BUSHMAN KILLED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 45, 23 February 1931, Page 8

BUSHMAN KILLED.

CRUSHED BY FALLING TREE.

COMPANIONS' EFFORT AT RESCUE.

TIMBER HAD BEEN BURNING.

(By Telegraph.—o\vn 'Cor respondent.)

RAETIHI, this day

On Friday, Thomas Henry Stokes, farm labourer, single, aged 26, was killed at Morikau Farm, Jerusalem, Waiiganui River. He was working with Trevor Richard Francis Spencer, sowing grass seed on a bush burn, and the two were camped about five miles from the homestead. Spencer was working further up the fully, when a heard a crash. He ran down the gully and found St-iKes pinned down by the branches of a rata tree. Spencer was unable to move the branches so he ran to the camp for an axe and a first-aid outfit. He left a note at the camp. Mr. Davidson, the manager of the farm, arrived at the camp with supplies, and finding the note, rushed to the scene of the accident. He and Spencer chopped thfc branches to free Stokes, but lie was dead before they could release the body. The tree was apparently burning inside, but 110 smoke had been seen by the men. At an inquest which was held at Morikau by Mr.- Sandford, the district coroner, a verdict was returned of death from injuries received by being accidentally crushed by a falling tree.