INQUEST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2446, 6 November 1886, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest wan held yesterday aftornoon at the Courthouse, Carterton, before Dr Spratt, coroner, and a jury of six, of which Mr W. Catt, Senr., was choaeu foreman, touching tho death of a child belonging to Ohas, and Anne Peterson, living at Park Road, Carterton, Annio Sophia Potersen deposed that she was tho mother of the child Ellen Petorsen, now deceased, and that the child was five years old. On Wednesday tho 3rd Novomber, about 7 p.m., she and her husband wero standing on the verandah of their house, whon they beard some horseß coming galloping down the road, and she called to her two girla who wero out in the road to come in, Just as the ono now dead had got on to the sido of the road by their garden gat», a man on horseback came riding at a furious rate, and standing up in his stirrups, and knocked the child down. The man did not slacken his speed after knocking the child down, but kept on as if ho was riding a race, There were two other horsemen who cams up just at the time, and they stopped, and one of thorn rode back for Dr Johnston, who came immediately. The man who had been arrested by Constablo Darby was in Court, and tho witness stated that she believed that he was the man by his dross, but she could not swear to him by his features, for he was riding too fast to recognise him. Charles A. Peterson, father of deceased stated that tho child died yesterday morning at about 10 o'clock, and corroborated the evidence given by tho provious witness, and also stated that he believed that the man now in Court was the same who was riding at such a furious rato, whioh caused the accident to his child. . Dr, Johnston deposed that he was Bent for on Wednesday evening last at about 7 o'olook. On arriving at tho house, he found Peterson outside with the child in his arms. Ho at once ordered the child to be taken inside, where he found blood issuing from tho right ear, nostril, and also the mouth. He thon thought tho ohild had only received a very severe shock, but on further examination he found the skull to be fractured, Ho again visited the ohild late on Thursday night, and then saw that she was dying. He Btated that a fracture of this description might bo caused by a blow from tho kneo of a horse whilo in full galop. At this stage Constablo Darby applied tor an adjournment, as there wore other witnesses living at a distance, whom ho had not been able to get. Tho inquest was adjourned till Thursday, the 11th November at 10 a.m.