FATAL ACCIDENT.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 79, 1 October 1879, Page 2

FATAL ACCIDENT.

INQUEST UPON THE BODY. Mr. Henry M'Neil, Deputy-Coroner, held an inquest at Bunny chorpa on Friday, upon the body of Andreas JObristian Yette, a Native ot Schleawig, aged forty, who had lost his life on the previous Wednesday, through the falling of a tree. The following Jury was sworn : — Viggo Monrad (Foreman), Alexander M'Lean Wright, Johannes Henrick Morvau, Joachim Burmeister, Jorgen Yess, Hans Oallesen,- Frederick Jefferies, Mark. Beazer, John Jewries, Arthur Sandy's Brooke Porsfcer, John Coleman Shere, Yolle Oallesen. After the Jury had viewed the body, ; the following evidence was taken :— r Joachim ffcurmeister deposed * I am a settler residing near Bunnythorpe, on tb_e Manchester Block. At half-past twelve oh Wednesday last, the 24th of September, I came to see -Mrs". Yette, ancl she said she could not understand the reason-her husband was not coming home to dinner. 1 said I would go to the bush, and look for him* and J found him dead with a dry tree' lying Qn his head. Jt was about six chains distance from the house. He had been falling bush at tbe time he had been killed. I went to Mr. Johannes Monrad, and told him that Mr. Yette was killed by the fall of a tree. We sent fojr. Mr. j Shere, and carried the body home. The body was not celd when I found it. I believe he met his death by accident. I afterwards, on the same day went to Palmerston, and reported the matter to the police. Tlie dry tree lying on the top of deceased was about nine inches m diameter. I believe it was this tree that struck and killed him. The body was on its back with tbe tree cm his fore, '. head. Deceased bad evidently intended the tree to fall m a different direction from that m. which it had fallen. Johannes Henrick IMfonrad examined: I am a settler residing near Bunnythorpe, on the Manchester Block. On, Wednesday lasfythej-^th of September," just after dinner, Mr. flurmeistercame, across, and told me that my neighbor, Mr. Ye.- c - had been killed I y a tree* and he wanted m,e to tell Mrs. Yette. I asked him iE he vpas sure that Mr. Yette was dead. He said "yes." I then followed him across to the bush, having sent for Mr. John Shere, who arrived shortly after me at the spot. I found that Mr. Yette was quite dead, and the body cold, lying on its hack, with the back of the head, against a big rimu, and a dead sapling about nine inches m diameter, which had been lately shifted off the body We carried is home,- and at Mn-i.Vette's request, atonce .undressed, and washed the bqdy. I then observed a lar^e wound 'nt tho. back- of the hheatd t which m my belief had h-en the cause of death* I; believe he met his death by- accident. U/a had been falling a large rimu ahout eighy toen ipclies. through, evidently intendy ing it to fall towards, the bush, andl supp.o.se being called for {dinner, he stuck bis axe m a stump close by, where We found it fixed* going home towards the house from the bush. The tree i fliu.sth.ave fallen tUe oyoosite way from

which it was intended. Deceased was . not an expert bushman. The rimu on falling must have knocked down a dead sapling, which latter, fell on deceased, causing his death. The dead sapling would havo been sufficient to cause death if it had fallen on ajperson. The jury at this, stage proceeded to - view the place where the deceased was killed, and had the position ofthe body when found by the two witnesses explained t>them. Bottelle Yette x He was forty years of age and a native of Schleswig. My late husband went out to fall bush at eight o'clock m th© morning of last Wednesday. I never afterwards saw him alive. I called him to dinner at twelve o'clock, and he answered me back again. Shortly afterwards I heard a tree fall. It was almost im-. mediately after he answered me, I noticed a great wind blowing, and the tree seemed to come down very quickly. I sent the children to look for him, and they could not find him. Afterwards Mr. Burmeister came, land I asked him to go and look for my husband. He did so, and I saw him lifting up a big branch. - ■■ ■ ■ 7 • Hugh Marriner deposed: tarn aduly qualified medical practitioner, residing at Palmerston North.. I examined the body of the late Andreas Christian Yette, and found. a bruise en the left temple, and a lacerated -wound on the back of the head, a little ta the right of the occiput, and near it a fracture of the skull. The injuries are such as would be caused oy the manner described by the witnesses, and sufficient to cause death, probably from concussion of the brain. I think probably death was instantaneous. After a very short deliberation the Jury returned a verdict to the efiect that the' deceased had accidentally met his death, by the falling of a while working m the bush.