FARM MANAGER’S DEATH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 191, 15 August 1940, Page 10

FARM MANAGER’S DEATH

THROWN FROM HORSE EVIDENCE AT INQUEST (Own Correspondent.) TAIHAPE, Aug. 13. A verdict that the cause of death was a-fracture of the base of the skull and other head injuries received as the result of being thrown off, and kicked by a horse, he was riding, was returned by the district coroner, Mr. E. Loader, after hearing evidence at the inquest held at Taihape yesterday concerning the death of Erie Clayton Hammond, farm manager, who died in the Taihape Hospital yesterday morning from injuries received the previous day while riding round sheep. The coroner thanked those who had come to the assistance of deceased after the accident. Constable J. Devine, of Mangaweka, appeared for the police. Dr. H. M. Hay said that when he examined deceased in the back of a car his face was covered with blood and there was a wound in front of his left ear. He was brought to the Taihape Hospital, where a further examination revealed that he had a haemorrhage. He began to sink rapidly at 8 a.m. “In my opinion death was caused by a fracture of the base of the skull due to the injury causing the wound on the ear. The injury could have been caused by a kick from a horse, or being tramped on by a horse. Even if deceased had received more prompt’ attention immediately alter the accident it would not have made any difference. My opinion is that deceased was probably kicked by a horse. There were no signs of external injuries about the body,” concluded the doctor.

David Alexander Wright said that he was a farm hand and shepherd employed on the Nerange Estate, Kawhatau. He knew the deceased, who was the manager of the Nerange Estate, and witness worked under him. “Yesterday (Monday) morning at about 8 a.m. I received my instructions for the day from Mr. Hammond. Part of those duties was to go round the sheep,” stated Wright. "I returned to the homestead about 4-30 p.m. and was met by Mrs. Hammond, the deceased's wife. She asked me if I had seen her husband and I replied

'No.’ She then informed me that ne iiad not returned all day—that he had not come in for dinner. He would be engaged on the same work as I was—going round the ewes —but on a different section. I immediately set off to search for him. I knew the section on which he was working. I first discovered a riderless horse. The horse had its saddle and bridle on with the reins hanging and the bridle broken. I later found the deceased in a gully. He was lying on his back and was unconscious. His face and head were covered with blood. I called out to Mr. Hamilton, a resident farmer whose house was not far away. Mr. Hamilton came to my assistance. An other farmer (Mr. Leslie McCoard) and Mr. McDermott also gave assistance. We carried the deceased to the road and put him in Mr. McCoard's car and asked the Hamiltons to ’phone for a doctor. Messrs. Hamilton, McCoard and McDermott tf-pn set off for Taihape with deceased. It appeared to me that the horse had thrown him and that he either landed on a stone or that the horse kicked him as he landed on the ground. Very Fresh Horse “I knew the horse deceased was riding. He had not been ridden lor three months. He was given to deceased to quieten. He was very fresh ana a horse that could not be trusted. It was easily frightened. The deceased was a good horseman. The ground where 1 found deceased was very hard with boulders lying about,” concluded Wright.