A FATAL ACCIDENT.
A fatal accident occurred at Teaneraki yesterday afternoon. A farmer of the name of Robert Rogers was proceeding home in a dray from Teaneraki. While going through a gateway his horses bolted, and he either fell off, or in attempting to jump clear of the cart, he received serious internal injuries by which he was rendered insensible. He was conveyed to Mr. Brown's Hotel at Weston. Medical assistance was called in, which, however, proved unavailing, as the poor fellow died at or about 3 o'clock this morning. The deceased was a fine, strong, young man, of 29 years of age, and was unmarried. He was well known, and his loss will be felt throughout the district. An inquest will be held at 11 a.m. to-morrow. -Oamaru Mail, 17/4/1878.
THE FATAL ACCIDENT AT TEANERAKI.
THE INQUEST.
An inquest was held yesterday at Brown's Weston Hotel, before T. A. Clowes, Esq., J.P., acting as Coroner, and a jury of thirteen, of whom John Selman was chosen foreman, on view of the body of Robert Rogers, there lying dead.
The following evidence was taken: —
James Rogers, sworn: Am a farmer at Elderslie, and brother of the deceased Robert Rogers. Deceased was 29 years of age and a partner of mine. Have another partner named John Anderson. On Tuesday, the 16th inst., we all went to Teaneraki railway station to deliver loads of wheat. Arrived there about half-past eleven unloaded the drays, and left the station about half-past twelve o'clock. Each man had his own team. There were three horses in each team. Whilst we were at Teanaraki my brother had four or five glasses of beer, but I do not think they had taken any effect on him. My partner's brother, Thomas Anderson, was driving the first dray, my brother the second, and I the third. After we had started some time the miller came after us, and we all returned to lend him a hand to load a truck. During this time my brother's horses bolted, but no accident took place. On starting again we left in the same order. We had proceeded about half a mile on the road, and had got into Cruickshank's paddock at Friston, which is really a district road, when, in going through the gate, Anderson passed through all right, but the off wheel of my brother's dray caught the gate-post, or the gate. My brother was at the time sitting on the bed of the dray, in front, sideways on to the horses. I cannot say if the reins were in his hands, but know that at starting he had reins on the shafter and leader. When the dray struck I called out to my brother to stop. The horses stopped for a minute, and then got clear and bolted. I don't think the pate-post was carried away. My brother endeavored to rise up when the dray caught, and that is the last I saw of him in the dray; as it then passed Andersons dray, and I was on the ground. The horses bolted nearly a mile and a half towards Major Evans', and were there stopped by one Evans. When I next saw my brother he was about 300 yards from the gateway, lying on the ground — lying on his side. He was moving, and could speak. He mentioned my name, and said he was "Bob," no more. He complained of pain across the belly. I set him up, and afterwards put him in the dray, and took him as far as the blacksmith's, with the intention of bringing him into Oamaru, but he got so bad that I had to stop with him at the Weston Hotel. I several times asked him if the wheel had gone over him, but he always told me he did not know. Dr De Liutour came to see him. He first saw him about halfpast 9. My brother lived till about a quarter to 3 on Wednesday morning. About nine years ago my brother suffered from a rupture, brought on by carrying wheat or oats. The horses my brother was driving were fairly quiet. The gateway through which we were passing when the accident occurred was rather narrow, and pretty well broken up.
Thos. Anderson gave evidence in many reports identical with that of the preceding witness, but further stated that wheen the accident occurred there were two horses in the dray, the shafter and leader, the body horse having been shifted behind the dray. Witness was about 100 yards ahead at the time of the accident. Could see all that took place when the horses in deceased's dray bolted. They passed witness' dray on the offside, and when they were about 200 yards ahead, deceased jumped up, either to jump out or to get hold of the reins; could not say which. Saw him fall with his chest on the side of the dray, and he then fell out of the dray on to his back. Did not think the dray went over him. Did not think he tried to save himself with his hands. Witness stopped as soon as he got up to him, and deceased said he was done and would not live. Did not think deceased had any reins on the leader. He did not seem the worse for the liquor he drank at Teaneraki.
Dr De Latour gave evidence as to the condition in which he found deceased when called to see him after the accident, and also detailed the results of a post mortem examination. There was extensive laceration of the liver. Considered death was due to hemorrhage proceeding from the ruptured liver. Such a fall ns was described by the previous witness might produce rupture of the liver. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death." -North Otago Times, 19/4/1879.
Oamaru Cemetery.
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