INQUEST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 36, 18 February 1901, Page 2

INQUEST.

THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT AT WAITARA. An enquiry into th'i cause of the de.ith of Julius P. Klenrer, whtrh took phee at the New Plymouth Hospital, -vas hold at the Hospital on Satuiday tcorning by the Coroner (Mr. tt L. B anford) and the following jury, viz., Juim [rvino (foreman), \V. Ambnrv, (J. 0. cliiwke, M. J. June', W. Molm'.ue, and B. Tipping. Sc.'gf. StagpoeJe couiducted the enquiry on behalf of the polio and called Andrew Thompson, a labourer, residing at Waitara, who b"ing eworu, said iie knew the deceased. 0 l Saturday, 9th February, I found him lying on the road between the Post Office and his hro f hei's residence He wi*s lying on the Lotpath with his head on the curbstone. I picked him up and shook hiin and he gruntid. A yourg fellow, a Maori, was with we and we to.k him into the put office lobby and lefr, bun there. I thought ho was drunk and wau'd soon btitWr. I told on", Yardly, of it. I hava pr-v'ou»ly s*eu him the worse for liquor. lb was the Saturday after the Regatta. Io wad 1 about 10.40 pro. whea we left him. John Ling, being sworn, saiJ he lived at Wai'ara. I am cuetaker at the Post Office. When I Went to lock up on Siturdsy, 9bh inst., I found deceased in the letter box lobby. I tried to rouse him but could not. I thought he was diuuk. I we tit for Constubl BUz>L He came at once. Wb struck a mi; eh and reognised deceased. We shifted him out into the. verandah arid made him as comfortable as we could. I then kcked the lobby and left him the:e with the constable, It was about tlevm o'clock I whea I first saw him. I saw him again at about 9 o'clock next morning when I we-t to open the lo'iby. Ht> was lying with his bead on the stone floor. I tried again to rouse him but could not. I S'iW no nwks or bruises, or blood. I spoke to him and said, " Why do you not git up Frank ? The people will be coming abou* soon." He opened his eyes and looked at me, but did not *p"ak. I lifted him up and put his hat under his head. I then went for hi-i brother, and rnit him coming along. Decea'ed was then tikenhome. He wa-i under she''er the whole right. The v- randah h is a c mcrcti floor a.'d the fioni i-< opi-n t'» the weather. It was a very *et night, but he was quite dry. Aids Kleaner. a butcher, lesid'.ng at Waitarn, bei-'c swi rn, gsiid I am a brother of deceased; r. member Ha.ur■lay, Bth Frbrumy. My htother «nd I had a di ink t'-getLer at ab->ut 9 45 p.m. lie liv.id in tue township, but had a horse in the yu'd, which he intending to ride hrms. I siw him again the next morning. A iad had fouud his horse with saddle and bridle on and t-)ok it to decoisea's home ; bur his wife told him d« sc-ased had cot beohome ail riiyht. Tl>o la.i c.iiii.) to m.<. and on examining the lioive it hud the luft stirrup a'l kolud a l -. if it lia-i b. on (ioivn. I went to my brothi.r'rboese, and on coming away auto She B(in>) lad. who tj!d mo my brother was lying in the lobby at this Post Oilico. L wiit to hiui, but hi; did not know mo. 1 frp->k« to him •md he hoked «t mo awl opened his mou h and put his ban i to the b ck of his of d. [ took him homo >:iui called id Gr.od. He ordered me to put ice to his he id and keep him qui-t I stayed up all night with him, but th'.<re was no change and next morning Dr. Qo<.d ordered his removal to thi, New Plymouth ho«pi}al. I took him t-h're. lie had an nciident 12 moaths ago when he was thrown fiom lii- ; horse. When I left him on Sauuday 3vcning l.e was qui f « sob r. He said ho was goini? stiiisr' t luane. I uevei heard of his haviug tit.s, Suti.U'day night was dark and cloudy. Constable !:U 7,e' tio'ng s.vom said : 1 •tm stationed at Waitan. Know <te | oedSsd ; was called by Mr Lung to the OSijn VR 'nJiV 1-day t"U!

February. It was about quarter past 1 ] o'clock ; found deceased lying in the lobby. Lang struck h nicteh and ll recognised him as thfs ttofft-.Siid. Lang j said he wanted to )o;k up and w.iif ri him into tha outer lobby aud laid him down. I slio ik lum gently by t',.o l,.g:< and calUd him by name, lie j only gav-'a moan as if ho kuow tha^soma one lmd ?polton to him. I stayed with hint about a quar'or of an hour j aud <;xv<'hiia at o'hoi'slink J, 1 thought he wan. slu 'ping off a drunk. llk id him on his Hide with hi« head an his arm and 1-rft liim there. I sa» no marks or anything tT load me to thiiik he »ns hu»t. I lofr. him there as the oiily alternative was to lo'k hi a: up. The Coroner : Why did you not look him up? Wi'iiess: I know the man for a long time as a perfectly harness quiet man and thought he would soon recover and go home, Dr. L"atham, being sworn, said de-csaS'-d Wfis brought into the hospital on Monday and I attended hiin till h* .lied, f made a post mm-tem. Th'cause of death was a severe fracture of the skull; there was blso some kceratian of the braio. I alto found avid ence of an old injury to the braiu and should have judged him liable to fits. The causa of death wan clear. If ho bad been packed up at once he could rot have lived. There wa3 a very plain maikof external injury ou the 1 ft tidft of the h"ad. Any oce closely examining him could see it. A layman of intelligence could have eisily discovered it. If thf>ra was no bio 3d abwt ho probably would not notice it. Wi'h only the light of a match the injury would not be vary visiblp. The injury was such as would be caused by; a fall from a horse, not such an would be caused by a blow from a stick or bluni instrument. It was more extensive, I hardly think a constable examining him, undw the circumsfance< described, oould be expeo'ed to observe *ha injuries to deceased's head. The jury then went to view the body. On retiring the Coroner referred at sixne length to the evidence.

After considerable deliberation the following verdict was returned, " That deceisf d met his death accidentally through a fall f om his horai causing fracture of his skull, and that it'be a Hughes'' ion to the Folice Department that all cons' ables in change of stations should be instructed in ambulanoa wor}t. The jury worn then thanked by the Coroner und discharged.