INQUEST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 3069, 1 December 1888, Page 2

INQUEST.

An enquiry into the oause of the death of'i'homas Gwynne, who was found dead on tho bank of the ■ tVainoiia Kiver: on : Thursday last, was held yesterday afternoon at. the Mai. terton Hospital, before Mi' S. Von Bturmer, aud the following jury • Messrs Samuel E. Gapper (foreman),P. Cohen, 6, Cowper, E, Hornblow, and T, Jackson. . '

. After viewing the body, the following evidence was taken; . Dr W, H, Hosking, sworn, said: I was called between five aud Bix o'clock on Thursday evening to see the boy Thomas Gwynne.. He was. lying dead on the banks of the Wfiipoua, outside Mr Stone's: fence. 1 fo-and him lying on his.face. In accordance with instructions; I made aii_oxamiuation on the body at the Hospitair~'aud:~fottnd-; a--severe abrasion of the skin on tho point of tho left shoulder,.about the sise of: the palm of the hand, I also found the spine dislocated close to the head. This was tbo cause of death, which must have been instantaneous, : ".

To Sergt; Price; I saw the place where the body .was: pointed out. There was no indication of a struggle. A.fall-from a hpi'so would acoount for the result, .Had known deceased for some years. He was a son of the Hospital assistants, ■ and was a member of the Foresters' Lodge, to which I passed him into, ; He was not a robust lad, but he was not delicate,

-.•■". Mary Gwynne, mother of decoased deposed; My son was working for Mr Smith, next to the Hospital, He attended to the house arid garden and anything else that was needed, Last saw him alive about 7 o'clock yesterday. : He came to the Hospital and was in better health than over, He said he was going to gather somo flax-sticks to stick. the peas with. Did not say where:he. was going to gather theui. Ho;went back to Mr Smith's after he left, and I did not seo him again until lie was brought in a, corpse.. He hadi.been of a delicate.jiature, had got very strong of late, He was never subject to fits, but had oiice' been ■ kioke'd by a hoy in the back, which had brought On concussion of tlie ;.brairj, hiit-ihe gotoverihat a .. :Erhes"ti ; SniithvdepMed;;;;The s 'de : ceased, Thomas' Qwyhjie; htidibequ j working :for.ino;fpr; the;; last vtwoor I tb r&sj : weefea ,1 : 1 jivie Be?tto;tho flcjs-

pital- ■.'Deceased was Supposed lb' workjm the house and garden;. He often took horses; into his paddook adjoining.- I have no paddock heaV !the Waipoua.' As "far;as I knowy deceased only rode a h'orso of; mine on ono occasion; ; that was'a quiet pony, about a week 'ago. I cannot account for deceased being where he was found, unless 'if was that iny. horses got .out of the paddock, and deceased may have seen them. going by, and went after tliomi I reached home about half-past six on Thursday night. Hound my horses just outside my gates on the road when I got baclcDeceased could easily have caught either of the horses, and he might have caught one down oil the rivor bank and got on its back without any bridle or saddlo and been thrown off. Heft home just before 7 .'o'clock on Thursday morning, the boy was; at my place then' iu solo charge.. 1 have not seen him- since, alive, I don't think! lie would, have:been; at !allh^oly;to;haye'been:ki6kiM.!;:jiiio - ; horsea ing to lead'me.to assume that lie had caught tliehofse T ahd<,riddeLi ftv ;buf ha might haye.done'so.: : ] j\^- '-.; : : \. George Davidson, 5 a laborer ; wbrk-, jug-; at ;Mrs; Ewirjgtoh's deposed ; he saw'deceased three;'timesonThuraday; was) going : towards?th ; ?tpwn;:;thafswas"close upQulwp p'clook.'lv Saw two of:-Mr Bjoing down towards 3 was no oner with e'loose. ' Had, not g back.; ;; Did not see rds. 'rS\ :■„' v ; ■;■:■ '■> deposed that he was iio :.wi%his; fatlier liT'Hokriew'.Thomas. liouio to go.into town se o'clock", yesterday. ihpught to be_a mini ■far from, his.fathers: ed; about a foot'from returned 7 'the .... ~, , i'oiock was stiU there'and in the same posi-; tion, and'h'e still thought him asleep, but could not see 'his face." Charley Brbadbent was passing at the time and'he drew his attention to the mail, Witness shouted to Broadbent, who • was passing through.tbe. 'paddookin horseback: "There's a mail .asleep there; wake him up I; ;X;thiiik < his horses have oleared.away."' bent weut and tried .to wako; hiiii; and said he : thought he. Witnessrwenf to ; and finding he was dkd,s ; anj||ji the police, j Did ;w)ib;deceased .was at n'essiawtwo of : M| ,: fan ou'.tiie river;4^^^^^|

left A m&m^^^mM abraded. •-iNeyeffi rideon was found,'; he:haawliisToldilies.:pn except a'coat, and no Bipod about ditf .we^jnbt'to'lor^BftnangedTßlStfjr' '-Thitf'ooiibl^ The and interval,' retXiraed witli.a. vdrdiot^^f ■".aooidentftldeftth'.",'-.' . : "■ "