Person:Thomas Devon (1)

(from our own correspondent.)

June 20.

A serious accident case was brought into the Border Hospital on Thursday last from the New South Wales side of the river. It appears that a young man named James Holland, a wallaby shooter, was engaged in pegging out a wallaby skin. While doing this a mate of his named Thos. Devon came up to him. Devon was carrying a loaded rifle under his arm, and while talking to Holland made a movement to lower the weapon to the ground. While doing this his elbow or some part of his arm must have caught the trigger, for the charge exploded, and the ball struck his mate on the shoulder as he was stooping over the skin upon which he was working. The bullet took a downward direction and penetrated the side, badly fracturing a rib in its course. It has not yet been extracted. Holland has made a statement, in which he fully exonerates Devon from all blame.

Word reached town last night of a case of suicide at Boronga. A man well known here by the nickname of "Cockey" was found dead that rooming hanging from a tree close to the Boronga homestead. He is supposed to have taken his own life, although no particular reason for his doing so is apparent.

The weather is now bright and cold, all appearance of more rain having passed off.

An inquiry into the circumstances of the death of Thomas Devon, an old man, who was injured when stepping off a tram in Scott-street on 26th March, and died in the hospital on Tuesday, was conducted at the Newcastle courthouse yesterday morning by Mr. C. Hibble, District Coroner. Mr. W. C. Murray, tramway superintendent, represented the department, and Sergeant Hickey the police. The evidence showed that Gordon E. Brown, casual tram conductor, who was on duty on the Mayfield tram on the night of 26th March, had seen Devon lying on the ground after the tram stopped at the Newcastle railway station, and before it had started again. Brown assisted him into a cab. While being taken to the hospital, Devon said he had fallen while getting out -- that it was his own fault. To Daniel Godfrey, hall porter at Newcastle Hospital, Devon had stated that he had been either knocked down or had fallen, and that he could not blame anyone for what had happened. Dr. John Harris had seen the deceased at the hospital on the night of the accident. He was suffering from a fracture of the ? of the left thigh bone. The usual treatment was adopted, but the man died on Tuesday afternoon. He was at very old man. The catse of death was exhaustion. Deceased was suffering from urinary trouble and the confinement in bed contributed to his death. The bone became very thin in old people, and the slight jar caused by stepping off a kerbstone or off a tram might cause it to break. In very old people the bone would not knit. The evidence of the conductor as to the tram being stationary was corroborated by the driver, John Bottrill, and the fireman, James Lyons. Deceased had been living at 30 King-street for over three years, but very little was known of him. He was 78 years of age, a native of Scotland and has a sister in Queensland. Devon was an old age pensioner, and had no property. He had told Mrs.T. M'Conville, with whom he had lodged, that he did not know how the accident happened, and he did not blame anyone. The Coroner found that deceased had died as a result of an injury accidentally received when stepping off the tram-car. Mrs. M'Conville informed the Coroner that she desired to bear the expense of the funeral. She was told that it was not incumbent upon her to do so; but she said she strongly wished to do so.