INQUEST.

Evening Star, Issue 5587, 3 February 1881, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest was held at the Prince of Wales Hotel to-day before the District Coroner and a jury of twelve on the body of Thomas Tudor Jeffreys, who was killed in Guthrie and Larnach’s timber factory yesterday afternoon. The Coroner, in bis introductory remarks, said that the important question was to see whether £ ufficient care was taken in theee large factories to prevent accidents. He need not tell the jury that there was a good deal of danger attendant on the working of these large places, and that accidents could not always be prevented. It was their duty to say whether every reasonable precaution had been taken in this case.

Alexander B. Matthew*?, collector in Gu fch rie and Larnach’s factory, stated that the deceased was eighteen years of age at the time of his death, a native of Dunedin, living with his widowed mother, Ann Flora Jeffreys, and a timber-turner by occupation. Henry Guntborp, sawyer, deposed : t have worked with the deceased In Guthrio and Larnach’s factory for the last three years. Yesterday afternoon, at about ten minutes after four o’clock, I saw deceased uncoupling the rubber belting, which was banging down from the shaft. Directly afterwards I beard a noise of battering on the roof, and on looking round I saw a cloud of dust, which had been raised by the deceased being caught up by the belt. The next moment be fell to the floor from the roof, against which he was thrown three or four times. He was quite dead when ho came down, bis brains being scattered about the floor, and one of bis legs being detached from the body. In my opinion the accident was caused by deceased putting his foot on the belt to steady it, thus causing it to grip the shaft and to twist round his leg and whip him up to the ceiling. It waspartof deceased’s duty to take off the belt when it required mending, and he had done it on many occasions previously. The proper way of doing it ia to raise the belt so that it is slack and cannot grip the shaft, bat I have often seen workmen put their feet on the belt. There was no guard near the belt, nor do 1 consider one necessary. John Ross, engineer, and in charge of the sawing and planing department at Guthrie’s factory, and William F. Edhouse, saw-mi il machinist, were of the same opinion as Gucthorp as to how the accident happened. John M’Kenzie, saw-mill hand, saw the deceased a few moments before the accident with his left foot on the belt, apparently taking out the fastenings. The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death,” and added the following rider ; “ The jury are further of opinion that when any belt requires any alteration or removal it shou’d not be done singlehanded whilst the machinery is in motion, but that two persons should be employed."