INQUEST.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2114, 21 October 1890, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inqo’est wips, held at the Courthouse, Saturday, before 0. A. Wray, coroner, touching Ithe death of Denis Sullivan, The following jury were empanelled, viz., Messrs Tombs,. Angland, B. Bruce, C. Leary, E. H. Brewer, and P. Coira. Mr P* Ooira was chosen foreman. The following evidence was taken ■yTilliam Cooper said: I am a travelling farm-laborer. On Friday, the 17th inst, J was walking from Timaru to Temuka. After crossing the Opihi bridge I overtook a traction engine drawing a trolly with a small hut upon it. A man was looking out of a window of the hut oq the right v side apparently looking after a horse 'which was tied behind. I noticed the mark of a chain dragging on the ground, and when I got clone to the Window I said “Your horse is all right hut the twitch stick is either loose or broken. You had better come down and see to it.” The engine was going 7.erV alow at the tiqio. Ho left the window. I expected to see him come cut every instant upon the Jead. I

happened to turn my head round to the right, and looking back saw a track of blood on the ground. I looked under the trolly and saw the man’s right shoulder and head jammed under the axle and the body being pushed along by it. I ran forward and told the man at the engine to stop, which he did as quickly as possible. Not more than a minute elapsed be tween the time I saw the man at the window and when I noticed him under' the trolly. It did not take a minute to stop the engine. I cannot say if the man was > alive when I looked 1 underneath 1 the trolly. I told those on the engine that a man was under the axla. There were two men with the machine besides deceased. To all appearance be was dead when taken out. There was no room under the axle for the body to pass under.

Patrick Brosnahan said: I am a farm laborer. I was' assisting Mr Scannell to remove my house from the Levels Plains to Waitohi by means of a trolly and traction. The deceased, who is nsy brother-in-law, was assisting us. When we bad crossed the Opihi bridge he was -ip the house.. I saw him through the opening where the chimney bad been. The last witness came running up to the engine, and fceld us a man was under the trolly. We stopped at once and jumped off I the engine, and went back to the | trolly. I saw the deceased lying upon bis right side with his head between the axle and the ground. I got hold of him to take him out but he was too fast, and I could not do so. The driver, Michael Scannell, backed the engine, and we got him out easily then. He seemed quite dead. There ! was a good deal ef blood on his head J and about his clothes. I noticed a | wound at the back of the head, and his face was cut. We laid him on the grass, snd a man named Samuel Cain, who was driving past at the time, went for the police. There was a space of about 6 inches between the axle and the ground. Believe the deceased fell through the aperture where the hearth formerly was. He was about 50 years of s|s‘ and was a married man with a large family. He was quite sober. The chain under the axle was constantly getting loose. It had been twitched before crossing the bridge. J. S. Hayes, duly qualified-medical practitioner practising at Temtoba, said : I have made a superficial' examination of the body. There are a good many abrasions on the face, more on the left side and both hands, but chiefly on the left leg and thigh. There was a wound on the back of the skull and blood was issuing from the ears. There was evidently a fracture of the skull. This was sufficient to cause instantaneous unconsciousness, and probably death. lam of opinion that deceased stepped back from the window, and, falling through the aperture, struck his head upon the edge of the boards. The appearance of the head and the position in which deceased was found bears out that supposition. Michael' Scannell, the owner and driver of the traction engine, gave evidence corroborative ef that of P. Brosnahan. The chain spoken of was one from the back axle to the king bolt on the front axle. There was no occasion for it to be very tight nnleas for heavy pulling. In his opinion deceased got through the aperture to tighten the chain, was knocked down, and the scull fractured by the head of the holts fastening the axles. It was possible that he lay down to let the axle pass over him. He was quite sober. The coroner said that the whole affair was evidently an accident much to be deplored, but that no blame was attached to anyone.

A verdict was returned of “Accidental ceath.”