FATAL INJURIES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18264, 6 December 1933, Page 12

FATAL INJURIES

MAORI’S FALL FROM HORSE INQUEST AT TOLAGA BAY (Special to tho Herald.) TOLAGA BAY, this day. An inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Matahaero Koia, who succumbed early yesterday morning to injuries received when he was thrown from his horse the previous evening, was held before the district coroner, Mr E. L. Walton, S.M., at Tolaga Bay yesterday afternoon. Constable‘Canning represented the police .at the inquiry. Evidence of identification was given hv Rcweti Totorewa Green, of Tikitiki, who stated that the deceased was a single man, and was about 39 years of age.

David Konia, who was in company with the deceased w r hen the accident occurred, stated that he met Koia in Tolaga Bay at about 2 p.m. on Monday, and went with him to the hotel, where the deceased had about 12 drinks, shandies, during the afternoon. Together they left the hotel at about 5.30 p.m. to ride out to Mr Loisel’s station, where witness had been shearing. Witness was on the deceased’s horse, and Koia was on one belonging to a-companion. The deceased’s horse was quiet when they started, hut appeared to he frightened when they were on the bridge.

They commenced to canter after leaving the bridge, and the deceased’s hat fell off. Ho was pulling on one rein, and the horse slewed round, with the result that the deceased fell over the horse’s neck to the ground. When he fell, witness noticed one of the horse’s front roofs strike Him on tho head. Koia rolled over, and did not attempt to rise. Witness went back and lifted him up, and saw that, he was bleeding from the nose and ears. Witness held him until the doctor arrived, ami then secured a lorry to convey him to the hospital. The witness added that although the deceased had had 12 shandies, he was sober at the time of the accident.

Sister Roberts, in charge of the Tolaga Bay cottage hospital, stated that the deceased was admitted in an unconscious condition, and the symptoms indicated a fracture of the base of the skull. He remained in an unconscious condition until his death at 1 a.m. yesterday.

Evidence was given also by Dr. H. Weeks, who was called to attend the deceased on the roadside, and who offered his removal to the hospital. The witness stated that in his opinion rho injuries might have been caused by the fall, or by a kick. Arthur W. Larsen, licensee of the Tolaga Bay Inn, recalled that the demised. with others, had been in the hotel on Monday afternoon. He had about 12 drinks, but in witness’ opinion was perfectly sober. Constable Canning gave evidence of having examined the body at the hospital, and stated that there were no injuries apart from those to the head.

The coroner found that death was line to a' fracture of the base of the skull, caused by Koia falling from a iiorse.