ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF AN OLD SETTLER.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1094, 22 October 1869, Page 2

ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF AN OLD SETTLER.

A painful feeling rapidly spread throughout the community on Tuesday afternoon, on its becoming known that John (better known as Jack) Hammond, a very old settler on Meanee — one who, although rough in speech, was known as a hard working and good hearted man— had lost his life between Napier and the Toll-gate, under the following circumstances: — Hammond left town on the afternoon of the day in question, driving a 2-horse team, on which there was a load principally of coals. At the 3-mile post, about quarter of a mile from the Tollgate, the horses were seen to have bolted, and the gate was shut in order to stop them.! The keeper then ran to the Shamrock hotel, reported what had happened, and that there was no appearance of Hammond. Thomas Gebbie, who was there at the time, immediately ran along the road from which the horses had come. He found deceased lying on his left side, on the road near the third mile-stone. His cap was off, and the right side of his neck and part of his head seemed to have been crushed. He seemed to be dead, but when Gebbie raised his head, he breathed once or twice with difficulty. In about ten minutes Mr. Lopdell and Mr. Hague came up, and then about the same time a Maori cart came up from town, into which the sufferer was put. Gebbie went in and supported him, and Mr. Lopdell went for a doctor. Gebbie believes Mr. Hammond died in his arms while on the way to M'Murray's. Dr. Russell soon arrived, but Hammond was then dead. The marks on the neck and head of deceased were apparently such as would be caused by a wheel passing over him. This was Gebbie's evidence at the inquest held on Wednesday, confirmed by that of John Hague, who was also present. The verdict was one of " accidental deoth." The remains of deceased were yesterday interred. They were followed to the grave by a very large concourse of his fellow settlers, and the cortege was joined in town by the officers and brethren of the Oddfellows' Lodge, to which deceased belonged. Poor Hammond leaves a wife and two young children.