INQUEST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8961, 13 November 1890, Page 2 (Supplement)

INQUEST.

An inquest on the body of John M'Crae, who.. was killed at Woodhaugh on Tuesday evenieg, by being run over by a dray, was held in the Wcodhsugh Hotel, yesterday afterday afternoon, before Mr Coroner Carew, and a jury of six. Mr D. Thomson was chosen foreman.

Andrew Buchanan, a carter, residing at Dunodin, identified the body shown to tha jury as that of John M'Crae, who wa3 a native of Prince Edward's Island, Canada, He had been in the colony about 40 years' and had followed the occupation of a digger, but of late ho had been chopping wood at Woodhaugh. He was close on 60 years of age, and was a single men. Witness believed that deceased had a nephew in Auckland.

Dr Conghtrey gave evidence that last evening, about six o'clock, hn was called to attend to deceased who met with an accident. He found him dead. The lower ribs on the left side witness found to be crnkhed to pieces. Tha lungs wero also crushed, and probably the hssrt ruptured. The ultimate cause of death was internal bleeding, and the injuries were such as might be caused by a dray passing over the man. James Tabor, a woodcarter, residing at Woodhaugh, said that on Satmdny last deceased came to his house to stay for a few days. Yesterday evening witness waa driving a dray from town into Woodbaugh, and he met deceased at Duke Gtreet. There he saw him pet into a dray belonging to a roan named O'Neil, and both drays stopped at tha Woodhaugh Hotel. Witness went into the botel andfouud M'Crae inside, and after talking together M'Crae left the bar and went outside to the horses. Shortly afterwards witness heard that one of tha horses r.ttached to one of tho drays had bolted and M'Crae had been killed. M'Crae before the accident occurred was quite steady, but had'two glasses of beer.

To the Foreman: They had arrived at tho Woodhaugh Hotel about 5 o'clock, and the accident occurred before 7 p.m. Witness himFelf was sober, and previous to going into the hotel he put the brako on his cart. There was no chain on the dray, which was loaded to the extent of a ton in weight. To Mr Carew : Witness had not been drinking duricg the afternoon, and be had owned tho horse some six years. Ifc was very quiet with witness, bat did not like strangers, Tho horso had nearly killed witness once, but it was not the horse's fault, because it had been put in the dray without the breeching being settle.! properly. It wns often high-tempered, but it was no worse then a good many other horses. Thomas Long, jun., deposed that he saw the horse bolting from the Woodhnugh Hotel on Tuesday evening. M'Crae was hanging on ta the horse's head. When the dray proceeded about 20 yards deceased fell and it passed over his body. Deceased was picked up and conveyed to the Woodhaugh Hotel, and Dr Ooughtrey, who was immediately telephoned for. i Witness did not think Tabor was sober at the j time of tho accident. I

Robert Long, father of the last witness, endorsed his statement. Deceased, prior to the time when the horse bolted, w»a in tbu act of putting a nosebag en the horse's head. The horse then bolted, and deceased clung to its head. Witness sang out to him to try and throw himself clear of the dray, when suddenly he fell and the near wheel passed over his body. After the accident witness saw that the horse, hid the winkers off. AU this time the owner of the dray (Tabor) was quietly conversing to another man in the bar.

Jame6 Neil), a carter, residing at Lrith Valley, a-.id that the deceased got into his dray 011 Tuesday at Queen street. They arrived at the Woodbaugh Hotel and both went into the bar. Tabor afterwards went ont nnknown to witness.

Sergeant O'Neill gave unimportant evidence. The Jury then retired to consider their verdict, which was to the effect that deceased met his death accidentally, and that in their opinion the accident was caused by the horse standing {00 long and becoming restive.

—The Corean alphabet is phonetic, and is so simple that anyone can learn to read in a day. Nearly all the women in Corea can read.

—On a farm near Nevvburg, Ohio, is an apple tree, still bearing big yellow apples every year, that was planted in 1731 by a pioneer from Virginia, who was afWwards killed and scalped by Indians.