INQUEST, AT OTAHUHU.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIX, Issue 1965, 3 November 1863, Page 4

INQUEST, AT OTAHUHU.

An inquest- was held on; Saturday] la*t at the Criterion Hotel, Otahuhu, before Dr. iPhilson, coroner, touching the death of Joseph Arthurs. A jury having been empanelled, of whom Mr. William teslie was forcmau, the following evidence was taken: — ' ' Thomat Carr deposed : lam an omnibus driver, employed by Mr. William Young, and inside fn Auckjand. On Friday afternoon, about twenty minutes past four o'clock, I had ariived with the omnibus. I was driving from Auckland, opposite Mr. Ring's house, at the entrance to the village of Otahuhu. The horses were trotting at about 6J miles an hour. Mr< Higgings's omnibus met me on its way to Auckland, and it appeared to be going about the same rate as mine. We kept on our proper sides of the road, and on passing wore about two yards apart. I was driving four hor&ei, two abreast, and Mr. Higgins's 'bns was drawn by five horses, throe abreast in front and two behind. We both had our full complement of passengers. No colli-tion occurred betweeu the vehicles, aud wo had passed about five yards when a soldier motioned to me to stop. 1 drew up immediately, and was informed l>y the soldier that a boy had been run over by my 'bus J looked Kick, and abou'u six or seven yaid* behind I s.vw a boy lying on the road. Somes of tho p!\->sengei -, dismounted to look at the boy, but I did not 1 saw th.it ho moved a littlo, but did not hear any mouning. Ho was carried off the road into Mr. M'Vray's house. He wa< lying in the tiack of tho wluel. Tho other omuibu<,' at tho time I fir>t saw the boy, was about '20yaids distant. That 'bus did not stop, but went on iis, \ray to Auckland. I lemained at tho spot aboYit aViuarter of an hour, and then went on to Drury, V I know nothing of deceased, never having *e<Hi him until the time of the fatal accident I did not notice him on the road before coming up to him. Ho was not one of my passengers. Boys are vciy much in the habit of clinging on to the omnibuses in the villages. It is a very dangerous piaetice, and i have done my best to prevent it. I cannot give any information as to the manner in which deceased came to his death. I was not sensible of any shock communicated to the vehicle— supposing it to have passed over the body of deceased. I was perfectly sober myself, having druuk on. the road only one glass of brandy and a glass of ging >r beer. William Joues deposed : I am a bandsman belonging to the 18th Kegt.. and am stationed at the camp, Otahuhu. On Friday afternoon, between three and four o'clock I was walking on the road from the camp towards Otahubu, when I noticed deceased running across the road in company with several other children. Two omnibuses were passing at this time, and I believe the childien were running after one. The deceased fell under the horses' feet iti the omnibus going towards Otahuhu. and both of the near wheels passed over his shoulder and chest. I immediately shouted to the driver to stop, and I ran up to the boy. Hn was uot quite dead, but gasping for breath. I assisted in carying him into a house near, but in three or four minutes he expired. A medical mau was a psssenger by the omnibus, aud examined the boy to discover the nature of the injuries ho had received. George King, a private in the 14th Regt., corroborated the evidence of the last witness. John Arthurs, sworn, said : I am a pensioner, and live at Otahuhu. Deceased was my son. His name was Joseph, and he was ton years of age. He was well in health at dinner time on Friday, and about five o'clock in the evening he was brought home dead. I remarked an injury on the right side of the lower jaw. Several of the ribs on the left fide were brokeu, *lso-one broken in close proximity to the heart. This was the whole of the evidence, and the-fol-lowing verdict was recorded by the jury; — "That deceased came to his death iv consequence of his being ruu over by Mr. Youug's omnibus, in the road near Otahuhu ; that the fatal occurrence was purely accidental'; and that no blame is attributable to the driver."