TENUI NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4795, 9 August 1894, Page 3

TENUI NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent),

The inquest on the body of 11. G. Oetgen, who was accidentally killed whilst bush felling at Pakowai, was held on sth inst, H, Dclliss Esqr,, J.P., acting as coroner, The jury were Messrs C. Howell, foreman, J. Smith, H, Palmer, P. Belliss. R, Moles, and J, Killman, Charles Meller and Patrick Ryan, two of deceased's mates gave evidence, the latter's corroborating tlio former's. Meller, bnsli contractor at Messrs Speedy's, Pakowai, stated that Oetgen had been in his employment two wceks;and four days. He left

the camp with deceased and went v to work 011 Friday 3rd inst, They were working a little distance apart when ho (witness) heard someone cooey. He wuiked in the direction but could see no one so started to work again, and soon afterwards the cooey was repeated, but. fainter tlian the first. Witness then called another man and they went to the bush that had been felled, and, the first things found were Oetgen's hat, axe, and stone, Witness looked around but could not see tlio man. He called out and in reply heard a faint cooey. He immediately proceeded to the spot, and found deceased leaning over a fallen tree. On his asking what was tho matter tho poor fellow said " that tho tree liai nearly killed him," Deceased said he could walk to Killman's camp, a few chains off. They proceeded there, tho two witnesses supporting him. They then put him to bed, The injured man covered himsolfup while witness boiled the Wily, Ho asked Oetgen if he wanted anything to drink, and he said "No." Witness went for the poor fellow's blankets, and when lie returned he was dead, Ho then reported the accident to Constable Collertonat Tenui,' The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, no blame being attached to anybody, The jurymen who wont from Tenui to hold tho above inquest had a very unpleasant and unenviable journey to Pakowai. Tho country was so - rough and the weather so inclement, that on their return'three of them, Messrs Smith, Howell, and Collerton had their horses knocked up, and were obliged to leave them on the I lulls, It is bad enough to be obliged * to sit on a jury, but to ran the risk of losing your horses without any chance of remuneration adds to the unpleasantness. It is rather hard 011 jurymen in this district, or any other district like • it, when they have to find horses to rido many miles, (in the above instanco it was equal to fifty), to serve their country, besides losing timo for nothing. As the jury is generally composed of'working-men who can ill afford to loso horses and time whilst the well-to-do, who have plenty of horses at hand and to whom tha loss of a few hours is of HO cOMeqnffle, escape. A Government, so desirous of legislating for the benefit of tho working man, might introduce some nieasure that would secure payment for juries under certain circumstances.