YESTERDAY'S FATAL ACCIDENT

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1122, 22 November 1879, Page 2

YESTERDAY'S FATAL ACCIDENT

An inquest was held to-day before T. W. Parker, Esq., Coroner, ht the Northern Hotel, on the body of William M'Kenzie, who was killed at the show ground on Friday. Mr. Currie was chosen foreman. • Inspector Thompson conducted the inquiry, and Mr. Church was present on behalf of the Association. The Coroner, in'" opening, said that there was an apparent: want of Vcaution on the part of had charge of the horsesVbn the ground; and' he thought >ff Opinion should be givejp&n tlfe sqjrje'ct, snid steps taken to prevent /a a-ecuriTefece 6f; sucli a deplorableja&ideuii' ifew'as rio£ tlfe'fault ,of the ComiStteo£sut it appeared to be airelessness'bn tlieipart of those who hp d charge of the horses.

The jury having viewed the body, the following evidence was taken : Samuel Green, farmer, of Deep Creek, in answer to Inspector Thompson, skid "he had seen the body, and recognised it as that of the man lie saw at 'tlie sliow yesterday. Ho was one of a crowd' standing close to the sheep pens, and near deceased, who spoke to him. The crowd was caused by people lookingat the jumping. . I,t. was about 3 o'clock. He thought- the horses were jumping a hurdle." About 200 persons were standing there. He saw a n*an- aiding a grey horse, Thi? horse refused the jump, and ran into the orpwd. Deceased was standing behind him. The rider appeared to use duo caution, and tried to keep out of the crowd. Thought deceased tripped, before tlip horse touched him. Did not see the horse trample upon him, but suspected it did, and when he could he felt flip deceased, and found that his chest was squeezed in, and saw deceased shake hia head, motioning to witness, Deceased did not speak. Witness and others bathed deceased's sideqnd did what they could for him. Medical aid was- sent for at once. Deceased was standing r»bout half a chain from the hurdle the horse was trying to jump. Deceased was quite sober. The man on the horse was also sober. Deceased, died immediately after, In reply to the Foreman, witness stated that a ii timber of persons were standing nearer than deceased, but he could not say if any one else was knocked down. Witness did not know what the jumping was for, whether it was a match or not, but he thought it was merely for amusement. : Dr. De Lautour, sworn, said he was a duly qualified medical practitioner, residing in Oamaru. He examined the body of deceased superficially. It was the same body that he saw yesterday on the Show Grounds. William Leo Forbes Martin said hp was at the show ground yesterday riding a grey horse. He did riot jump the horse, but-, after riding it, handed it over to Malone, who jumped it over a hurdle in the middle of a sheep pen, and then over another. He (Malone) then tried to turn the horse round, but, instead of turning, it came back as it were, and swerved into the crowd. He could not say how many there were there, The orowd were on each side. He saw the horse swerve into the crowd, but did not see the deceased fall. Malone was sober when witness handed him the horse, So far as witness could judge, Malone was riding the horse carefully, and displayed ordinary skill. He could not say what the jumping was for. Mathew Malone, sworn, said he was coachman for Mr. Reid, of Elderslie. He was at the show grounds yesterday, and rode a grey horse. De saw someone jumping a horse, and thought he would like to have a jump ton. He asked a man who had hold of a horse if he wag going to have a jump, and he said no. Witness then asked if he might have a jump, and as he did not seem to object, he took the horse and jumped one hurdle, and was £foing to jump another when his horse swerved, and witness GQuld not hold him. He saw two men on the ground, but did not see the horse strike deceased. Ho rhought the horse tried to jump over deceased. Witness was trying to see if the horse would iunip. He &aw the horse jumping the day before on the grounds. He could not say if the horse trampled 011 deceased when lie was down. To a Juror : He did not know if jumping was allowed. It was n.ot the same horse that had thrown witness the day before. Constable Cleary deposed that he saw the last witness riding a grey horse, and saw him trying to jump a hurdle. The horse refused to jump, and swerved oft to the right into the crowd, He saw the horse's chest strike deceased, about the shoulder. Deceased then fell and rolled over. The horse then struck deceased on the chest with its foot. Deceased sprang up on his hands from his back, but fell back again on his back, and did not move afterwards. Witness then remained and tried to keep the crowd back. William M'Kenzie, son of deceased, said he had seen the body. It was that of his father, William M'Kenzie. His father was a blacksmith, residing at Kakanui ; his age was 42 years. He was a native of Grange Banffshire, Scotland. The Coroner, in summing up, said that the rider seemed to have ridden carefully, and he did not see that there any blame to be attached to hijn 5 but that as the jumping was going on, and there was danger attached to it, it would be as well to see that someone was told off to look after their actions in future. The jury, after consideration, brought in a verdict to the effect " That the deceased, William M'Kenzie, met his death by being accidentally trampled on by a horse on the Oaniaru show ground, but at= tacned no blame to the rider of the horse," with a rider "That the Committee be recommended to make a rule that all racing and jumping be strictly prohibited in future, except for the purpose of exhibition and in the enclosed ring set apart for that purpose."