INQUEST.

West Coast Times, Issue 673, 20 November 1867, Page 4

INQUEST.

An inquest was held at the Junction Hotel on Monday last by Mr Warden Aylmer and a jury, of whom Mr George Messenger was chosen foreman, on the body of James Connelly, who met with an accident in the prospectors claim at Donoghue's on the Bth inst. Andrew Finn being duly sworn, said — I am a miner living at Donoghue's. I knew the deceased James Connelly. He was working with me in a shaft on Friday the Bth .November, 1867. About six o'clock in the evening I went to Gardner's store. I returned to the shaft in about ten minutes. I was told by Alexander Donohue that a man had fallen down the shaft. I then went down the shaft and found the deceased James Connelly lying at the bottom of the shaft, with his h?g broken. Charles Allen was with deceased. The deceased was not able to speak when I went down. I made deceased fast and brought him to the top of the shaft. A doctor was sent for. I helped to take deceased to O'Raw's Hotel. The doctor examined deceased, and ordered him to be taken to the Boss Hospital. Deceased was alive at the time. There was no one in the shaft when the accident occurred. There was nothing wrong with the rope in strop. Deceased was not accustomed to work under ground. He was a wages' man, and he and I were good friends. Denis Casey, being duly sworn, said — I am a miner, living at Donoghue's. I am a wages' man, working in Donohue's and Co.'s claim. I know deceased, James Connelly. On Friday, the Bth of November, 1867, I was driving the whim-horse about six o'clock in the evening. I drew up William Koffill and Andrew Finn from the shaft. Koffill gave me notice when to pull up the deceased. After the horse li id gone round about two turns and ahalf

saw the rope getting slack, immediately afterwards I heard something fall in the shaft. I then let go the horse, and ran to the mouth of the shaft, where I saw the rope without any foot-ropes. I called to my mates, they came to the shaft, and I went to look after the horse. Charles Allen went down first. Andrew Finn also went down. Deceased was taken up the shaft as soon as possible. I saw deceased at O'Raw's ; his leg was broken. I heard deceased speak; I heard him tell a man to let go his leg. I have known deceased seven or eight weeks. Deceased was working in the shaft from quarter-past one o'clock till six o'clock in the evening. Deceased was on good terms with his mates. He was sober. I believe the shaft is eighty feet deep. Deceased must have been twelve feet from the top of the logs when he fell. Charles Allen being duly sworn said ,lam a miner living at Donoghues. I know the deceased James Connelly, I was working with him on Friday the Bth of November, 1867. I was working above ground. Before 6 o'clock in the evening, the last witness called to me and told me that deceased James Connelly had fallen down the shaft. I ' went down the shaft, and found the deceased lying at the bottom of the shaft. He was lying with his face to the ground. I lifted his head. I then threw some water over his face, I then called for help. Andrew Finn came to my assistance, I got a light. I thought his leg and arm were broken. I cannot tell whether deceased used a foot rope or not. Deceased was taken to the top of the shaft in ten or fifteen minutes. Deceased never spoke to me in the shaft. I heard him speak in the night in O'Raw's house. I could not tell what he said. Deceased was under ground from the afterdinner till six o'clock in the evening. Deceased was sober. I was not present when Finn and Koffill came up the shaft. Deceased was removed to the Ross Hospital. There were no slabs sticking out of the shaft. Henry Zurhost, being sworn, said — I am a duly- qualified medical practitionei residing at Ross. On Friday, the Bth November, 1867, the deceased was brought to the Ross Hospital, about eleven o'clock at night. Deceased was then nearly insensible. He did not complain. Deceased said a few words! His eyes did not move. He had a compound fracture of the leg and some bruises. I gave him a glass of water. I saw deceased again between four and five o'clock of the morning of Saturday. He was breathing. I saw him again at seven o'clock, and found him dead. I consider that deceased died from contusion of the brain. The jury returned a verdict, " that James Connelly was Accidentally killed on the Bth of November, 1867, at Donohue's, by falling down a shaft, and not otherwise."

A not very lively picture of the trade of the port of Melbourne is thus drawn by the " Argus :" — " The Melbourne wharves present just now a most deplorable appearance. At the busiest time of the day there is no bustle, and scarcely any business. From Cole's upwards there are, on both sides of the river, nine steamers, but only two of them were yesterday landing or taking in cargo, the other seven being laid up. The Australian "Wharf, with the exception of the space occupied by the .missionary schooner John Wesley, is bare and desolate. Anyone of a reflective turn might indulge there in meditations like to those of Hervey amongst the tombs. There is the place where the crowd of vessels lay in former days, and there are the monuments of defunct bustle and activity ; but the ships and the trade are gone. Perhaps the Commissioner of Customs can take the part of Echo, and tell us where." Very great inconvenience is stated to have been occasioned to the silk-mercers, drapers, and haberdashers of Melbourne, by the accident which occurred to the Peninsula and Oriental Company's steamer Surat, in the Red Sea. Nearly the whole of the cargo consisted of valuable silks and other goods ordered specially in anticipation of the visit of his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. Many firms who should have had a dozen cases have only received two ; others hare received none, and it is impossible to gain any information as to whether the goods have been entirely lost, or only left behind. "With reference to the recent^nurder of a Chinaman near Switzer's, in Otago, the " Daily Times " of the 2nd inst: says :— " A few further particulars as to the murder of Ah Hang, at Kawarau Gorge, and as to Le Ah Cheong, the suspected murderer, have been received in town. The corpse, it appears, was found by some miners, in the Gorge, partially buried, and the legs were tied together, apparently for the purpose of enabling the body to be dragged along the ground. There are unmistakable evidences that death was caused by violence, the head being much cut , and contused, and the neck being also much discolored. Decomposition was considerably advanced ; for, as we have before stated, there arc grounds for believing that the murder wa9 committed not later than the 10th September. The ferryman on tho Kawarau was, about the date mentioned, awakened before daylight one morning, by a Chinaman, who said that he wanted to be taken across the rivor. That Chinaman was very much excited j and, according to the ferryman's statement, "he looked as though he had been out all uight." There is no reason to doubt that Clu'naman was Le Ah Cheong. A Chinaman now at Clyde, who know Ah Hang and Le Ah Cheong, and that they were working together, states that about fonr weeks ago, be was at Lawrence, and there met Le Ah Cheong ; that he asded the latter where his " mate " was j and that the i # eply was that "he had gone away." All Hang is known to have had a considerable sum of money shortly before he was last seen alive— or, at least, he up to that time frequently changed Ll notes for others of larger value, at a store near where ho was at work. Wo hear that it is believed that Le Ah Cheong is still in the Tuapoka district ; and a very strict search is being made for him by the police.

An exchange paper gives the following reason for not publishing a poetical effusion : " The rhythm sounds like pumpkins rolling Over a barn floor, while some lines appear to have been measured with a yard stick, and others with a ten foot pole."