THE DEBORAH BAY FATALITY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2467, 26 June 1901, Page 20

THE DEBORAH BAY FATALITY.

An inquest concerning the death of Alexander Anderson, who died in the Hospital on Tuesday from injunes received through -falling off a budge at Deborah Bay funnel, was held on Thursday at the Hospital by Mr C. C. Graham and a jury of six, of whom Mr C. Ppoars was foreman. Aithur Hall, resident surgeon of the Dunedin Hospital, said that the deceased was admitted to the Hospital on June 3 suffering from j paralysis downwards from the level of the lower part of the chest. Fiom the nature of the symptoms it was evident that a serious injury to the spine had been sustained. An operation was performed, but ultimately congestion of the lungs intervened, and death ensued on June 18. He did not notice any signs of alcohol on the deceased when he was admitted to the Hospital. Jane Anderson, the wife of deceased, deposed that she was going along from Wavtati, where she lived, towards Port Chalmers, when she was in^t by John Dennchy, who told her of the accident that had befallen her husband. Ihey went back for his mate — a man named Thomson, — and got a trolly, on which they placed deceased, and took him to Mihiwaka, whence he was brought to town by tram, and taken to the Hospital. John Dennehy stated that he and deceased went to Port Chalmers on the Sunday afternoon, and when they got to Deborah Bay tunnel deceased lit a lamp, and they walked through the tunnel. The lamp was then hidden. On their return they looked for the lamp, but could not find it, and they made up their minds to go through the tunnel without it. They, however, thought bettor of this, and decided to walk over the hill. "Witness stopped to make further search for the lamp, and while doing so heard deceased sing out, and on going to see what was the matter he found he had fallen off the railway bridge into the creek. He puUed deceased cut si tiie cisal^

and found he was bleeding from the head. He bandaged the head as well as he was able, and then went away for assistance. The remainder of witness's e\ idence was J. corroboration of Mis Anderson's.

The Jury returned a veidict that A™der«oii died from injnrie* caused by falling eft the lailv, ay bridge on June 2.