Inquest.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 236, 31 July 1902, Page 3

Inquest.

An inquest, touching the death of Isabella Morris Blaekley, was held at the Waimate Courthouse on Tuesday, before Mr J. Sinclair, acting-coroner, and a jury of six, comprising Messrs J. Freeman (foreman), G. Dash, A. Berry, A. Inkster, R. Brain and A. J. Cox.

•The following witnesses gave evidence :

Margaret Blackley, mother of deceased, said the deceased was three years 06 age. She remembered Wednesday, 23rd inst. She heard the child crying. Her little boy, five years of age, ran in and said "Come quickly." i!nt tbe pony had kicked Cissy. Slw went out and st.w the deceased walking towards her. The child had a large gash in her forehead. Witness picked her up and carried her inside and sent for the doctor. The child was quite sensible. Did not see the horse kick her. The little boy belonging to witness was present at the time of the accident. The children were in the habit of playing with the pony, which was very quiet. The deceased was removed to the hoapital next day, and died on Monday at 3.80 p.m. Dr. Barclay deposed that he was called to see the deceased immediately after the accident. Finding the injury a very severe one to the skull, he obtained the assistance of Dr. Gruickshank, and they examined the injury undar chloroform. They found the scalp' opened from one temple to the other. The skull was fractured across the frontal region, and the . fractures ran down into the regions of the nose and eyes. The membranes of tut:

o.a'.:\ were torn in places, uiid portions of tuo brai:i exposed. Some pieces of the bone were loose, and had to be remuvml, The broken bones were drivvu in ami impressing the brain. T.i.-re w.id liit aid grass to the broken pieces of the bone. They elevated the compressed bone, and thoroughly cleaned the wound and stitched it. O.i the second day, the 24th July, he had the child removed to the hospital for purposes of better observation and nursing. On the fourth day meningitis and coma developed and the child gradually sank and died on Monday night. The case was hopeless from the beginning, but death really resultel from the fractures running out of the reach of treatment into the base of tinskull.

John [Blackley, father of deceased, deposed that on the morning referred to he caught the pony and it some feed. The deceased met witness in the street as he was coming home with the pony. He gave her a ride to the section where he was going to feed it. He then took her off and took her by the hand into the house. He then left the house to go down town. He just got as far as Mr Miller's place when someone came running and told him to run for the doctor. He immediately went for the doctor. He then returned home, and saw the deceased lying on the sofa, and she said " Daddy, your pony has kicked me." The pony is very quiet. The jury brought in a verdict of accidental death., no blame being attachable to anyone.