CORONIAL ENQUIRY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10108, 16 October 1917, Page 7

CORONIAL ENQUIRY.

JOHN MAYNE’S DEATH. The enquiry into tlio death ol John Vliiyne was continued after we wont to iress yeterday afternoon, before Mr A. I. Graham and a jury consisting of ilcssrs S. T. Hunt (foreman), F. AY. ini tli, G. Bel fit, R. AlcTaggart, F. i,umi, E. S. Dawick. Waiter Donghi, labourer, continued us evidence. Wntiess said he did not consider it n's duty to accompany deceased, as it nul nothing to do with him. Ho lad ireviously tried to help him, and this le.lp had been refused. Witness then went back to the bil•ard room, ad Mr Flynn was there. He aid to Mr Flynn, ‘‘Jack’s pretty had,” mt did not know whether Flynn heard dm. Ho was only there five minutes, when he. heard that Mayne had been .nocked down. He then went to the ■cone of the accident and helped to -ring deceased back to the hotel. The ■orse was a few feet from the scene of Tie accident, and the rone was round ts neck. There were others there beoro he arrived. To Mr Cooper: He worked for Air loom as a farm labourer. When he aw Mayne in the bar the first time he Mayne) was quite drunk. It was unrue* that he had left the billiard room vitli Mayne, and he did not konw demised had any money on him. He would wear that he did not know deceased nul cashed a cheque that afternoon. Icceased had told him that lie was in■esting £4OO in the War Loan, and his was all lie knew. The last he saw ,t deceased was that he was staggering lown the road leading the horse. To Air Hunt; He had seen deceased ii the same condition before. James Nairn Lucas said that he. know he deceased, Mayne, and saw him on he night of the "accident getting up rom the ground near the Awahuri hearv. The library was about a chain .way from the hotel. After getting up deceased led his horse away. Milton Bennett, farmer, said he rc.icmbered the night of the. accident. He .ras driving from Ids home to Awahuri a m otor. When near Awahuri his atention was attracted to the ioise, oul then to deceased lying on the metal ahe side of h<> road. He was on the ,road of his hack, with his right arm mtslretched. There was a rope round us waist tightly; the other end was (round the horse’s neck about 1U feet tway. Witness tried to gel the rope ,ff ‘but found it too tight, hut was i(raid the horse might take fright and I rag him. One of the occupants of the ither car cut the rope. Deceased had a rad bruise over the right eye. Deceas'd gave one groan, but alter that appeared to be unconscious. A\ ituess went .o the store ami got someone there to ring up Dr. Livesay. As near its witness could say it was about 7.(10 p.m. Deceased’s head was toward the horse. To Mr Hunt; The horse showed no sign of restiveness on the approach of the car, Ernest Ncwson stated that lie remembered the evening of September 1. He. was one of a party going to Fetldnig. When they passed the scene ol the accident it was about 7.30. He saw the deceased lying on the road with the .■ope round him. The car witness was in did not touch deceased. The ropo was round decoiv-eil’s body twice and appeared to be also over his shoulders. To Air Hunt: Witness’s car passed the other car and the body. Peter Ronberg, txi-driver, said that on the night of the accident he was driving a party to Feilding. When he arrived on the scene there was another car there, and deceased was lying on the side ol the road. He did not know whether he ran over deceased’s arm—he may have done so. There was a rope round deceased, and it was attached to the neck of the horse. It was tied very tight, and there had evidently been a strain on it. He cut the ropo with a knife. After considering the evidence lor some time the jury agreed with one exception that deceased met his death as the result of injuries received by being dragged by a rope attached to a horse. A verdict Was returned accordingly.