Inquest Into The Death of Mr. William Falconer of Enfield 1891

An inquest was held yesterday at the Junction Hotel, on the body of William Falconer, who was accidentally run over and killed.

Messrs. R. Blair, T. Burke, A. Webster, R. Grenfield, T. Brook and D. McIntyre were sworn in as a jury and Mr. Blair was chosen as foreman.

Dr. Garland deposed to having been called to attend to deceased. He found him lying in Severn St. by the side of the road in a dying condition. He died a minute or two after his (witness') arrival. The cause of death was obviously shock to the system. Probably the intestines would be ruptured. From the time of the accident to the time of deceased's death would be not more than five minutes.

William Falconer, jun., son of the deceased, stated that he and his father had left home at seven o'clock, in charge of two teams.

He was in front of his father coming down Severn St. There would be about two and a half tons of grain on his father's dray. He heard his father call out "Willie" and when he turned round he saw his father lying by the roadside. He went back to him, but deceased never spoke again. Witness raised his father's head and called to Mr. Grenfield, who was passing in his cart, to go for a doctor. The horses his father was driving were quite quiet and the brakes and harness were in good order.

Joseph Grenfield, hotelkeeper, stated that he witnessed the accident. He gave evidence as to how the accident occurred as already detailed yesterday. He left after bringing the doctor and took one of the teams to the store and unloaded it. The horses were quiet but the brake was not very good. In his opinion the brake was not sufficiently good for a loaded dray on such a hill as Severn St.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

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