INQUEST AT WINTON

Southland Times, Issue 21560, 25 November 1931, Page 9

INQUEST AT WINTON

DEATH OF LEO CROWE. FATAL FALL FROM HORSE. (From Our Correspondent.) “That the deceased, Leo Edward Crowe, met his death at Dipton on November 22 as a result of injuries received through striking a post when falling off a horse (no blame being attachable to anyone)” was the verdict given at the inquest, at Winton yesterday morning into the circumstances of the death of Crowe, who was aged 17. The acling-Coroner, Mr

Thomas Walker, presided over a jury of , four. In evidence James S. Kean, who gave his 1 age as 22 years, said that deceased was a first cousin of his, and he had arrived at 1 the farm of witness’s father at Dipton on 1 Friday evening, and was going to spend a holiday there. On Sunday the deceased ■ ’ and witness went out riding on horseback * to muster sheep. Crowe rode a fairly 1 quiet animal and he had had previous ex- • perience with horses. Witness and the deceased left about 3 p.m. on Sunday and ' were returning home between 4.30 and [ 5 p.m. The pair crossed a creek together and after that Crowe rode on ahead. Two ' other brothers of witness had been with ’ them and these two were riding ahead of ' deceased at the time. After going on ahead of witness the animal ridden by de1 ceased commenced. to canter. At this ■ stage the saddle of the horse Crowe was ’ riding seemed to slip. The animal started to buck and deceased seemed to lose control. • The horse was not going extra fast, but was in a good canter. Deceased was hanging over the side of the horse as it passed a sheep yard in the corner of the paddock. Deceased hit his head on a post of the sheep yards and was knocked off and lay on the ground. Witness picked up the body and with the assistance of his brothers carried the body to the house. Deceased did not speak and was unconscious when found. He had a small wound on the top of his head, which was bleeding. The horse deceased had been [ riding was saddled in the morning and the ’ girth had not been tightened. > In reply to a question from a juryman, ’ witness said that deceased had not been . dragged by the horse, but had fallen off when he hit the post. > John Kean, father of the previous witr ness, also gave evidence. In reply to a

question witness said he considered that if the girth had been tight there would have been no danger of the rider falling, as it was a straight stretch of ground where the accident occurred. It was not unusual for a girth to slacken after it had been on some time. Peter Gow, medical practitioner, Winton, gave evidence concerning the injuries suffered by deceased and said they could have been caused by deceased hitting his bead on a post as described by the first witness.