THE PAHI FATALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 307, 24 December 1912, Page 4

THE PAHI FATALITY.

CORONER'S INQUEST. DUFAUR GIVES FVIDENCE. A STRANGE STORY. (By Telegraph.—Own Corropandent.) PAH, Monday. An inquest began to-d»y regarding the death of the late S. H. Sayers before Mr J. Bariell, coroner. Mr Hayes (Dargaville) appeared for Dufaur, and Mr Mahoney (Paparoa) for R. Ryan, the licensee of the Pahi Hotel. D. Dufaur deposed that on Saturday, December 14th, he was at the Pahi Hotel with Sayers; they left to ride home about 9 o'clock. They intended to do no fast riding, and started at a -walk. When they reached the top of the hill his horse shied near Mrs Chadwick'a gate. From that he wanted to go faster, but he kept a tight rein on. He was then a few yard** ahead of deceased. He did not stop his horse altogether, but slowed down for Savers tc catch rrp. Sayers followed at a trot or an arable, and it was then that he (witness) heard Sayers calling out "Whoa" to his horse. He then heard Ravers fall. He (Dufaur) turned his horse round and went back to see what was the matter. H« dismounted and found Sayers. lying on the ground. He spoke to Sayers and received no reply. On looking at Sayer.i he thought that probably he was stunned, lie then took hold of him, and still received no reply. It was then he realised that Sayers was dead. He felt that he could do nothing for him; his only hope was that he himself was asleep, and that it was a nightmare. He did not remember seeing anyone after the accident. He only remembered being at the end of the wharf and placing the bank keys there. He did not inform anyone of Savers' death after the accident. He had no clear knowledge of what happened. He had never seen a dead person before, or witnessed a serious accident. The Coroner proceeded to call evidence of persons who had seen Dufaur at Pahi after Sayers' death the same evening. Counsels for Dufaur and Ryan contended strongly that this evidence was inadmissible and irrelevant, as pointing to the cause of death and entirely beyond the scope of the inquest, and calculated to harrasa the witness (Dufaur). Constable Boag pressed for calling witnesses to give evidence as to what had happened subsequent to the occurrence, and the Coroner ruled that they must be heard.

Thomas E. W. Swelton deposed: "I saw Sayers and Dufaur in the billiard saloon of the Pahi Hotel on December 14. I spoke to both of them. They were just about going home. I went out with them and held Sayers' horse while he mounted I then cautioned Dufaur to ride carefully, as Sayers could not ride. I saw them leave and heard them talking while going up the hill. I then went to Chadwick's store, and before reaching it heard the horses going. On Sunday morning I got up about 20 minutes past six, and went towards the road- I saw two horses on the road with saddles on, and went to get them. I recognised the grey one as the one that Sayers rode. I found deceased and saw that he was dead. I went to the hotel, told Ryan first, and then notified the police. I went about nine a.m. to cover up deceased, accompanied by Ryan and Burgoine. I noticed the stirrup-iron lying by the side of the road, and then found a broken Btirrup-leather hanging to the saddle. I saw Sayers have a small glass of beer before leaving. I believe Dufaur had one also. This was all the liquor I saw them take. They were both quite sober when leaving. When I last beard the horses they were going faster than a trot." NO QUESTION OF DRUNKENNESS. Constable Boag stated that the police were perfectly satisfied that liquor had nothing to do with the accident. Witness said that any rumour that the men were intoxicated was quite false. Mr Chadwick deposed to seeing Dufaur near his store when closing about 10 p.m.. and on asking if he could do anything for him received the reply that it was all right. Dufaur appeared not intoxicated, but dazed. Witness picked up a whisky flask on Sunday where Dufaur had been sitting. HOTELKEEPER'S EVIDENCE. Joseph Ryan, licensee of the Pahi Hotel, stated in evidence that Sayers and Dufaur were in the hotel on December 14. They had two small glasses of beer each, had tea, and remained in the billiard-room till towards eight p.m.. when they went to get their horses- Dufaur returned to the billiard-room and waited until Sayers called to him. Witness closed the hotel at 10 p.m., and on opening the back door again saw that Dufaur was standing there. Witness asked what he was doing there, and Dufaur replied that he had got off his horse, which had cleared out. In reply to a query about Sayers, Dufaur said he had gone home. Dufaur presently left, and witness supposed he had ridden to Paparoa after Sayers. Skelton reported the death of Sayers early next morning. Witness had no recollection of serving Dufaur with whisky at any time. He sold flasks like one produced. Andrew Mitchell Stirling gave evidence of having seen Dufaur at 10 o'clock. Dufaur appeared to be dazed.

ROiOURS AND RECOLLECTIONS. A MAN WITH A BAD .MEMORY.

Thomas Isbister, a gumdigger, gave evidence as to being at the hotel on Saturday week, and to seeing Sayers and Dufaur. On Constable Boag questioning him he admitted coming to Pahi with his mate, George Samber, and returning to Matakobe that night, and made the following statement: "I think I found Samber by the side of the hotel. I *hink I woke him up, but cannot recollect what I I said to Samber after leav- I ing tlie motel. I have no | recollection of saying to Samber or anyone else that Bayers was dead. 11 think I heard a rumour that Sayers was | dead. I have no recollection who circulated the rumour." I In reply to a question put by the jury | witness said he first heard of Savers' | | death on Sunday afternoon. He did not i ! tell his informant that he knew it al- I 1 ready. He did not recollect hearing of , anyone lying on the road on Saturday I night. George Samber admitted having a few , drinks with Isbister. An hour later he went out and laid down and slept till awakened by Isbister. They then walked j away to the boat, pushed off, and started j for Mat&kohc. labwter said he wished he had not come. When asked why. he said there tra.-. a man dead. Witness did ! not believe it, and suggested that he might be stunned. Isbister replied, "No.! ,he is dead," amd asked witness to say, |

In answer to further qaeaKo*. i ness said he was sober wWh* the boat. Isbister walked to | seemed sober, and pulled the h^i\g

VERDICT AND HTDER. The jury, after a brief iwtirinjent turned the following !* ceased came to his death by » his horse, and that no btww f_W_ attributed to any person SWi____\ it I'hey added the following jury regrets that the 'bote^T &_~J__t\ ~ ""owed to lie on the rB_S _S?S and from the the evidence cannot say w_m»_? W f Ah. but are of the 3,"^ such evidence as there was tfart it W? known to some person or v__S_s_r_7i_l about the hotel soon aft* S^StoS

I Tramcars on the Parnell section * Custom* Street to *JsE£fa_* I being driven by poover from th. « ] municipal power station near the R_,*F ! way Wharf, and in a weekTr^^ ! Queen Street traffic from the IoW ! jof We.le.ley Street will * | i like manner. This provision fc hS : result of an agreement entered Tint! i some time ap -between tie" Tra_mwa« ; ( ompany and the City Coaaefl to X ply a certain amount of power to at_Z llie company's own plant, tie first *» tion being put into operation at 2 'iZ ' *;; ester s! a - v * „ At P r <*<*t. the pow"et P J jhe Parnell section is I through the company's own station. M : will shorty be conveyed directly-1 j feeder cables. The normal av *r__« ■ power for this section will be about & ■ amperes, increasing to 1000 durine rnrt I time, while that on tbe Queen BBSS I sections will be between 400 and l*r__ I imperes. . ia P j A lad named Harry Mnirow, aged | ; met with a serious accident at KanS |on Monday. He was engaged in d«S a pea rifle, not knowing it wa3 jjgf I The cartridge exploded, the bullet enta I ing his abdomen. He waa removed to i private hospital. Although the ! 'bate has not yet been located, he is not m sidered in immediate danger. In the course of an interview, a Chrat church resident who has jnsi returned from England, remarked that in LonaiJß he had been interested to Observe tßej the stone blocks with which a port** |of Oxford Street (where there was yen heavy traffic) had been paved were &?*_» removed and replaced with wood Wbiii These were laid on a concrete foundation and one of the advantages was the eaa with which repairs could be effected. ■.« was evidently the opinion, he said, that the wood blocks provided the. best fori) of street-paving so far known- "'V