TROOPER PHILLPOTT'S DEATH

Evening Star, Issue 15479, 29 April 1914, Page 8

TROOPER PHILLPOTT'S DEATH

THE INQUEST. The Distriet Coroner (Mr C. C. Graham) held an inquest at the Hospital this morning into the circumstances of the death of Trooper William Harold Phillpott, who died on Sunday night as the result of injuries received in an accident at the Matarao Military Camp. Sergeant Hodgson represented the police. Dr Hugh Short, assistant house surgeon at the Dunedin Hospital, said the deceased was admitted to the Hospital on Saturday shortly before 5 p.m. He was then unconscious. They received a report from Dr Malcolm, one of the surgeons at the Matarae Camp, stating that deceased had been thrown from his horse. Very shortly after admission he was attended by Dr Fergus, a member of the honorary medical staff, who considered he was suffering from cerebral concussion of the brain. The examination of tho deceased disclosed a bruise on the right side of the head and a dislocated right shoulder. During the Saturday evening he was attended by Drs Barnett and Carswell, who agreed in their opinions with Dr Fergus. The patient was prepared for operation should that be necessary, but as no indication for operation arose no operation was performed by the agreement of the opinions of the three doctors. The patient steadily went down hill, and died at 10 o’clock on Sunday evening. The causet of death was cerebral concussion, such as might be caused by a fall from a horse.

Frederick Wilson, farmer, of Lauder, said that on Saturday, the 25th, he was engaged as a Territorial at the Matarae Camp. Witness did not know deceased, who belonged to the 12th Mounted Regiment. Witness could not identify the body. Deceased was on scout duty, and Trooper Shaw and witness, also mounted, were in hiding, when they noticed the deceased approaching their lines. After he had proceeded some distance towards their party they galloped out with the intention of cutting him off from his party. When Trooper Phillpott saw them leaving cover he turned round to retreat. When he was about 50yds from Trooper Shaw witness heard the latter call out and saw him point his rifle at the deceased. Instead of halting, the deceased kept on galloping, and witness saw his horse run into the hindquarters of Trooper Shaw’s horse, both horses falling over with their riders. Witness galloped up to assist deceased, who was lying unconscious on the ground. Witness released deceased’s foot from the stirrup, loosened the neck of his tunic, and then signalled to some of his party. When they came up, witness left them, along with Trooper Shaw, in charge of deceased. Witness went back to his own company and reported what had happened to Lieutenant Smith. He afterwards assisted in carrying deceased towards the camp, and then went on duty again os a scout. The collision betwen deceased and Shaw was purely accidental. The Coroner asked what were the rules of the game in reconnoitring. When the deceased was discovered, and when Shaw pointed his rifle at him, was it not his duty to have pulled up and surrendered?

Witness replied that if the scout called out “Halt” the person to whom he called was supposed to stop, and if he did not then stop, to fire at him. The one w*»o got in tho first shot could consider his opponent disabled. Gladstone Douglas Shaw, shepherd, of Wedderbum, said he was a trooper of the sth Mounted Regiment, avid was on duty as a scout on Saturday, when he saw the deceased. Witness was in the company of the previous witness, whoso evidence he corroborated. When they came out of cover at tho approach of deceased witness called “Halt.” Deceased did not do so, and witness levelled his rifle. Deceased rode straight on, and witness pulled the trigger, but could not say whether the rifle exploded or not. By tho rule of the gam© deceased should have halted when witness called. ' If ho failed to halt it was witness’s duty to fire. Whoever got in the first shot it was his opponent’s duty to surrender. Deceased rode straight, on and struck witness’s horse on the hind-quarters. Both horses fell, end witness and deceased were thrown to the ground. Witness jumped up, and found deceased on tho ground with one foot stuck in the stirrup. Witness assisted to carry deceased towards the camp. The Coroner said it was a very plain story of what took place. It did not seem that blame was attachable to anyone, unless it be possibly to tho deceased himself in not having carried out the strict rules of th© game. He ought to have halted when challenged, and still more so when he was fired at and considered himself out of the game and surrendered. However, no doubt it was his ardor which made him go straight on. Inexperienced troops got heated, and did not, perhaps, stick to tho rules as closely as finer-trained troopers would do. He would return a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony that the cause of death was cerebral concussion, caused by deceased falling off his horse when engaged a.s a scout at the Maiaiaa militArv. osuruo.