Witness believed that ■ death must have rather n suited from suffocation than from actual bodily injuries. > Deceased was a shareholder in the claim, there being four others. Witness had.no idea of the value of the claim, and considered that uo one was to be blamed for the accidi nt. John O'Brien, brother and mate of the deceased, corroborated the evidence already given. He said that deceased was about twenty- five years of age, and a native of county Clare, Ireland, lie was not married or possessed of any propei ty or money. No post mortem examination was held, as the Coroner pointed out to the jury that if they were satisfied the evidence adduced was correct, there would not, be the sligh.eat necessity for one. There was no mystery in the manner of his death, and he therefore thought that the feelings of the Burviviug relatives might be spared the »hock of seeing their brothvr's body cut aud hacked about. The jury quite agreed with the Coroner, and deprecated uny indiscriminate holding of post mortem examinations, and without retiring returned a yerdiot of Accidental Death. "'