INQUEST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8587, 31 August 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

INQUEST.

An inquest was held at tho residence of Mr J. B. Ewart, near Hindon, yesterday, before Mr Coroner Carew and a jury of six (Mr James Black, foreman), on the body of Thomas M'Goun, which was found near Mr Boyd's woolshed last Wednesday.

Willis Ashton Scaife, sub-inspector of sheep, resident near Outran], recognised the body shown to the jury as that of Thomas M'Goun, his rabbit agent. He understood from deceased that ho had been in that employ for about four years.

John Edwards, miner, residing near Hindon, stated that on Tuesday last he saw deceased, and parted froai him close on 1 o'clock. Deceased spoke of going rabbiting. He also said he was going home, and when witness spoke to him about the distance he would have to go, he said he would not reach home till about 11 that night. Deceased seemed knocked up and stupid, and said he had had a heavy day's riding on Monday.

Ellen Edwards, wife of tha last witness, said that deceased came to her houso on Tuesday to see her husband. When witness last seen deceased, previous to this time, he seemed to her to be stupid like. On Tuesday he was quite fit to ride home. He had no drink at witness' house.

Robert Barren, a farm labourer at Hindon, said he knew deceased by sight. About a quarter to 2 last Tuesday he saw deceased on horseback, coming from tho direction of Edwards' place. He was riding at a smart pace, and sat very well in the saddle. He spoke to witness for two miuutes, and then rode off at a canter. The horse did not appear strong-headed or determined.

John Bowers Ewart, farmer, deposed that on Wednesday last, about 2 o'clock, he was walking inside his farm a short distance fiom his house when he saw a man lying on tbe ground in a paddock on tho opposite side of the road. The paddock was then being fenced in by.Boyd Bros. Ho went over and looked at the man's face, but did not recognise him. Witness did not know him. The body was quite dead and cold. There was a little blood tunning from the nose, but there was no appearance of any injuries. The body was fully dressed, with an overcoat on, aud a black soft felt bat jammed over the head and covering the eyes. On the previous day, between 3 and 4 o'clock, witness saw a horse near wljere the body was found, but as he was a distance away he could not say whother it was saddled and bridled or not. He thought at the time that it was the roadman's horse. The body was lying about 9ft or 10ft from tho wire fence, and on what had hitherto been used ss the road, but a new fence had been put up, which crossed the track previously used. Witness could sco that the horse had struck against the fence, aud had got over it, and thero was ft mark as if it had fallen on the ground. It appeared to witness that deceased was riding along the old road, and instead of turning off to tbe left, where the fence had been put up, had kept on tb.3 old road, and had been thrown from the horse. The only recent marks witness could see on the ground, which was pretty soft, were those of the horse and where the man had fallen. Tho fenco was about 3ft 9iu or 3ft hi gb, and there was no top wira on it. Witness assisted iv removing the hody to his place, and then went to Outrain and reported the matter to Constable Mackenzie.

Constable Maokeiizie, stationed at Outran;, said that on Thursday moruiug he examined the body of deceased and found that tho neck was broken and that tho left shoulder was dislocated, also that there w&3 a dtpre9sion above tho left eye, caused, witues.s thought, by a blow or by pressure, but it was not serious. He uotiqed no other wounds or bruises. There was t glove on the left hand, but it had been pulled partly off, and tho other glove was iv one of the pockets. Witness also examined the spot where tho body was found. He saw that the surveyed road line was in course of being fenced on tho noith side, the south side haviug been fenced for somo years. ■ Xho track used to extend irregularly, not always keeping to the surveyed road. Witness noticed that tho new fence crossed the old track withia Oft of where the body was fouud, aud from marks on tho road aud on the fence he coucluded that the horse had come in contact with the fence and fallen over on the other side of it. The fence at this place was not very easily seen, there being only tour iron wires. Deceased passed that spot about onco a mouth, and witness thought deceased had not passed since the fence was carried over tho old track. There was a pair of 'spectacles in deceased's pocket, and if his eyesight was weak he might easily have missed seeing the fence ou the day, particularly as it was windy.

Tho jury returned the following verdict:— '' That deceased waj accidently killed by being thrown from bis borso through accidentally running against a wiro fence."

Deceased was about 54 years of ago, It ia said that he was at one time an officer in the Indian army, and that he left India on nccount of his health suffering through a Bunstroko. His wifo and child reside at Middlemarch.