UNSOLVED MYSTERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19032, 1 June 1925, Page 10

UNSOLVED MYSTERY.

BODY FOUND ON ROAD. RUN OVER BY MOTOR-CAR. STATEMENTS AT THE INQUEST. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT."] CHRISTCHURCH, Saturday. "We shall never know exactly how this accident took place," said the coroner at the conclusion of the inquest concerning the death of Ilenry Kempthorne. Ho returned a verdict that death was due to shock following laceration of the brain caused by the head being crushed by tho wheel of a motor-car driven by some person unknown. On tho evening of May 14 at about seven o'clock the body of Kempthorne was found lying in a pool of blood on the Main South Road at Templeton. Giving evidence at tho inquest Lucy Ivempthorne, wife of the deceased, said that eight or nine years ago her husband suffered from fits. Ho had not suffered from any since that time. William Brown, of Templeton, the lad who discovered tho body, said there was a thick fog at tho time. He went to a house for assistance. Gilbert Bailey, a miller, who was summoned to the scene, said the body was lying between the wheelrnarks of a motorcar. It looked as though the brakes of the car had been applied but not hard enough to skid the car. A bicyclo was lying about ono foot away outside the marks. Charles Lawrence, licensee of tho Islington Hotel, said that Kempthorne left, the hotel after 12 o'clock and returned at about 4.45 o'clock. After (drinking about four or fivo " long beers " he was not drunk. Witness saw him mount his bicycle and ride away. Detectivo Thomson said he found Kempthorno's false teeth lying some distance away. A piece of skull was also lying away from tho body. "In my opinion tho body was shifted to where it was found after the accident." Tho Coroner: By someone? Witness: Yes. I think he was lying on tho road and a car ran over the head. The body must have been lying north and south and then moved east to west. The car evidently swerved to avoid something on tho road. It was extraordinary that the car should swerve to tho left. It was quite possible that a previous car could have knocked him down and a car which followed injured his head. " As far as I can seo ho was not riding his bicycle when the accident occurred," said tho coroner. " There is evidence of a motor-car coming along and taking a certain course. It swerved off its proper side fox* some reason or other but there is nothing to show any connection between the car and the deceased. We cannot be sure whether the head was run over by the car. Possibly another car might have done it. It would appear that he was struck some distance away and, perhaps, carried by the car but there was only small injury on tho body."