INQUESTS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16508, 28 April 1919, Page 8

INQUESTS.

GLUEWORKS FATALITY. Tho adjourned inquest on Sydney Reed, who was killed at tlie Woolston Gluoworks, on the night of April 17th, through being caught in tho shafting while replacing a belt, was concluded before the Coroner, Mr S. E. McCarthy, on Saturday morning. Clias. p. Davis, manager of the N.Z. Glue Company, gave evidence that the deceased, who was a steady man, had been empJoyed about the works for seven months. There were the usual protecting rails around tho shafting. This was the first time there had been an accident at the works, and employees had never complained of danger. Witness thought it possible deceased had a short piece of , ro P e slung around his shoulders, and if he heard a noise below he might have leaned across tho protecting rail to see the cause (deceased when last seen alive was on. the shafting platform about Bft high) r and then the end of the rope might liavo been caught in the shaft, drawing deceased close enough for the rest of his clothes to be caught. A short rone was found wrapped round the shaft when the accident was discovered. Niel Dickson Hood ? Inspector of Machinery, said that prior to the accident he had been at tho works on March 31st, 1919. The substantial guard-rail along the length of the shaft afforded ample -protection, and the opening in the floor, through which the belt passed, was also securely fenced. The place was perfectly lighted, and witness could arrivo at no satisfactory conclusion as to the cause of the accident, save that the short rope found on the shafting must have been largely responsible. The Coroner remarked that it was a dangerdtis practice to carry loose ends near machinery in motion. Witness: Yes. Deceased should have got rid of the rope as soon as possible. Levi James, shift engineer (wno gave evidence at the opening of the inquest on Good Friday), said that he had seen deceased, off and on, for two hours before tho accident, and he was perfectly sober. Reed, in fact, was always sober. The Coroner returned a verdict that deceased had been killed as a result of becoming entangled with a shaft. The evidence showed that all reasonable precautions against accident had been taken, and that the deceased was sober at the time of the accident. DEATH FROM POISONING. The inquest concerning the death of Thos. Laurenson, of Cuba street, Bromley, who died at the Christchurch Hospital from the effects of poisoning on Sunday, April 19th, was also concluded Dr. A. B. Pearson gave evidence concerning the post-mortem examination of the deceased. The cause of death had been shock following injuries due to the swallowing of corrosive fluid. The Coroner returned a verdict thatj death was due to swallowing poison.