INQUEST.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XX, Issue 2383, 22 March 1893, Page 2

INQUEST.

An enquiry into tbe cause of the death of Richard Alexander Bray, who died in the Cottage hospital on Saturday night, was held in the Courthouse on Tuesday, before C.,E. Major, Esq., J. P., acting coroner. Sergeant Stagpoole conducted the enquiry; and the following jury were empanelled : — Messrs H. G. Gibson ( foreman) , Edward Sash, Thomas Dickens, Frederick Barn, Alexander Patterson, and Henry Hodgson.

William Cleaver, of Te Boti, who is carrying on a oontraot on tbe Eltbam road, stated that he was filling in his dray, and deceased Btood near tbe dray, between the dray and a bank about 10ft high. A flake of earth fell down, and in turning away deceasad struck his leg against tbe tire of the dray ; he then fell down, and said, •• Oh my leg is broken." No earth fell on his body. Witness assisted to bandage the broken leg as well as he could outside the trousers. Deceased made no complaint of other injuries. Deceased was taken to Otakeho.

William Mason gave similar evidence.

Robert Morrison deposed to deceased being lifted out of a cart at Otakeho Hotel, and put in a good bed, where be stayed until the following morning, when he was removed to Hawera. Deceased never complained of any other injary tban that to hie leg.

Dr Pairmaa, of Maaaia, stated that on receipt of a telegram he to Gt&keho to bob deceased, who expressed a daaitt to be taken to the Hawera H.OBp\ta\ and asked witness to temporarily attend to his leg. Deceased oomplained of po: other injury, and passed a goodnight. Witness saw him next morning, when he again desired to be taken to Hawera. Witness directed the conveyance deceased was in aoross the ford, and left deceased when Manaia was reached. The deceased seemed well, and witness ■ did vnot think there, was any danger in bis making tbe journey. Dr. Westeara said when he attended deceased at hospital he was suffering from a shook, and complaining' of his broken leg, and also of pressure on his chest. I Witness thought when he saw deceased it was unlikely be would recover, owing to tbe severity of the shook. Before death, tbe patient occasionally spat up blood, which witness attributed to some jinjury to the lungs. Witness made a post mortem examination, and found a large quantity of bloody fluid in the chest ; tbe lungs showed indications of pleurisy ; and on one lung indications of a slight rupture, evidently lrom which the blood bad proceeded. The cause of death would be the shook and the rupture of his chest. The rupture of bis lung must, in witness* opinion, have taken place ' subsequent to bis leaving Manaia. Daniel Bray, of Eaponga said deceased

I was his btothej^_wa^feat33yearßofߣge, and bis parentjrare|f^C|irißtcharob. *P - % Tbe Jury Irouijlf^fn a verdict of* • Accidental Deltfcf^ *