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How was Thomas Ridge related?

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquest was held by J. S. Browne, Esq,, S.M., and a Jury of twelve, of whom Mr Mullen was elected Foreman, on Saturday morning, at the late residence of the deceased, on the body of Mr Thomas Ridge, who had been found laying on Thursday at the foot of the banks of the River Light quite insensible, and died on the

following day from the injuries he had received. After viewing the body of the deceased the fol lowing evidence was taken ;—

Jeremiah Liddy examined:

By the Coroner—On Thursday afternoon;

about four o'clock, met a boy who was looking ; after some sheep who asked witness if he saw the man lying behind the target under the cliff ; told the boy to show him where; saw deceased lying at the bottom of the cliff on the Kapunda side of the river; went down and found him laying on the flat of his back and bareheaded ; did not recognise him as his colour was changed

by exposure to the sun ; he was still alive but unconscious and could not reply to witness who spoke to bim several times; the boy was with him at the time; looked round for the man's hat, and on the side of the cliff amongst the stones, fonnd his watch and the hat also, and by the

side of his boots he and the boy found 4/; Mr ' Dunden's girl then came and called out, ' O, Mr Ridge,' recognizing him; witness then felt at the arm which had been amputated and found it was him; witness, had sore eyes, that was how he did not notice the arm sooner; was going to Kapunda to fetch assistance, but met Mr. Spurr with his four horses and waggon, and he pulled up near the spot, and they went down and raised Mr Ridge, who opened one eye but did not speak; took him into the waggon when they made a comfortable bed for him with bags; did not go on with the waggon.

By the foreman—The cliff was a sloping one, and about twenty feet deep; it was on the Ka- punda side of the river.

Elijah Hart examined:

Ry the Coroner—-Knew deceased very well; saw him at the Agricultural dinner on Wednes-. day evening; after leaving the dinner he retired to another room and stopped a short time ; all he took (after leaving the dinner room), in company with his father-in-law, Mr John Ryan, was a bottle of sodawater and one nobbler, mixed, between the two; after talking a short time

they went out to get their horses from Mr Tyrie's stables; on witness going out to close the doors of the hotel they had the horse out ready and mado a start for home at about a quarter to

twelve.

By the Foreman—Considered that Mr Ridge was perfectly sober, and quite competent to take care of himself.

By the Coroner—Was quite satisfied that when deceased started for home he was not at all intoxicated.

Mr William Tyrie examined:

By the Coroner—Knew Mr Thomas Ridge; was in his company at the agricultural dinner on Wednesday evening; and after that was over went with him into an inside room where Mr Ridge and Mr Ryan had a bottle of soda-water and nobbler of brandy between the two; witness stood talking while they went round to his stables to get their horse; they came to the

door with the trap and started off for home; Mr Ridge was not at all intoxicated.

Mr John Ryan examined:

By the Coroner—Started from Kapunda in company with deceased, who was quite sober, on Wednesday evening in the trap; walked the horse as far as the Light, and then missed their way, and got up as far as the target; told deceased they had lost their way and they had better get out of the trap and they did so: tied up the reins to the back of the cart and led the mare back to the crossing place and found the road ; did not look back, but thought de ceased was behind, but on reaching the crossing found he was not, so witness called for Ridge, and cooeeyed as loud as he could; thought he had gone across the river to make a short cut home; witness followed his way home think ing he would have met him at the short cut, not doing so thought he had turned back to Kapunda to go to the Hamilton races next day, as he had a horse to run there; when witness got home his brother asked him where Ridge was, told him what had happened, saying he thought he had gone to the races which were to be on the next day; then told Mrs Ridge what happened, and said that he did not think there was any cause of alarm, as he thought deceased might have gone off to the Hamilton races, and said he would take the trap to meet him ; had heard Mr Ridge say that he intended to go to the races; met Dan Maddan taking Mr Ridge's horse to the races on the Thursday morning.

By a Juror—Thought Mr Ridge was following him, but not finding him when witness got to the crossing, made sure he had taken the short cut, which was not a third of the distance; would not have left him had he thought he was in toxicated.

Dr Blood examined:

By the Coroner—Was a legally qualified prac- - titioner; was fetched out to see Mr Ridge at between seven and eight o'clock, at Richard Haimes's; found he was labouring under con cussion of the brain with a strong tendency to convulsions; examined him and found no ex ternal sign except a small bruise on the left cheek; prescribed for him, and saw him early on Friday morning, and there was but very little chance of his recovery, as inflammation was very active; deceased was unconscious; Dr. Brack and himself seeing a very unfavou rable symptom, concluded there was little chance of recovery; he (witness), was going into Adelaide and Dr Brack was to see him on the

middle of the day on which he died; thought that his being exposed to the cold of the night and then to the heat of the son, had hastened death—deceased having sustained concussion of the brain in the fall he would be unable to move, aud the subsequent exposure to the change of temperature from the great cold to excessive heat would induce strong inflammation.

The Coroner stated that he himself was with Mr Ridge on the evening of the dinner up to ten o'clock, and at that time he was not at all under the influence of drink.

Corporal O'Brien stated that he was sitting alongside Mr Ridge at the dinner, and six of them in number had a bottle of ale and a bottle of porter between them, and after the tab'e was cleared Mr Ridge called for two bottles of wine, also, between the same six, besides passing glasses of it to others who passed by; left about eleven o'clock and Mr Ridge was quite sober, one of the bottles of wine being then untouched.

The Jury, without retiring, returned a verdict, that "Deceased came to his death accidentally from falling over a cliff and subsequent expo sure to the extremes of weather.

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