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INQUEST.

in inquest was held at Giltner'a Hotel, on Saturday last, before E, Shaw, Esq., District Ooroner, touohing the death of a mad named Frederick Warren, wbo was found dead in the bush, near Pern Flat, on Eriday last. A jury/of which Mr E. Delaney was Qoosen foreman, having been sworn, the following evidence was taken :— Eohert Martin— l am a legally qualified medical practitioner residing at Eeefton. At the request of the Ooroner I have made a post mortem examination of the body pointel out to me as that of Frederick Warren. From the investigation, I oonsider death was caused by apoplexy, oaased by determination of blood to, the head. There was no bones broken. Saw no external marks of ?iolenoe. Certain parts of the body showed signs of decomposition."! All the vital organs were healthy. Thfere was no extravasation of blood on the brain. The brain was highly congested. At the base of both lungs there waa a little congestion. Death might havejbeen the resu't of tcoident, If: a ,man was kept with his head loft" for a certain time dearth would result by blood being determined to the brain. ' There was no mark whatever of external violence. The body is portly decomposed, and the skin discolored, all over, and such disoolora ion might con. ceal any slight mark of external violence. The body Ind been dead for three or four days. He appeared to be about 40 yean of age. John Kavanagh— l am living with Mr M'Neil at Pern Flat. On Friday (yesterday) at about 10 or 12 o'clock in the morning I found the. body of decensed. I had known him before. When I found the body he wag seated on the ground in a stooping position with his head between his legs, and a stick about the thickness of a man's leg resting on the back of his neck, In my opinion when the tree fell ij. bioke his neck and he remained. The tree was heavy enough to keep a bullock down. Where I found him was about 400 or 500 yards from M'Neill's house. M'Neill went orer to look for him after he was missed and saw a jacket there. Yesterday morning we commenced to search. I last sow him alive on Wednesday at dinner time. He was working a ■ontract felling timber for M'Noill and living in h 'ink ''7 liimsrlf, T lia.l Irn^n-ri him for f.bviit a (oiluijii, ilw was au

Irishman and a native of Tipperary, and was very enlightened. He was a well educated man and a musician. I believe he has friend 3 in Melbourne, By a Juror — I was not working with him. 'Do not think the aocident was in any way attributable' to negligence. Robert Martin reoalled— l have heard tlie eridenoe of the last witness and the statement of the finding of the body- is quite consistent with, my opinion of the cause of^iatb. Bernard M^ eill— l am a farmer living' at Fern flat. I know the deceased Frederick Warren. He was in my employ felling bush close to my house. He lived in a hut by himself 20 chains from my house. Last saw him alive on "Wed* neaday at dinner time. He seemed then quite well. On Wednesday eveuing or Thursday morning I went to look for the cows, and saw deceased's jacket on a stump, I thought he had forgot it. I oame to town and on Friday morning went up again, and the jacket was in the same place. I went home and told Kavanagh that I had seen his jacket on a stump and no work had been done. He said there might be something wiong, and I went back and found his jacket and vest and his watch was in the latter. I looked about and could not see any signs of him. I heard a cooey and Kavanagh came up with another man, and he helped us to search and Kanavag^i found him. I saw the body. He was in a sitting position, and a forked tree was lying across his neck. He was quite dead. Wo left him there, and I came to town and reported the matter to the police, and Sergeant Neville went out. The body was then cut out. Had known the deoeaaed about three weeks, and ho seemed to be between 80 and 40 years of age. He told me that his parents were somewhera in Victoria. Do not know any of his relations. .By a Juror— Had no reason to suspect that anything was wrong. I think the fall of the tree would cause instantaneous death. He had been cutting a sapling, and the first cut made it fall. John Jeffries— l am a polioe-oonstable stalioned at Ueeftoa, Yesterday I was directed to go to Fern Fiat to bring in a body and did so, M'Neill accompanying me. On arrival at the spot, the body shown to the jury was pointed out to me. I asked if it had been moved and was told not. It was in a sitting position, with the branch of a small tree across the neck, face downwards. I chopped off the branoh and lifted the body. The neck and back appeared to be broken. The neck was stretched out to about eight inches long, and was quite lissome and moved about like a teetotum. -Blood was issuiu;* from the uosc, eyes, ears aud moutb. The buck of the neck, where the tree had rested* was quite flat. Searched thu boJy and in one of the pockets found a piece of tobacco. la his hut I found some old clothes and 10s 6 1 in silver. M'Neill handed mo a gold watch belonging to deceased. Brought tho body iuio. Eeefton. This closed the inquiry. The jury without retiring returned a verdict of M Accidental Death,"

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/IT18770903.2.6

Bibliographic details

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 63, 3 September 1877, Page 2

Word Count
980

INQUEST. Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 63, 3 September 1877, Page 2

INQUEST. Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 63, 3 September 1877, Page 2

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