INQUESTS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2740, 4 January 1882, Page 2

INQUESTS.

: Ap inquest was heldiftt, the Hospital this morning, before R. Ree.tham, Esq. Coroner, on the body of William Lawry who was killed by a fall of earth, at the protective works at the head of the Bay, yesterday. W. S. Lynn stated that he was yesterday assisting the deceased to unload drays at the works, and put the stone over the cliff. He and deceased were standing on one side of the dray barring stone out, when the ground gave way and deceased went with it down to the beach, a distance ■of 45 feet. Witness and deceased’s son went and found him buried in the Clay." They soon got that away, and found him alive. He complained of a pain in his leg. They carried him, round to the end of the cliff, and then got him taken to the Hospital, where he died soon after his arrival. Lawry was foreman and directed the works at the cliff. About ten minutes before the accident occurred they had tried to loosen the earth at that particular spot with crowbars, and deceased must have stepped upon it. The work had been carried on very carefully, and witness did nqt consider that anyone was to blame.' To the Jury—The dray was backed about four feet away' from where ' the earth had been barred. ,

■ Wm. T. : Lawry, son of the deceased, and driver of the dray which was being unloaded, said he found the sprag in position when ho came up and his father helped him to back the dray up to it.

Lynh was then recalled, and stated that the sprag was placed in position by deceased and himself before the bars were used on the earth, and seven or eight loads had been discharged at the same spot. He did not think it a dangerous proceeding to loosen the earth so close td'the sprag. i W. Hay, Inspector in charge of thp works, said ho did not consider the work at all dangerous, but it was not a reasonably safe thing to do to loosen earth in the neighborhood of where a dray was to be backed. Five loads had been backed at that particular spot. Hr McDonald, Resident Surgeon at the Hospital stated that deceased .was brought to the Institution aboutSp.ra. and died immediately after arrival. He attributed his death to the shock or internal injuries. The jury returned a of “ accidentally killed by u fall of earth.”

At the inquest hold yesterday oh the little girl Ayton, who was killed hear Waimate on Sunday, a verdict " of accidental death was returned. The evidence of her father showed that he with three children, started in a spring

dray from his home, at Deep Creek, .to go to church. Something being wrong with theorems, he leaned forward, stepping oh; the shaft, tp pnt'them right, ■When the[b.brse ; bolted, ? and bringing the [dray ; intpv collisionwith; a, post, capsized it.. Witness was thrown off; and the little girLwaa killed by the side ot.m fiKtyifallipg fipbb, and..prtiebing heri- She'onlylived a few ihinutes. The other children escaped unhurt.