ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.
A riderless horse belonging to Messrs Grindley Bros., butchers, bolted up Princes street this afternoon from the north end of the City and knocked down a young man named Joseph Pring, a hansom cab driver, who was standing alongside his horse at the stand opposite the shop kept by Mr Jacobs, tobacconist. Pring was picked up in an insensible state and removed to the hospital, where the doctor pronounced him to be suffering from concussion of the brain. It is not known whether serious consequences are likely to ensue. -Evening Star, 28/1/1898.
ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.
On inquiring at the Hospital this afternoon we were informed that Joseph Pring, the cabman who was knocked down by a runaway horse yesterday, is making satistactory progress. -Evening Star, 29/1/1898.
ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.
Joseph Pring, the cabman who a few days ago was knocked down in Princes street by a runaway horse, died in the hospital about half-past nine last evening. He never rallied to any great extent since the accident, but he took a decided turn for the worse yesterday and died at the hour indicated. He was a single man, and about thirty-six years of age. The Coroner held an inquest on the body at a late hour this afternoon. -Evening Star, 3/2/1898.
INQUEST.
An inquest was held at the hospital yesterday, before Mr E. H. Carew (coroner) and a jury of six (of whom Mr H. Spiers was chosen foreman), on the body of Joseph Pring, who died at the hospital from injuries sustained by being knocked down by a horse in Princes street on Friday last.
James Jackson, hansom cab-driver, gave evidence that deceased was born in Victoria, and came here about thirty years ago. He was a single man. At three o'clock on Friday afternoon last witness was at the head of the cab rank, standing near his cab. Someone cried "Look out," and witness ran to his horse's head. At that moment a saddle horse, but not ridden by anyone, passed between the cab and a tramcar. It was going at a furious rate. It galloped through and knocked down Pring, who was talking to another cabman named Dick Metcalfe. Pring was thrown heavily on to the footpath. When he was picked up blood was on his forehead.
Richard Metcalfe, cabdriver, deposed that he was talking to the deceased at the time the accident occurred. Witness caught a momentary glimpse of a horse galloping down upon them. Witness cried "Look out," and rushed to his horse's head. Pring looked round, and witness saw the horse strike him on the back, knocking him down. Witness and a man named George Elliot picked him up and carried him to the chemist's shop. Afterwards he was removed to the hospital. He was insensible when he was picked up.
Constable Hickey gave evidence that he saw the horse galloping along Princes street. It had a saddle, and the reins appeared to be fastened to the stirrups.
William Kelly, butcher, in the employ of William Grindley, stated that he was delivering meat on Friday afternoon, and at the corner of St. David and George streets he tied his horse up to a telephone post to deliver meat. He unbuckled the bridle and tied it round the iron bar running up the post. When he was coming back a kerosene tin used for ashes blew along the street, and the horse taking fright pulled back from the post and broke the bridle. It started trotting along George street, and at Albany street a man ran out to try and stop it. It then galloped away up town, and witness, going back and procuring another horse, rode up Cumberland street to get the runaway. He got it at the tram stables. If the man had not tried to stop it the horse would have gone down Albany street home.
Dr A. Stenhouse, house surgeon at the hospital, stated that be examined deceased when he was brought to the hospital, and found him suffering from a fracture of the base of the skull, contusions on the right temple and at the back of the head. He was bleeding from the ear and nose. He was unconscious. He showed slight signs of improvement during the first few days. On Wednesday afternoon he developed congestion of the bases of both lungs, and quickly sank, dying about half-past nine in the evening. The cause of death was congestion of the lungs, with concussion of the brain from fracture of the base of the skull.
The Coroner: Was congestion of the lungs in connection with the fracture? — I could not say.
The Coroner: Would he have lived if congestion of the lungs had not set in? - Possibly.
A verdict was returned "That deceased met his death by being accidentally knocked down by a horse." and the jury added a rider "That dust tins should not be allowed out at a late hour of the day." The dust tin was the cause of the accident. It was a common thing for dust tins to be left about the streets, and they were blown about. The coroner was requested to write to the City Council to that effect. -Evening Star, 4/2/1898.
A number of cabmen (including more especially hansom cab drivers) propose to take steps to collect funds to defray the cost of the funeral of their late comrade Joseph Pring, who died in the hospital on Wednesday evening from injuries sustained by being knocked down by a runaway. It is also proposed, if possible, to erect a suitable memorial over his grave. -Otago Daily Times, 4/2/1898.
The funeral of the late Joseph Pring, the hansom cab driver who died from injuries sustained by being knocked down by a runaway horse in Princes street, took place yesterday. The body was followed to its last resting place in the Southern Cemetery by all the hansom cab drivers of the city and a number of cabs and landaus. The vehicles numbered nearly a score. -Otago Daily Times, 5/2/1898.
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