NO TOWN.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 5396, 16 January 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

NO TOWN.

[from owr correspondent.]

The sad fate of- Thomas Molloy, who was killed at Clonmore on the 7th inst., has cast a gloom over the district. His untimely death is deplored by all who knew him, and the deepest spmpathy is felt for those he left to mourn his loss. The melancholy news arrived here on Thursday evening, but was not generally known till Friday. Early in the day Mr and Mrs Clifford and J. M'Carthy went out, and at dusk twelve others (myself included) started for Mr Molloy's residence, a distance of eight miles from No Town. The night was clear with starlight, and the road in fair condition as far as Deep Creek ; but beyond that point it is in a wretched state, a continuation of puddles and falling timber —a state, I must admit, I could not credit had I not seen it with my own eyes. 1 must leave your readers to imagine what it must be in wet weather when it is so bad after the scorching heat of the past two months. It is to be hoped that the member for the riding, who, I was glad to see, was bespattered with the mud of the slough of despond coming in with the funeral, will bring the urgent necessity of making the track referred to passable for man and beast before his colleagues, and that as an act of justice they will call for tenders at once. It is already surveyed and in length is about ninety-five chains.

My brief stay at Mr Molloy's farm precludes the possibility of giving a lengthy description of it. Nature has done much to make it a fit abode for man ; the scenery is magnificent, and the clearing, which is rather extensive, has the appearance of an amphitheatre, and is divided into wellfenced paddocks, some of which are under cultivation. Yet, with all its natural beauty, the hand of the husbandman was needed to bring it to such a state of perfection as it is in now, and no man could do more than Mr Molloy has done.

The funeral cortege left the homestead at twenty minutes to 7 a.m. on Saturday and arrived at No Town at 10.15, when an inquest was held in the Courthouse, before Major Keddell, Coroner, and a jury, of which Mr J. Livingstone was chosen foreman. After viewing the body, the first witness, James Molloy, deposed — I was with my brother at the time of the accident. He was falling the tree with an axe, a white pine about 18 inches through. He told me to get out of the way, and he continued using the axe lef b-handed. The tree fell where he wanted, but in the fall the butt struck "Tom" in the back of the head, and knocked him under it. By the Coroner— l had my youngest brother with me. I sent him home for my father. We took all the usual precautions for safety. It was about midday. John Molloy, deceased's father, was then called, and being sworn, said — I was called to the scene of the accident by my youngest son. I was at home at the time. I found " Tom" under the butt of the tree he had fallen, lying on his face. I managed to get him out by the aid of my children and levers. He was then alive. He breathed for about ten minutes, and expired in my arms. By the Coroner. — He was an experienced bushman, and knew more than I did about falling timber. This finished the evidence, and a verdict of' accidental death and not otherwise was returned. His remains were interred in the cemetery at No Town at 4 p.m., being followed to his last resting place by everyone in the district, besides a number of visitors from the surrounding centres of population. The Rev. Father O'Donnell officiated "at the burial. Thomas Molloy was born on the Waimea, and was 19 years of age. He was the principal stay of his father, who had more than his share of up-hill work since he settled at Clonmore. January 11, 1886.