A MILL FATALITY
MAN KILLED BY SAW CLAIM FOB COMPENSATION. (Per Press Association.) GREYMOUTH, March 8. At the Supreme Court, Mr Justice Adams and a jury were engaged all day hearing a claim by the Public Trustee for £4OOO compensation from Peter John Higgins, George William Fawcett and Charles Fawcett, sawmillers, the cliaim being on behalf of the' children of Peter Carmody, who on October 5 last was killed at defendants’ mill at Brown’s Creek, Inangahua. Claimant alleged that owing to negligence on defe'ndaits’ part deceased was killed through being struck by a fiddling saw which wtas not under proper control and was not provided with a skid of insufficient length, and was improperly constructed, the saw being defective. The defence was a general denial of the allegations, claiming that deceased left his proper duties las slabby and operated the saw without instructions. The District Public Trustee gave evidence that the Timber Workers’ Union suggested £4OOO as the amount of the claim, but he' said he could give no reason why more than £5OO should be claimed. John Thompson detailed the circumstances of tho accident, saying that when he was working at the saw deceased came and lifted the winch rope from the saw, which witness then set in motion, aind deceased began to saw a log through. When about cut through, the log overbalanced, knocking the saw frame into the air, and deceased, who was hanging to the saw handle, was thrown lagainst the saw and killed. Edward Brown, Inspector of Machinery, said that the saw, in his opinion, was not safe to use as it was on the day of the accident. The shortening of the skids caused the accident. No evidence was called for the defence, counsel asking for a non-suit in view of Thompson’s evidence, which, motion his Honour held over till tho jury’s verdict was given. He pointed out to the jury that damages in such a case were to be only pecuniary.
The jury, after three hours‘ retirement, at 10 p.m. found for plaintiff for £lOOO. The non-suit point will bo argued to-morrow.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC19270308.2.55
Bibliographic details
Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19785, 8 March 1927, Page 7
Word Count
349A MILL FATALITY Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19785, 8 March 1927, Page 7
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