INQUEST.

An enquiry into the circumstances attending the death of George Gullick, a lad aged thirteen, who met with a fatal accident at Brace's eawmills on April 25, was held m Stone's Hotel, on Saturday, before B. BeeIham, Esq., R.M., Coroner for the dUtrct, and a jury of thirteen, of whom Mr S. W. Morrison was chosen foreman. After the jury had been sworn, the Coroner said that they had been called together to enquire into the circumstances surrounding the death of one George Gnllick, who, he understood, was killed on Friday at Mr Brace's sawmill. The next step would be to go and view the body, and an their return evidence would be laid before them upon which to form a verdict. It had just been suggested to him by Inspector Pender, and it might be very desirable, that the jury should together see the maohinery at the taw-mill,

and then they would be m a much better position ti understand the evidence that would be placed before them. Jo Mr Bruc=, who was present : You will have no objection, and perhaps would explain matters ? Mr Bruce replied that he had no objection to the jury visiting the sawmill, and said that he would explain anything asked of him. After viewing the body, and inspecting the machinery at the sawmill, the jury returned, and the following evidence was taken : — James Bruce : I am proprietor of the Waitangi Flour and Saw Mills, Timaru. The deceased had been m my employ since the 20th of January last, lie was for a short time m the flourmill, and was then transferred to the sawmill. I Baw him about ten o'clock yesterday morning, a few minutes before the accident occurred. It was his duly to aisitt a man m removing the timber from the machine, and latterly bo had begun to understand his work pretty well. I went to the spot directly I heard of the accident. Tho deceased was then lying under the main shift. His arms were totally torn away, and he was insensible. I sent forDr Williams, and also to the Police Station to report what had happened. In a few minutes Dr Williams arrived, and had him removed to the Hospital. Ellis, the man who was near the boy at the time, told me how the accident happened. The whole of the machinery is m good working order, and the boy had been m the habit of doing what he was engaged m when the accidont happened, namely, holding the belting while the lacing of it was being repaired. I do not think tho accident occurred through the carelessness of anyone but the boy. My opinion of the cause of the accident is that the deceaßedmust have leaned upon the sb«ft. The foreman is an experienced man, and everything m the mill is under his charge. He has been m my employ for seven years, and is as well acquainted with the machinery as any man could be. To the Foreman : Is is customary to keep the machinery goiug while repaiting the lacing of the belting, but we never attempt to put on a belt when the machinery is being driven at full speed. The size of the puliev gives a great amount of slack when' the belt is taken off for repairs, and there is not the slightest reason for an aoeidentjhappening. In fact, during ray thirteen years experience with machinery, I never know of anyone getting " nipped " between the belting and a shaft, far lets of an accident of this description. Ja ' es Ellis ■" I am a practical engineer, and have been m tho employ of Mr Bruce for about six weeks at the planer. The deceased boy was assisting me at the pli'ner, and was ÜBually employed m feeding or tailing. He wob a smart boy. I can't say that lie was more careless than boys usually are. He understood his work. The Bpot which wbb shown to the jury is where the accidont happened. Yesterday I brought the deceased an i another boy to assist me in' repairing the belting. I took off the belt myself, which made it slack, but the shaft kept revolving at tho r.ite of about 400 a minute. I gave the belling to the df ceased and the other boy, telling them to hold it clear of tho shaft. I went myeelf *o the other side of the shaft to repair the belt there. That was the usual and proper course to tnko when mending the belting. A juryman : Would it not have been better, when repairing the belting, to stop the machinery altogether ? Wilnesß : Well, there is no danger at all. Witness continued : I had been scarcely more than a minute engaged m mending the belt when it was "twitched" out of my hands. At that time my bajk was turued to the boye^ and on turning round I saw the deceased being carried round the shaft. I ran down and got the engine stopped immediately. On going to the shaft again, I saw the boy lying underneath it. He was alive, but insensible, kind of " Bobbing." Both arms were off, one being on tho shaft. His clothes were mostly torn off, and one of his legs was broken, and the other badly hurt. I could scarcely tell how much he was injured, because I did not like to look at him. I helped to take him away. Gerald Davidson : I have been working at Mr Bruce's sawmills for about three months, and all that time at the planers. I recollect going with Mr EIHb and the deceased, yesterday morning, to repair a belt. I took hold of one part of the belt and the deceased held the other to k?ep it clear of the shuft. Mr Elliß went to the other Bide of the shaft to repair the portion of the belt there, and had hardly commenced to repair the bolt when I saw it break where it had been mended before ; and it was then pulled out of my hand. I lot it go, and then the deceased also let it go. He tried to cat-oil hold of it again, and was caught by tho ehaft. The belting hid just commenced to twist round the shaft when the deceased tried to catch it. He had a blue coat on at the lime. To a Juryman : When I first went to work at Mr Bruce's mill, I was cautioned against going too near the revolving shafts by Mr Bruce, and other men as well. James Bobe.-tson : I am engineer m charge of Vr Bruce's Baw and planing mills. These boys were employed generally übout the mills, and 1 instructed them as to their duties. I was always showing them how to do their work, and a day npvi-r passed but I told them to be careful of the different places. I heard Mr Ellis describe the accident, and the mode of m-nding the belt, which is the same plan that haß been pursued ever since I have been at Bruce's and other mills. The machinery wbb all m good working order, and everything about tho mill is made as ea'e as possible against the occurrence of accident. It is usual to employ boys at sawmills. I should think by looking &<"■ drceised tbat ho was thirteen or fourteen year 9 old. He was m the habit of wearing a blue jacket loosely about him, and I have told him many a time to button it up. I hare been at the trade ever since I whs thirteen years old. From the description givin of the accident, I am of opinion that the deceased must have made a grab at the belt and while leaning over the shaft he was caught, after which there would be no possible chance for him; but it was difficult to s->y exactly how theaccirient happened. Since Friday I have tried to ascertain, nnd I have come to the conclusion that he must have tried to catch the belt from under tho shaft instead of catching it over the shaft. Di. Richard Hogg deposed that the deceased was brought to the Hospital at about ten o'clock on Friday morning, when he ws m a state of extreme collapsi, and that he died two or three hours after admission. Ho stated the injuries received by the lad, which have heen already mentioned. Thia being all the ovidenco, the Coroner summed up. The immediate cause of death it waft unnecessary for him to speak about, as it was quite apparent to anybody. The real object of enquiries of the kind being held was to ascertain, m the first place, whether a proper amount of cure had been shown as to the working of the machinery, and so far ds tho general belongings of the mill were concerned, and m the second place to ascertain whether the immediate cau-e of the accident had been the result of any carelessness or improper conduct on the pirt of any person other than the deceased. He did not know, that under the circumstances they had just heard detailed there, it wou'd be necessary for bim to give the jury any lengthened discussion on the matter, because there really did not seem, so far a* he could see, any reason for it. They had, m the first place, the evidence of Mr Bruce, the owner of the mill ; m the second place, that of the man m charge of the machinery, the belt of which broke, and at which the accident seemed to have occurred ; and m the third place, the evidence of tho foreman, who had charge of the whole of the machinery m that department of the mill. Of course, m law, the matter was very plain. Car-Jessne-s or negligence on tbe part of any person, the direct result of which had been tho death of this boy, would be equivalent to manslaughter. If the jury thought that there had been any proof of such negligence or carelessness exhibited by any penon, and the death of the boy had resulted from it, then the jury's only course would be to return a verdict of manslaughter against, that person. Bnt ?b he had said before, it was, under the cirzumstanc3P, scarcely necessary for him to make a remark of that kind, as they would most likely see that there had not beeaany such carelessness or negligence displayed. However, there was another aspect of the case, and even if they considered that nothing of the kind had been shown, and it was this : Ii they thought that they would be able to point

out some method by which greater care could have been exercised about tlut part of the machinery about the mill, it would be prudent and right for them to state what, m Ih ir opinion, would tend m that direction. He would not say any more, but would leare them to consider their verdict. After about eight minutes' consultation, the jury brought m a verdict of "Accidental Death."