TERRIBLE FATAL ACCIDENT FROM A LANDSLIP AT ARTHUR'S POINT.
FALL OF A HEAVY ROCK UPON iiYAN',3 STORK.
An inque-t was held on Sunday afternoon Oil the body «'f Daniel Bohan, before R, Beeiham, Esq, R.II. Timothy Ryan : I am a miner, residing at Arthurs Point. Lived with Mr Ryan at, bis store on the 12th May last. Remember the ciecenssd and his mate bringing their blankets into Mr Ryan's store, on tli-i night previous to the accident. They slept in the same apartment with me and two others on the night of the accifletit. That night believed he went to bed between 9 and 10. Think it would be between 3 an 4 o'clock the next morning when tl;e accident occurred. The first thing lip. remembered hearing wai John Maloney saying that his foot was hurt. Believed that Mr Ryan struck a light, ivlien Michael Gleesos asked some one :o relieve him. We all helped to get. fcHceson from under the stone. Bohan was laying under the stone, and we could not see anything of him, except from his knees downwards. All of us attempted to raise the stone, but could not do it. We went to our neighbours for their assistance, and Mr Ryan went to report the matter to the police. After thg Sergeant came in, we again tried to raise the stone, but could not. We ha;i then to dig him out. When we got him out he was quite dead. J-hn Kyati was a storekeeper residing at Arthur's Point. Knew the deceased Daniel Bohan. The deceased and his mate slept in my store. They had slept there one night before the accident. All in the store went to bed about half-past eight o'clock, Went to seep, and remember nothing till I heard a stone come into the tent, breaking everything before it. Believed he then struck a match. Heard som<j man say his leg was broken. Saw a man named Michael Gleeson lying under the stone. Four of us succeeded in getting him out. Then asked where the decea*ed was. One of the men said he was under the stone. We four then tied to get him out but could not do it. Reported the case to the police at once. More than twenty men afterwards tried to lift the stone but could not succeed. The deceased had to be dua out from under it. He was quite dead and must have been killed at once.
To the Police : From -where the rock came was sixty to seventy yards above. Remember remarking to my mate when we were putting up the store the rock was the only thing I was frightened of. Cannot a.ccouni for the displacement of the rock on that night, except by the movement of the hill. My opinion is that the rock would have struck the store exactly where it did. Slept myself in the safe end of the store. Cannot tell why I did not remove my store. This closed the evidence taken, and the jury immediately returned a verdict of Accidental Death.
TERRIBLE FATAL ACCIDENT FROM A LANDSLIP AT ARTHUR'S POINT.
Otago Daily Times, Issue 764, 30 May 1864, Page 5
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