THE POKORORO FATALITY.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12756, 31 March 1910, Page 2

THE POKORORO FATALITY.

INQUEST AT MOTUEKA. Mr J. S. Evans, District Coroner, held an inquest at Motueka yesterday into the circumstances sun ounding the death of a youug man William Knight Poi-ter, who died in a shed at Pokprorp on Tuesday morning, atter having beeji removed there by 'some youths who found him lying on the road, having apparently, been thrown from his horse. The police were represented by Sergeani Dougan. ■ . Dr Deck deposed .to having made a post mortem examination of the body. He found -a. large contusion on the , vault of tlie skull, and an exteneive fracture of the base, about three inches in length. The' fracture, had caused hemorrhage of the brain,, and was the cause of death. The injury was consistent with a fall from a horse, and was .so serious that the case would havo been hopeless from the first. It would not have' been apparent to a layman that deccr.sed was injured. It might have been thought that he was asleep. , ' The evidence of youths who had 1 been ~in deceased's • company at the Motueka sports and in the town, was to the effect that he left about 10.30 p.m.: to go home on horseback, being then under. the influence of drink. Some of his companions followed : later, and at about midnight found deceased lying on the road. They picked him up, thinking he had fallen from his hocse and was asleep. They saw nothing to indicate that he had received any injury, and carried him to the shed, and left him there. A witness who visited the' shed at 8 a.m. on Tuesday said deceased ; was then alive, but when seen r.gain_an hour later he was deadi The Coroner found that death resulted from a fracture of the skull, causing hemorrhage of the; brain, the injury being caused by a fall from a horse. Mr Evans said he was satisfied that the witnesses who found Porter on the road believed he was suffering a recovery from drinking, and that there was nothing to indicate to them that anything else was wrong. He was also satisfied that, deceased had had a considerable amount of liquor, and he" directed the police to make searching inquiries concerning tho drinking in which the youths hr.d indulged at Motueka. ■