FATAL COLLISION AT MAKARAKA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3251, 23 June 1911, Page 2

FATAL COLLISION AT MAKARAKA.

INQUEST ON THE VICTIM.

NO BLAME ATTACHABLE TO MR ST. CLAIR.

An inquest was held at the Magistrate’s Luurt on Wednesday afternoon by Mr. SV. A. Barton;: District Coroner, concerning the death of Wairau Tohiriri,* who died at the Hospital tne previous day as the result of injuries sustained through colliding, with & trap near iMalcaraka- on Saturday night. lieivi Tohiriri, brother of deceased, said that he was a laborer at Mahia. Ho had seen the body of the deceased and identified it as that of liis brother, Wairau Tohiriri.

Frederick Gillies, one of the proprietors of the British Empire Stables said that he remembered the deceased stabling his horse last Saturday, and he left there about 6.20 p.m. He appeared to be sober, and showed no signs of liquor at all. James St. Clair, a dairyfarmer, at Makauri. said that on Saturday last ho was driving his mother and sister to town in a gig, about 7 o’clock. When about 200 yards on the town side of the railway crossing at Makaraka he noticed a vehicle that looked like a buggy was approaching from the opposite direction. It had two lights, and witness, whose gig was also lighted, pulled to the left to pass the. "road. Just as he pulled over he- saw a. horseman come from behind the buggy. Witness pulled up suddenly, and Iris mother and a child were thrown out of the gig. The first thing he saw was his mother lying underneath the wheels to avoid the horse trampling: on her. At that time he did not know where the Maori was, and he next heard someone groaning. The horse vit ness was driving commenced prance about- but witness quieted the animal, and when lie got out of the gig lie found the Maori' hanging on tile shaft, with his head downwards. He saw a horseman and he called to him to help witness and they got the deceased off the shaft. Witness then drove his mother to Dixon’s store, as she had' received a. considerable shock, and he returned to the scene of the accident and gave what assistance they could. Dr. Collins and! Constable Shaw arrived about half an hour later... Deceased was on the centre of the road and came over from behind the buggy. It was the Maori’s right leg that was injured. Dr. Rigg said that the deceased was admitted to the liospital about 9 p.m.. on Saturday, and he was suffering rrom an injury to the right thigh., and a small scalp- wound:,, and the middle finger on his left hand was torn. He was first treated outside by Dr. Collins, and the wounds dressed. The cause of death would be shock, and poisoning from the wound in the thigh. He died at 1.45 a.m. on Tuesday from the effects of the injuries. Mary St. Clair said that she was carrying on a dairy farm at Makauri. About on Saturday Last, accompanied by her son and daughter and a child four years old, she was coming to town in a gig. The 'amps were lighted. When about 20Q yards, on the Gisborne side of the railway line at Makaraka she noticed a vehicle coming towards them. Her son, who was driving, pulled his horse well to the left, and allowed the other trap plenty of ' room to pass. Then something crashed into them with great force, and the child and herself were thrown out. She remembered seeing something hanging on the shaft, and it looked to be a rug, bub it was the man’s body.. }->,.• Mounted Constable Shaw said that about 7 p.m. on Saturday last, acting upon instructions received from Sergt. Hutton, lie proceeded to Makaraka. He found the deceased lying on the roadside .where he had been attended to by Dr. Collins. He later conveyed him to the hospital. He was conscious all the way to the Hospital. '"Witness attempted to get a statement from him regarding the accident, but the deceased said he did not know how it happened. The Coroner returned a verdict that deceased, while riding on horseback along the Makaraka road, collided with a horse and gig, being driven bv James St. Glair in the opposite direction, thereby receiving serious wounds from which he died. He was of opinion that no blame whatever was attachable to Mr St. Clair.