BITTEN BY A MOUSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12740, 17 December 1904, Page 2 (Supplement)

BITTEN BY A MOUSE.

A TKcnruAK.compensation claim was heartf by His Honor Judge Gwilym Williams at -Mountain Ash County ; Court. The applicant wits a young collier named George Hale, who sued Messrs. the. Penrhiwceiber Colliery Company for the paymen: of ; tour weeks'!' compensation. ;< Mr 3. Simkev , ; (instructed by Mr. W. P. Nicholas) appeared: for the. applicant and Mr. A. Parsons (instructed by Messrs. C.. and W. Kenshole) defended.'. , ' : .\-:'--l- ''■'■: ~ In the course of his opening .statement \- Mr._ Saakey said that as his client was following his employment as a collier a mous* came to his "stall," arid bit him on the thigh. Two fellow colliers had to be called in to- get the '.rodent out of'"Hale's;• trousers.; Some /time after the bile blood -poisoning set in, and the applicant was idls for four weeks,-. Hale, corroborated his learned counsel's statement, but, on being cross-examined by Mr. Parson, he could not give the colour of tins mouse. Asked why he had so long delayed in giving his notice of claim to the company, applicant replied that he thought; that the bite would not have resulted in his illness. > - '-.-:.-.., ' — Addressing His Honor, Mr. Sankev contended that the position of a collier "bitter* I at a mine by a- mouse was identical vtitk : that of a farm labourer gored by a- bull! and that, the injury was one which' arose out of the miner's, employment. Mr. S.mke-* also referred to another case in which a snai had died from' } We contraction i of bacillm , through the handling of skins. " -:"'-.: . The defence to that the: injury had not arisen out of the applicant's employment.. \ ; - .-■ His Honor upheld Mr. 'Parson's contention, and gave judgment; for the defeadaEts* with costs. ~,* ,-;■ -■■~.'