KAPUKA FATALITY

Southland Times, Issue 19048, 18 September 1923, Page 6

KAPUKA FATALITY

OPENING OF INQUEST. An inquest on the body of Robert Caithness, killed in the recent accident at Kapuka, was opened by the Coroner, Mr G. Cruickshank, S.M., last night. Thomas Cowan, farmer, Monte Christo, identified the body of the deceased, who was steady and sober. He was a capable rider of a motor cycle, having had the machine for five years. William John Barclay, medical practi-1 tioner, said he arrived at Kapuka about 1.15 a.m. on September 15, and saw the deceased lying on the side of the road near his motor cycle. He was dead, but the body was still warm. There was no sign of any serious head injury, but his right arm was broken about 2 inches below the shoulder., In a post mortem examination he found that the broken bone had driven through the chest wall, leaving a large hole between two ribs. “In my opinion,” he continued, “the broken arm-bone had been forced through the chest wall, damaging the right lung and even penetrating the left pleural cavity. The cause of death was haemorrhage from the right lung filling both pleural spaces, and shock. From the fact that there was no crushing of the bone, but a clean break, and from the absence of wounds of the ekin, I do not think the j wheels of the cart passed over him. From such an injury death would result in a few minutes.” t The inquest was then adjourned.