KILLED IN A SAWMILL: INQUEST AT PAPAKURA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7827, 22 December 1886, Page 5

KILLED IN A SAWMILL: INQUEST AT PAPAKURA.

A inquest was held at the Papakura sawmills on Monday, the 20th December, before Mr. Proude, J.P., and a jury of six, of whom Mr. S. Walker was foreman, upon the body of William McLennan, who had received injuries on the 18th December, which had resulted in his death. From the evidence it appeared that deceased, who had been working at the mill for the past six months, and had won the esteem of all concerned, had, amongst other things, to scrape the sawdust away from the breakdown saw by a means of a handled soraper, provided for that purpose. While the saw was working, the scraping was confined to the pit in front of the saw, but once a week, or ottener as opportunity arose, through the mill being stopped, the recesses at the back of the saw were cleaned out. On the 18th instant, the mill having stopped working at noon, deceased took advantage of the cessation to commence clearing the recesses, and the better to do so, had evidently leaned over part of the s»w frame. The stoppage having only been temporary to haul up a log, and the man in charge of the back-saw, not knowing anyone was in the pit, sang out, "Look out below." Not getting any response from the pit, he thought no one was there, and started the saw. Upon the first stroke a board of the carriage was knocked off, ahd, on going to see the cause, deceased was found, lying in the pit partially scalped, having evidently been drawn up by the Eaw-frane, and his head and arm crushed between the frame and the timber carriage. He spoke thme times, telling them to lay him down as he was dying. Dr. Bewes was sent for, and was in attendance shortly after the accident, but life was gone when he arrived. There was no fracture of the skull, but the scalp was removed from the forehead to the back of the head. The right lower jaw and right upper arm were broken, and a cut along the neck parallel to the jaw. Death arose from compression of the brain, caused by the rupture of a blood -vessel in the brain. The evidence of the father, Joseph Ghezzie. J. L. Benson, and Dr. Bawes, having been taken, the jury, having viewed the scene of the occurrence, did not wait for further evidence, and brought in a verdict of " Accidental death." Much sympathy is felt for the parents of the deceased, who are much respected in the district, and regret for the untimely end of a lad whom everybody liked. Deceased was interred in the Papak ira Cemetery, the Rev. T. Norrie conduct iug the ceremony.—|Own Correspondent. |