THE LATE ACCIDENT AT ADDISON'S FLAT.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 525, 3 July 1869, Page 2

THE LATE ACCIDENT AT ADDISON'S FLAT.

On Thursday an inquest was held afc Addison's Flat as to the death of Frederick Carter, miner, who had met his death on the previous day. The inquest, which took pJnee at O'Connor's Club Hotel, was held by Mr Broad, R.M. and Warden for the Brighton district, at present on a visit to Westport, on his way to Nelson. Dr Thorpe also proceeded to Addison's Flat, as medical witness, and by Constable Neville the jury were summoned. Michael Carpenter, who was the first witness called, said: I identify the body shown to the jury as that of my brother, Frederick Carpenter. He was thirty years of age. Ho was born at Clifton, in Gloucestershire, England. Yesterday morning I was working in the same claim with him, but at another face. I was about a hundred feet away from him. I heard a man called Tim sin<r ontv I ran towards him, and saw Tim crawling on his hands and knees. He said my brother Fred was killed. I then" saw my brother covered with earth, his head only being visible. My brother was lying on a stone, and another mate named Charlie Schwerer was lying near, buried up to the middle. Myself and others proceeded to clear the ground off them. AVe got about three or four hundred weight of earth off my brother's chest; then I left. Robert Tannent: Frederick Carpenter was a mate of mine. He was working yesterday in a paddock in the claim, at a face about eight feet high. One of my mates, named James Hobson, about eleven o'clock yesterday morning came, and calling me by the name of Bob, said Fred was killed. I went up and met his brother, the last witness, about half-way be f \veen that and the ground. He said his brother was dead, and he could not stop. I went on and met another mate, Jim Davis, endeavouring to get up out of the paddock. I went on and found that another mate named Srhwerer had just been extricated by M'Lean and Nicholson. I saw the body of the deceased partially cleared. He was quite dead. There had been a fall of earth, part of which was lying on Carpenter. Dr Thorpe: I have made an external examination of the body. I find an extensive lacerated wound extending from behind the left shoulder to the anterior part of the left chest, extending to the eighth rib ; the left arm nearly severed from the bod y ; the clavicle and upper ribs fractured : the pectoral muscles torn through and the cavity of the chest laid open. The left lung was exposed and lacerated bv the fractured rib. The whole side of the upper part of the left chest was crushed in. These injuries must have caused instantaneous death.

The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death."