INQUESTS AND AC IDENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5657, 5 January 1880, Page 2

INQUESTS AND AC IDENTS.

At 4 o'clock, p.m., the inquest on the regains was held, in the Commercial Hall, near the Kentish Hotel, before Mr. \V. J. Harris, J.P., Acting Coroner. A jury of thirteen were empanelled, of whom Air. G. fl. Ssiby was chosen foreman. After view- ' ing the remains and herring the evidence, ! aftor a short deliberation, the jury brought in a verdict "That the said Frederick Coveriy, on the Gth day of December, li>79, in a certain creek at Mariarobi* near Waiuku, was found dead, but how or by what means he came to his death no ovidivncß doth appear to the said jurors." About C o'clock the remains of the late F. Coverly were interred in the burying* ground, Mr. C. H. Green, in the absence of a minister, reading the burial service of the Anglican Church. The late F. Coverly was, it is generally believed, between 05 and 70 yeirs of age, and was a very old settler in Waiuku. He has been following the ocaupation of fishing for several years past. He was rather feeble. Very little is known of his early life. He was formerly a shepherd in Australia. He was an Englishman. He bad no relatives in the colony. He need to I live alone, and has done bo about 1G or 17 I

years. He was an exceedingly temperate man, never having been seen the worse for drink.

A fatal accident by drowning occurred in the Makarau Creek on Saturday night, 13th December. A seafaring man named Barnard (or Bnrnot) Murray, who yra3 employed in the Makarau scow, was, with hia mate, on board the .Nightingale, biigantine, loading kauri for Timaru, and left the same a 1 out 10 p.m. (iu a good boat) to go on boird the scow, which was lying at anchor about 100 yards up the creek. Murray got first into the beat, and took an oar to scull with. Hi 3 mate, Henry H. Turner, followed him, and waa coiling up the painter. The night waa dark, tide ebbing, and weather windy. Turner, who ha 1 his back to Murray, called on him to scull away. He had not finished coiling up the pointer, when he heard a splash. On looking round he saw deceased in the water, but could not reach him with his hands. He instantly threw towards him the oars anil a sail, aad called to him to "hold on to them nntil he got the boat round. Seeing that deceased made no attempt to catch the ca'S, he called for help, and put out his leg to' him, holding on to the gunwale of the boat Deceased caught hold of Hia ankle, but only held on for a few seconds, and, on letting go his hold, sank out of sight. Captain Grubb, with hi 3 crew, came immediately to the scene, and rendered every assistance possible ; but, from the darkness of the night, nothing could be seen or done. So po ir Murray, a powerful man, an excellent swimmer, and sober, without an effort, met with a watery grave. All search had to be given up for the night from darkness. On Sundaymorning the search was resumed by the crew of the iSightingale and ot'aers These men went down the creek for miles, without discovering the body; but on their return, aboat a quarter of a mile from where the accident happened, they found the same, lying on its face, in a water-hole, near to a heap of ballast—the arms stretched out, and the fingers partly open, not clenched in the least degree. The body was placed on board the scow. On Monday, information was sent to Mr. Bonar, the coroner, and to Conatible Naughton, Helensville. On Tuesday, the 14th, an inquest was held, on board the Nightingale, Captain Grubb being foreman. After witnesses were examined, the j iry ratu ned a verdict of " Accidental de\tb by drowning." An inquest on the body of a male child 1 which died and without oppareut cause, was held at the Wairoa Hotel, Wairoa, ou Friday,' 26th December, before 1 lioraas Jackson, Esq., and a jury of 13, of whom Mr. J. S. Wilson was foreman. From the evidence, it appeared that the child was washed by the nurse on the morning of the 2-ltb, and appeared to be thriving; was chauged several times during the d .y, and about 4 p.m. it appeared to be suffering from a wheezing in its chest, and, at the suggestion of a neighbour, some salad oil was rubbed on the chest and throat. About 7 p.m. it was changed again, and fed with milk from its mother's breast, and put into bed. Shortly after the mother, who hid been up getting some tea, went to bed. The mother sat up iu the bed, took the child in her arms to nurse it, and! had not been nursing it long before she thought it looked pale, and immediately sent her sister for as.-iatan:e, aud called for the persons present iu the outer room to come and see it. They did so, and pronounced the child dead. Dr. Rodgers, from Bombay, made a post mortem examination, aad said there were 110 marks of violence or trace of poisoning to be s<.en. The organs were heilthy, and he could not account for the death. Seven witnesses were examined in addition to Dr. Rodgera, and the jury brought in a verdict that the child died, but they were unable to state the cause of death, and. that there was no negiect or malfeasance attached to anyone in connection with the death of the child.

On Saturday, 22nd November, William Small met with an accident, whilst working in the bush, at Tairua, by which his leg was broken. He was carried by his comrades to Cleaver's Hotel, and thence brought down by boat to the mill, where he arrived just in time to be placed on board ons of the vessels leaving for Auckland. On Saturday, November 29, a young man named T. Kelly was brought down to Tairua from the bush by his comrades, suffering from a cut on the foot. He, with three more young men, had only just commenced a sub-contract from Messrs. R r >ss and Martin, when he met with this accident. Three of his toes were nearly off. A subscription, amounting to £23 10s, was raised for him amongst his fellow-workmen and the mill hinds, and he was sent up to Auckland in one of the cutters. On Ut December a little girl, named Nelly Farr, daughter of the railway guard at Kawakasva, uiet with a serious accident. She was playing with several of her schoolmates, swinging on the handrail of the gallery steps outside the Public Hall, anil, either from fright or being shaken, she slipped her ho-d of the rail and fell to the ground, about 15 feet. When picked up, she was to all appearance killed, but after a little time showed signs of animation. Dr. Cole was promptly in attendance, and upon examination found that no bones were broken, but feared, from the state of stupor in which she continued, that her spine was injured. Time has proved such to be the case, and though the doctor is hopeful that she may recover, there are yet no very good symp'oms. On Saturday, the 6th December, about 10 o'clock a.m., Hemi Manu, the native constable of the district, brought _news to Waiuku of the findiog of the remains of the the late Frederick Coverly on the edge of a creek near Mariarohia. He at ouce acquainted Coustable Parker of the fact, who ordered a coflin, and shortly after dinner time proceeded to the spot, and brought the remains to the Kentish Hotel. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition, beioa; reduced almost to a skeleton. It was ; so much decomposed that the head was off the body, and very little left but bones. The only thing to recognise the remains by was the clothing, and a leather belt he wore On the 15th December Master Frederick Pulman, about 17 y a>-s of age, met with a serious accident at hi 3 parents' residence, Shortland-street. He was about to li»ngup a bird-cage, and for this purpose he mounted a cbair. Nut reaching a sufficient height by this mean?, he clambered on to the back of | the chiir, and overhanging, he fell heavily on the floor. It was apparent that hi was : hurt, and it soon appeared that his right arm was broken. Dr. Kender-iiue was promptly sent for, and the limb, and the young man, although incapacitated from usiug his arm, is merely paying the penalty of his want of caution.

A serious accident occurred at the Xew Golden Pah mine, Coromaudel, on December 24.' James Anderson, underground bo:S, while overhauling the pump, fell about 40 feet, breaking one leg and two ribs, aad received other internal injuries. He was immediately removed to the hospital, and had his bone 3 set.

Mr. Maurice Casey had a nirruw escape of a 3eriou3 accident at the Thames on 10:h December. He was crossing a small bridge on the railway works with two or tlirei loaded trucks, when the bridge gave way, throwing him a considerable distance. Fortunately he escaped with only -a severe shaking.

Oil December 15, at about H p.m., as the steward of the s.s. Tungihua was getting on board his vessel in the stream, at Aratapu, he unhappily slipped overboard, and bekr« assistance could reach him he was drowned. His name was Georg?,aud he was apparently about 40 years of age.

Mr. McHardy's house, at Pararoa, Hawke's Bay, wa3 struck by lightning and burnt do«n oa Dec. 15. It was insured for £200 in tile New Zealand Insurance Company.