INQUEST.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3148, 14 February 1871, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest on the body, of the boy Schumaker, whoso accidental death was recorded in yesterday’s issue, was held at the Hospital, at 3 p.m. yesterday, before Dr Coward and a jury, of whom Mr J. H. Thompkius was foreman. The jury having viewed the body, the following evidence was given : Samuel brisk deposed : I was employed in the flax-mill at the river Styx, belonging to Mr Hawkins. Mr M'Kenziu is the manager. He was away on Saturday. I was in charge of the machinery during Mr M'Kenz.e’s absence. There are four machines in the room. Only two were at work oq Saturday. There were eight bands employed inside. The deceased, Charles bchumaker, was one of them. He was taking away flax from one of the machines. He was in. a stooping position, under the drum pf.the machine. About five minutes to 2 o’clock iu the afternoon I he->rd a noise from the machine, just like a cannon going off. As soon as I heard the noise I stopped the machines. When I had done so, I saw one of the boys bringing the deceased out. I thought he was dead. Ho was senseless aid bleeding from the head. I examined tha machine, and found that the drum and frame of the drum were completely smashed up. One large piece, carried away a part of the roof. Another piece was stu,.k in the wall. The machine was screwed down differently to the others. The frame of the drum was screwed into the wood, hut not through it; the bolts of the other frames went through the wood, 'ihe screws were drawn up out of the wood after the accident. VVe are in the habit of stopping the machines ever, two hours and looking over them. We did go on Saturday. Au hour before the accident I overlooked the machine in question, and found nothing amiss with it. Dr Brins was immediately sent for, and the - boy removed to the Hospital. By the Foreman : 1 am not certain whether the fact of the bolts not being quite through the wood, was the cause of the accident. By a Juror : The whole frame was broken. By another Juror : Mr Thomas Williams made the machine and set it. By another Juror : I am a labourer. By the Foreman -. I had been in charge of the machinery before. By a Juror : I have no idea of the velocity of the machine at the time of the accident. James Buckley : I was employed at the Styx flax mills, and at work ou Saturday at the time of the accident. I was about a yard from the deceased. I heard a noise, and saw the machine completely smash up, and one piece of it strike the head of a boy named Field. Just at the same moment I saw the deceased lying under the machine senseless. I picked him up and took him out. I bad just come in for some flax. William Wright : I am employed at the Styx flax-mills. I was feeding the machine at the time of the accident, Every thing was going on as usual up t) the time of the accident. I cannot account for the breaking of the machine. They stop th§ machines at 10, 12, arid 3 in the afternoon to look at them. This particular machine was stopped about ten minutes before the accident, on account of the pinion coming off the roller. Pinions come off at times, and you cannot then feed the machines. The coming off of a pinion could have nothing to .do with the accident. lam sure of that. I saw the deceased about a minute’ before the accident. I did not see him struck. Pieces of iron were lying close to where the deceased lay. By the Coroner : The machine was larger than the others. By the Foreman : The pinion coming off would not affect tha drum. Bobert Jones Mackenzie : I am manager of the flax-milla at-the Styx. Mr Hawkins is proprietor, I had occasion to comp to town on Saturday morning, and I left Frisk in charge of the machines ; in fact, he always looks after them. The machine in question was similar in principle, but larger than the others. After the accident, it was found that the iron part of the machine was fixed on to the wooden bed by coach screws, instead of what we supposed to be bolts. The screws did not pass through the wood, as would have bean the case if bolts had been used. The latter w uld have passed right through the wood, and would have been fastened beneath with nuts at the end. f-’o far as we could tell, the machine was thoroughly strong. It was made and set by Mr Thos. Williams. There is no mark in the wood as though the screws had been forced back. So far as I can judge the accident resulted from the loosening of the screws. As far as I could see, everything else was in the usual order on my return. I have never known a more careful man than Frisk. The boy was quite capable to feed the machine. By a Juror : You cannot overfeed a machine, because if you do so, it will not do its work. By the Coroner: I don’t know what the velocity of the drum was. By a Juror: I believed Prlsk to be competent to take charge of the machines. He has had plenty of experience. B. Parkerson (House Surgeon) : The deceased was'brought to the Hospital at 5 p.m. on Saturday. He was quite insensible. He had two wounds on the left side of the forehead, and a fracture of the frontal bone. The left hand was also very much crushed, and botli bones of the arm were broken. The operation of trephining was performed. The deceased died at l p.m. yesterday. Thu concluded the evidence, and the jury returned a verdict of accidental death.