GRAY'S HILL NATALITY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14237, 3 March 1917, Page 9

GRAY'S HILL NATALITY.

■■ 11 _»i An inquest touching the death of Edward Thomas Forbes, who was killed by the capsizing of a waggon on Gray's Hill on Thursday afternoon, was held at the Courthouse yesterday afternoon before Mr W. A. Barton, S.M., district soroner. Senior-Sergeant Murray conducted the inquest. Air Burnard appeared on behalf of deceased's employer, Mr H. Sillard. Harold Gillard, carrier, Waimata Valley, deposed that deceased was employjd by him as a carter. He last saw deceased alite between 1 and 2 p.m.' on Fhui-sday, when on his way home. Deceased had come m from Waimata on Wednesday morning for a load. Witness next saw deceased's body on Gray's hill road about 5 o'clock on Thursday svening. Deceased -was a capable driver. He was quite sober when witness last saw him. To the Coroner: Deceased was driving- a team of five. Tlie horses were juiet. John Murpby, bridge foreman, Waiolika, stated' he saw deceased at the Waiohika store about 3 p.m. on **Thurslay, -md later saw him going m the, liroctiou of -Gray's --hill.-*-" -Deceased's ex>ress liad got stuck m the mud near the itore. Witness told him the load was shifting, hanging over the tail, and that 1© should straighten it up. Deceased faid he had' no Tope to tie it, and drove >n without attending to it. • Senior-Serg feasiV** : . What was ib cemdition " Sif'tb sobriety! Well, I would not say he was drunk, md would not say he was sober. The Coroner. : . Was be under the m- j luence of .liquor? — I 'don't think so. : > Well, what do- you mean? — He seemed , o be suffering from want qf sleep. Wit- < less said he- was speaking to deceased ; or about ten, roinutea. xtfr - . ( Clyde Hill, faJ__rier;V^i-3n-ata Valley, ■ aid that at- about 5 p.m. on Thursday, 1 vhen he and another -man were coining 1 lown Gray's hill m the direction of Gis- \ rome, they heard a crash. On going on 1 they found the waggon capsized off the . rqad with only one horse attached. The ' irop from the. road was about five feet \ liigh, and there -was a bend in 'the road. , riiey saw deceased lying partly under ' he horse. With assistance witness i pulled the -horse off, and found deceased iras quite dead. They removed the oody to the road, and notified the wlice. Witness could see the wheel racks of the express. It was rather a jad places tlio *oad being vei*y narrow. Constable Pfechbr gave evidence, as to n^oceeding to the seefle of-"t he. accident md removing the body to the morgue. _Te s&id deceased "_m_elt strongly -of iquor. There' was a bruise over the •ight eye, and on the back. In witness' .pinion the place where the accident lappened Was very dangerous. There ,vas a very sharp bend with undergrowth md fennel growing level with the road. ..0 fence was round it. This concluded • thfe evidence. The Coroner "returned a . *_erdict that leoeased met* his death through the overturning of an express waggon and a ibrso ' falling ,on him. There was no . vidence to Show what caused the wagron to overturn. ' ■ ', 1 -«