ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13638, 4 July 1908, Page 6

ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

EXPLOSION IN A MINIGREAT LOSS OF LIFE. Press Associaxion-By .Telegraph-Copyright Received 9.48 p.m., Juiv -wl. _ ST. PETERSBURG, July An explosion in the shaft of the Kathlin Mine, Jusovka, Russia, killed *OO persons, and of 73 rescued 10 succumbed. Per I'rves Association BANNEVIRKE, Juiy 3. Jas. Gibson, aged 52, was tound by a. nightwatchman on the p;i\ciiieuE. this morning. We vruii taken to hospital and d*l at 6.20 p.m. lie had been drinking, and death was ih« le-ui-of exposure. Gibson hj.it Ik-cu m it« district, over twenty years. INQUEST AT GERALD.NE. The inquest on .the body of the late G. Robertson, of Kakahu, was held in the Commercial Hotel, Geraldine, yesterday afternoon, before Mr W. A. oneriutt, J.i. Acting-Coroner,' and the following juiy : Messrs J. Mellroy lforeman), J. m. . iiu.erland, R. Anriand, J.- Bennington, .1. A. Wmoughby, and H. Goidtnorpe. Angus McKay Robertson, son of deceased, recognised the body. Last saiv his father ative on Wednesday murning. He complained of not being well on the Tuesday. He drove to Geraldine by him self on Wednesday for the sale und also to attend Mr Skinner's funeral. Tlie horse was a quiet one. lie did not thintc the <tccejiied knew the road round home by tiie bridge very well. He did not know that his father had any enemies. Accounted for the bGdy; being found where it was near Winclie'stef owing to the river being in flood, and the deceased would in consequenc& intend to go home by Twomey s crossing, instead of by the direct road. In reply to a juryman, witness .said the family did not go to look for deceased, when he did not return at the usual time as they thought he would be late that evening - and probably stay in Geraldine for the night on account of the river so high. . George Bartlev Creemer, said that, lie saw the deceased in Gtraldine twice on Wednesday, the last time being about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. About noon when he saw him. he remarked to deceased that he was not looking well. deceased said that he was not well, and he attributed it to getting wet at the Addingon sale the week previous. He looked pale when he saw him again at o'clock. ~ , j Alfred Henry Bates, said he saw deceased last about 6 p.m. on Wednesday. There was nothing noticeable about his condition to induce the police to think that he was not capable of looking after himself. , , John Mullan deposed that deceased, whom he. had known for about- twenty years, usually put up at hit, h'>te>t (the Commercial) and wte there on Wednesday last. He saw him ksi about 6 p.m., and he was perfectly sober. George Bertie Meredith, a labourer re siding between Hilton and Temnka. said he was in Geraldine on Wednesday am. saw deceased in the Geraldine Hotel about 6 p.m. Deceased, Gliddon and himselj left together and drove down and stopped at the Commercial Hotel. Deceased only had one drink while in the witnesses company and did not stop more than a quarter of an hour. Deceased was told that the river was dangerous and witness heard him say that he intended to go round bv the bridge, which was several miles further than the direct road. Witness returned to Hilton that night with Messrs Patrick and Gliddon and went hr.m- •bTwomey's bridge. He thought, deceased had missed the turning and gone on in the darkness straight towards W inclrster. This would account for the body being found where it was. . , Alexander Knox GliJdon or.rrrthoratea the evident of last wnness. .James Robert O'Brien s.aul that he heard a trap stop about two hundred yards , below- the hotel. The horse and trap were well known as belonging to the deceased. -It was headed towards Winchester. James Feeley stated that lie was driving to Geraldine lt..m Winvh .:ter on Thursday morning, and not Crd the body a mile north of V.'incUe-trr bridge, lying on the we*t side of tlfe road, and a trap rug spread carefully over it. concealing the features. The vug was covered with frost, having apparently been over the body all night.' ' He examined the body and" found it quite stiff- He did not reeogniser the deceased, and after catling at Lewis's went straight to Cieratdino and informed the police. Tii<- body wat. lying about half-way between t'he hedge and the metal. He "noticed a whip handle near by. . Francis Lagan, who was in the company of the last witness. aVo gave <-vi <lenc£ >i» to the finding of the body. In anasver to :v qit-t'tio:! ivitne.vs that the' fJig appealed to l>- i-pread in such a way 2S to make it ver>- unlikely that deceased lltid spread it hin.self. Richard John fih»rp stated that lie h:ul a temporary manager in th" bar of the Commercial Hotel, whom he djd not- think would know deceased very well. VSitnt.-'s did not set? deee;v?ed in the hotel during thart day. Constable Bingham said that wh<-n he found deceased, the rug that covered the fcody iras quite white with frost and the

body quite lifeless. The body M'a.s lying on its right side with the lefs kg diawn -up and the right leg thrown over it. The face was turced more to the ground than the body was. 1 here was a mark on the ground from tlie head of the body extending for twelve feet towards Geraldine. It- Jiad evidently been caused by ;t fairly lieavy bo.'iy being skiclded along din ground. Hie wheel marks of the trap-had made a c-omse oil the road on to the gnus about tnii ty-hvo yards above the body, feoing back on the metal almost opposite ";where the body lay. There were indications 'that. the trap had been going towards Winchester, ana it. appeared thai the dec-eased ban talk-n from tue trap arul made the mark previously referred to >Je had since learned that the deceased's horse and trap weie iound uninjured early oil tint same morning. The appearance 01 the rug g.'.ve the impression that- some person turn spread it over deceased. On examining the body he could find 110 ouls. aid murks of \iolenc-e that would be ui>.e:y to cai.-.e dcatii. A gold watch and chain, iockei ami sovereign case, pocKet book, and bank receipt for £BO, 17s in silver, two small diluting glasses, cheque bjok and other papers and receipts were ou the body when found.. The marks On the ground gave him*the impression that the shoulder of-dec-eased, had skidded along the ground. The mark did not go past- his h ad. The head and shoulder bore marks vi hich he did not think the mere dragging of the body had caused.

l»r lt-igus Paterson said that he had made a post mortem examination of the ij.idy' and found fracture and dislocation ol tin; bones of tiie neck. There was no i.igu of it fracture of the skull nor any injury to the face except the loss of one tcoth, and marked swelling of the left lower jaw. Adhering to the left ear was a >mail pifce of oiied gnus and soil. '1 ha internal organs with the exception of the heart, were sound. The heartshowed .signs of degeneration, 'the aortic valves in particular lining attec-ted. Would judge from the fact that the left side of the face was swot.en ihat deceased met with a fall, but. that death was not instantaneous. The cause of death was undoubtedly laevration and compression of the spinal chord at the site of the fracture. In the stomach he found a c-mall amount of spirituous liquor, but hum the condition of it and the other organs he did not-think that deceased had been under the influence of alcohol. The injury to the neck would be fatal, even' supposing assistance had been available. Deceased would not have been capable of covering himself after the accident. The Coroner said that the only point not quite clear was how the rug came to be spread over the body. The jury after a short retirement brought in a verdict that Robertson met his death by a fall from a trap causing dislocation of the neck.