Inquest.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXX, Issue 76, 20 January 1872, Page 5

Inquest.

An inquest on the body of John Anderson was held at the Hospital on the following day, before Lowther Broad, Esq., who safe in the absence of Dr. Squires. The following evidence was taken : — Henry Adams deposed : I am Provincial Solicitor and Crown Prosecutor, Nelson. On Wednesday morning, about eleven, I was at the Post-office, Nelson. As I was coming away, and had got 1 ' into the road, I heard what turned out to be Holder's coach. I looked round, and could jusfc see the horses' heads coming up Waimea-streefc, towards the soa. As soon a3 the coach got past the Post-office, I could see it was on two wheels ; after that it righted, and then went up again on ' to the two near wheels. A few j ards after that it went over. I was within ten yards of it. The ■ coach was going at the ordinary pace. It is a ' very awkward corner. There wu9 nothing in the driving that appeared negligent or careless. The driver appeared to have taken too much of a sweep in order to turn. It was in my opinion ' no fault of the driver. I saw several people jump off tho coach. John Burke deposed : I am a miner at Wangapeka. I was sitting on Wednesday with deceased, on a seat behind the box seat of Holder's coach. In starting from the Post-office, the horses went away at rather a smart pace. They went almost to the other side of the road from the Postoffice. In turning round the corner, the horses soemed to head towards the Port. The driver gave them the whip, and tried to head them in the other direction. Shortly after the coach turned right over. I did not see deceased after the coach turned over, as I was nearly insensible myself. Deceased was my working mate at Wangapeka ; it is an alluvial claim in Rolling River. I had £38 in my possession belonging to him. I have spent some of it. I came from the Forest Inn in the coach. The driver had nothing to drink but a bottle of gingerbeer. He was to all appearance sober. He drove down the road at a steady pace. The coach had been full inside and out. Some of tho inside passengers had got out when the 1 accident happened. Joseph Gay deposed : I am a driver, and was driving Holder's coach on Wednesday. When we ' left the Post-office, a dog came out and barkod at the off leader; that caused tho horse to jump a' •" bit; the leaders made a bit of a sworvo to theleft. I gradually pulled them round again, with my foot on the break. I had not gone far before I found the coach was getting a little overbalanced. I tried again to pull my horses up ; before I could do it the coach got quite overbalanced, and went over. The deceased was sitting on tho box seat. The first thing I did was to try and raise tho coach. It was lifted up im- < mediately. I went to look after my horses, and when I came back deceased was going away in a cab to the Hospital. I have driven cabs, coaohes,' &c, for some years'. I attribute the accident to • the top load. The coach will carry twenty-fouiv-It carries eleven on the top. There* were twelve or thirteen on the top at the time of the accident,' ' and some little luggage and horse-feed. Charles Edward Cotterell deposed : I am a* legally qualified medical man, residing in Nelson. I was sent for on Wednesday to see the deceased, about eleven, a.m. He was sitting on the step of the Post-office.- I asked him where he felt most pain ; ho said a severe pain in the loins. lat once unfastened his clothes. On examination I found very severe contusions and abrasions of the skin at the back, and I found him then in such a state of collapse that I afc ! once sent him off to the Hospital. Leonard George Boor deposed : lam the Surgeon to the Nelson Hospital. John Anderson was brought in on Wednesday, about half-pust eleven, in a state of collapse, and complaining of severe pain in the back and stomach. His account to mo was that he was a passenger by Holder's coach, and sitting on the top of the coach he jumped from it when it was falling over, and after falling on the ground on his bui'c the coach, fell on him, striking him on the ..heet and stomach. There was a mark of a blow across his chest, and on the left hip. He gradually got worse until he died about eight o'clock. I found when alive he had the rib broken, and believed he had ruptured his bladder. I have since made a post' mortem examination, and found my , opinion confirmed. He died from tho result of

the rupture to the bladder. The intestines were bruised throughout. Christopher Henry John Halcombe deposed : lam a clergyman of the Church of England. I •was in Holder's coach on Wednesday at the time it was upset. Most of the inside paßsengers got out near Snow's corner. I was sitting on the off side. I noticed the horses Btarted from the Post-office rather sharply, and took it across the road rather more than usual ; the coach appeared to lose its balance and to rest upon two •wheels; almost immediately after, the coach turned over. I attribute the accident principally to the faulty contour of the road, and none but the most, skilful driver can have avoided an accident so long. The wheels did not lock. The jury gave a verdict of " Accidental death," Btating that in their opinion an Inspector should be appointed to see that passenger carriages were not over-loaded.