| INQUEST AT NARROMINE
On Saturday last an inquest was conducted by the District Coroner (Mr. B. G. Dulhunty, J.P.) at the residence of Mr. Graham Smith, Cornucopia, Narromine, touching the death of a young man named Lester Norman.
Graham Smith, grazier, residing at Cornucopia, deposed that he knew deceased, who since September ,22 bad been in his employment; his ,duties were to milk and make himself generally useful; he was a very good rider; amoungst his duties was the taking of rations to the men on the property when required ; these men were during the previous week camped about a mile away; deceased had his own pony, but he had another horse from the properly to use if required; it was against witness's orders that he was on Friday riding the horse he used; there was about £5 10s owing to him by witness; heard on Friday that deceased had met with an accident; deceased was unconscious when he died; last saw him alive about 2 p.m. that day; deceased gave him a weeks notice to leave; on his (witness's) return from town found deceased lying in an unconscious state on a bed in the house; the doctor had been sent for and witness met him on the road; deceased died about 9.45 p.m.; he was always a quiet steady man to witness's knowledge; had never known him to be under the influence of drink; had seen a dead belar tree (about a quarter of a mile from the house) on which there were tracks as if a horse had knocked against it; found horsehair and small particles of skin on the tree; the horse that deceased had been riding was sore from colliding evidently with a tree; just above where the horse had struck it, there was a mark on the tree as if a body had struck it.
Edward Jennings, labourer, employed by Mr. G. Smith, Cornucopia, deposed that he knew deceased, who was in his company on Friday about 4 p.m. they decided to go out to the harvesters' camp about a mile away; they were both riding; deceased was riding a horse the property of Mr. Smith; it was not customary for the men to ride that horse; witness suggested to deceased to ride it as it was a quiet one, and his (deceased's) horse was away at the time; deceased was carrying a parcel for the cook at the camp; witness got on a bit ahead, and on looking back saw that the parcel had partially come undone and was dangling; then saw the horse shy, and next saw the horse and man lying at the foot of a tree; went back and picked the deceased up, but found he was unconscious ; went back and got help; got a stulky and brought him to the (house when they picked deceased up to put him in the sulky he was conscious and asked how it happened; he complained of a pain in his head ; deceased was 18 years of age; he was inclined to be a fast and careless rider; was 40 or 60 yards from him when he fell.
Dr. Rowlands, Government Medical Officer, Narromine district, deposed that on previous day he received a call to Cornucopia; found there a man suffering from a severe bruise on the neck, and cuts on the head; there "was no fracture of the skull ; the man was afterwards found to be suffering from compression of the brain, the result of bleeding between the skull and the brain ; when examined by witness as stated he was able to answer questions when roused, and did not show any distinct signs of compression, and there were no symptoms by which witness could locate the clot ; an operation could not be under taken; later the man died, and witness by the Coroner's direction performed a post mortem examination; found a large clot of blood between the skull and the brain in the temporal region,which in witness's opinion was the cause of death; coming in contact with a tree would cause such a wound; the jugular vein was ruptured, which would cause the bruise noticeable on the neck.
S. C. Norman, brother of deceased (and also employed at Cornucopia), and Constable Reddan gave evidence.The jury returned a verdict that the deceased met his death on Friday by being accidentally dashed against a tree whilst riding on horseback.
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