ROSENEATH FATALITY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9690, 19 June 1917, Page 6

ROSENEATH FATALITY

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. An inquest was held by Air W. G. Riddell, S.M., yesterday afternoon concerning the death of William Pearce Fitzgerald, who was killed by the fall of a retaining wall alongside his house in Crescent road, Roseneatli, on Saturday night. Senior-Sergeant Willis conducted the inquiry. Dr J. S. Elliott deposed that on Saturday night, about a quarter past 9 o’clock, he was called to the house of Fitzgerald, in Crescent road, Roseiieath, and found a large fall of earth at tho .side of the house. Tho deceased was buried in the debris, his Head only being visible. His chest was crushed between the corner of the chimney and the debris. He was dead at that time. W itness examined tlie body externally again on Monday morning and found that the ribs over the. heart were broken. There were slight bruises on the limbs and under tho right eye- Ihe compression of the chest and the fracture of tho ribs caused, injury to the heart, and this, in his opinion, was the cause of death. William diaries Fitzgerald, son of deceased, stated that his father was forty-two years of age, and had been employed as a foreman by R. and E. Tiugey and Co. About half-past eignt on Saturday ■ night... the family were in the kitchen. His father said part of the bank was down at the side of the house. Lt was bricked and wooded. He went out.to sec how it was getting on. There iiad been two falls from it on previous occasions. The bank was about twenty feet high. A minute after his father went out he heard tho crash of the retaining wall fall. His mother went out and he followed. She came back to get a light. He heard his father groaning, and afterwards, when a light was obtained, he saw the deceased crushed against tho house. He called out; “Got help!” It was the brick part of the retaining wall that had fallen on him. Witness then got the help of neighbours, and his mother tried to extricate the deceased. Drs Elliott and Young were telephoned for, and when the former arrived he pronounced the deceased to be dead. It was about 1 o’clock on Sunday morning before the body was recovered from the debris. Constable C. S. Lo Fcvrc stated that he arrived at tho scene of the accident about 9o’cloek on Saturday night. He found Fitzgerald buried in a fall of earth pinned against a chimney. He was then dead. Witness obtained assistance, but it was only when experienced men were obtained that the body oould bo extricated about 1 o’clock on Sunday morning. The rain had ceased at 9 p.m. The space between the house and the bank was narrow, so that it was very difficult to work. For a time it looked dangerous to attempt to shift the mass of earth in which the deceased was ongulphed. The coroner returned a verdict of accidental death, remarking that it was a strange coincidence that just at the tune deceased went out the heavy fall of earth should have occurred. According to the report of the press, the scene which occurred must have been a tragic one, and great sympathy must be felt for the widow, who was now left with a large family to provide for.,