Inquest at Ashley.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6292, 17 July 1888, Page 4

Inquest at Ashley.

«- ACCIDENTAL DEATH. An enquiry touching the death of Eobert Kennedy, who was thrown from his trap on the Ashley-Sefton road on Saturday evening, and received injuries from whicti he died about five hours afterwards, was held at the Ashley Hotel at 2 p.m. yesterday, before C. Whitefoord, Esq., Coroner, and a Jury of six, who chose Mr "William Iveraeh their foreman. . Evidence was given by Mr 'William Eossiter, whose trap collided with that of the deceased; Mr ] William Dobson, who picked up deceased and convejed him to the Ashley Hotel; and Dr Downes. Their statements were in effect the Bame as previously furnished our I reporter, and published yesterday. A j marked discrepancy in the evidence given j by the two first witnesses was drawn ' attention to by the Coroner. Eossiter stated that the noise of the collision was very slight, and that his horse became startled, and galloped for about a quarter of a tuile, while on the other hand Dobson declared that the collision could have been heard a mile off, and that Rosaiter's horse passed his gate a few chains from the spot where the accident occurred, at an ordinary trot, and was certainly not tunning away. Mr Whitefoord said that in the face of the medical evidence, it was quite clear that no assistance could have saved the life of the injured man. Nevertheless, in the interests of commoa humanity, it would have been the duty o£ Mr Rossiter to return to ascertain the extent of the damage done by the collision, if he was aware that it was of a serious nature. It would be for the Jury to weigh the evidence, and decide whether in their opinion he was deserving of any censure; but any decision they came to' could have no bearing upon the verdict, as all the evidence proved clearly that death was caused by accident, due to deceased neglecting to take his right side of the road. The Jury, after consulting for a few minutes, returned a verdict of " Accidental death," without any comment •whatever.