CORONER'S INQUEST.

Wellington Independent, Volume VII, Issue 587, 28 May 1851, Page 3

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An Inquest was held yesterday (Tues. day) at the Tβ Am Hotel, before J. P. Fitzgerald, Esq., Coroner, on view of the body of John Boyd, who was accidentally killed while falling a tree.

The Jury having been sworn, viewed the body, which had undergone a post mortem examination by G. D. Mouteith, M. D.

John Scott, being sworn, said—l am a labourer; I. knew the deceased, John Boyd; on Monday the 26th iust., we were at work all day till about 4 o'clock in the evening, cutting firewood for Mr. Fitchett, at Ohiro; about 4 o'clock we had-fallen a tree which lodged aguiust another, and in wedging it off to disengage it, some of the brauches caught the deceased and struck him down; lie fell with his belly against an old stump ; he walked home, to Mr. Wright's lodginghouse, Willis-street, it is about a mile ; he died about half-past 6 o'clock this morning.

G. D. Monteith, Esq., M. D., sworn, said—l am a Surgeon, practising in Wellington ; yesterday (Monday) evening, May 26, I saw the deceased between the hours of 8 and 9 o'clock : I ffund him in bed; he complained of great pain in the stomach; the body was covered with profuse perspiration, denoting considerable pain in the abdominal viscera; with sick-ne-ss, ho was in a state of collapse at the tima; I did not perceive the slightest chaice of recovery; I gave him opium ; this afternoon 1 made a post mortem examination; on opening the abdomen I found a considerable quantity of fluid, also a quantity of feculent matter; on closer examination, I saw an extensive bruise in the stomach on the anterior and lower part, and a large rupture iv the transverse arch of the colon in the centre ; I hnyfl no doubi. his donl.h was produced from rt>a' cause,

By a juror to the first witness—there was no one with us at the time. Verdict—accidental death.