INQUEST.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 6 September 1913, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest touching the death of Thomas Palmer Johns, son of Mr L. W. Johns, Makaka, A-.vatuna, was held on Friday before Mr A. H. Guy, J.P. (acting Coroner), C. Allenby, J. Allenby, W. Smith, and E. C. Mill. Constable Wade conducted the inquest and called E. E. Johns, a school boy 7 years of age, and brother of the deceased, and residing with his father, W. L. Johns. .The witness stated that on September 4 lie and his brother (the. deceased) had caught the horse for the purpose of going to Kaponga. While going along the deceased had pulled tha horse across the gutter in such a way as to cause the horse to fall. They were both riding and witness fell clear, but the deceased had his foot stuck in the stirrup. After being dragged alxmt 10 yards the stirrup leather came off th» saddle, and the deceased fell on the road. Deceased could not get up, and the witness told his mother, who had the deceased conveyed to the house.

Amy S. P. Johns, mother of the deceased, gave evidence similar to that of the previous witness. She added that the dec-eased was thirteen years of age last May.

A. H. Tovey, medical practitioner, Kaponga. said that he found the boy lvirig on a bed at his parents' house. He was deeply unconscious and just breathing, and he died alxmt ten minutes after the arrival of witness. Examined the body and found there was a gravel rash on the face as if he had been dragrred; on the lower part of tlit back of the head there was a large bruise, and the bone was broken. There were no cuts on the skin. In bis opinion there could be to doubt that there was an extensive fracture of the base of the skull, and death was due to concussion of the brain and hemorrhage inside the skull. The bruise was similar to what would be made by a kick from a horse's honf. There were no other injuries.

The jury, without retiring, found thst the rleoeaspd. T. L. P. Johns came to his death by being accidentally kicked on tv>p head by a horse which he had been riding.