THE INQUEST.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8860, 21 October 1907, Page 5

THE INQUEST.

The inquest touching the death of the deceased took place in the hospital, yesterday morning, before Mr W. P. James, District Coroifer, and a jury consisting of Messrs W. E. Cullen, A. P. Fielding, Edward Egan, W. Keeble, H. Marsh, and John Charters. George Robert Andrews identified the body as that of his son, who, he said, was 23 years of age. Edward Selby, carpenter, who was working on the building with deceased, said that a joist was being hoisted up to the second floor of the building on Saturday morning. The deceased was standing on a wall about fourteen feet from the ground. Witness and deceased were going to land the joist. It appeared to witness that the deceased did not exactly know what he was expected to do! Witness having received his instructions as to where the joist was to be placed, stepped on to the brick wall, and as he did so deceased fell past him on to the ground below. Witness did not see what caused the fall, but he was certain it was purely an accident. Nothing broke away that would cause the fall. In witness' opinion, the deceased must have become temporarily confused. Mr W. Whittaker was supervisor of the job. William Rigden Lipper, clerk of woi'ks, whi was standing on the top of the joist, also saw the fall. As the derrick, upon which the joist was being drawn up, moved towards the deceased, be leant slightly backwards and then seemed to jump forward and fell to the ground. It was not the deceased's proper work to land joists. This work on Saturday morning was being done in the usual manner. There was no fault to find in the way in which the derrick was being liberated. When the accident happened, the joist was in its proper position — about the level of the wall. Any man who was near a joist, when it was being landed, was expected to give assistance. Lewis. Henry Lewis, carpenter, working on the building, heard deceased say that he would lend a hand j with the landing of the-joist. From what witnes3 saw of the fall, it was evident that the deceased had stretched out his arms as though endeavouring to catch something. No time was lost in summoning a doctor to the spot. The derrick was securely fastened at the bottom and could not have given way. Dr. Archer Hosking said the deceased was brought to the hospital shortly after 11 o'clock on Saturday morning. He had a large cut on .the back of his head, and was bleeding freely from the right car. He was semi-con&cious, but never spoke. Witness, with Dr. Cowie, dressed the -wound, but deceased never regained consciousness, and died about 4 p.m. William' Frank Watson, who was operating the derrick, said that just as he got it down low enough and the joist in position, he saw deceased walking along the wall. He seemed to throw his hands out to catch something and fell • headlong to the ground. William Henry Whittaker, partner in the firm of Coradine and Whittaker, contractors for the building, corroborated the other witnesses in describing the fall. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, no blame being attached to any person.