Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA) Wednesday 4 May 188765813

FATAL ACCIDENT.

By a vehicle accident which occurred in
George-street, Claraville, on Saturday morn
Mr. David Virgo, farmer, of Mil Lei, and
his wife, received dreadful injuries, from the
affect of which the former died a few hours
afterwards. They were driving through that
suburb of the town shortly after 10 a.m., de
livering butter to customers. Mrs. Virgo had
been serving a woman named Mrs Howell, in
George-street, leaving her husband sitting in
the buggy. After the interview Mrs Virgo
resumed her seat in the vehicle, and had only
just done so, when the horse, a young one,
which, it was observed, had been impatient,
started off rapidly, as if frightened. What
startled it is not known, Mr, Virgo tried to
pull it in, but could not, and it dashed along
George-street and aroung Bertha-street, where
the vehicle was capsized and broken against
Mr W. Peacock's gate, about 100 yards from
where it started off. The two occupants, who
were aged people, were thrown out, and it is
thought Virgo's head struck the gate post of  
the fastenings. When picked up it was found
that his head, just above the left side of the
forehead, was fractured, and that he had sus
tained other severe injuries. He was quite
insensible. Mrs. Virgo waa found to have her
right arm broken (the fracture being a com
ound one) and the main artery severed,
her collar bone fractured, two ribs broken,
and to be suffering from other severe
bodily damage. The sufferers were conveyed
to the Hospital, where their injuries were at
once attended to, Mr, Virgo died about three
hours after admission, having never recovered
consciousness. Mrs, Virgo was in a very
dangerous state on Saturday, but was rather
better next day, and has since shown signs of
improvement.

INQUEST.
An inquest on the body of David Virgo, was
held on Sunday afternoon by Mr. J. P. Stow,
S.M., at the Hospital. The evidence heard
gives full details of every circumstance con
nected with the accident except what caused
the horse to bolt. The following Jury was
sworn: C. How, Morgan (foreman), Thomas
Morris, John Mawson, Arthur Hayes, Fred
erick Hammer, Robert Pickering, William
Neale, Jas. Keegan, Guatav Altmann, Thomas
Waldie, John Bright, John Marks, Charles
Smith, and Joseph Henry Taylor.
The Jury having viewed the body witnesses
were called by Corporal Montagu.
Mary Gillett, wife of Thomas Gillett, coach
builder, said she lived in Claraville. On
Saturday morning she saw a woman, whom
she thought was Mrs Virgo, get into a buggy
at Mrs Howell's in George-street, Claraville.
Deceased had been sitting in the vehicle about
half-an-hour. Immediately after the woman
got in she noticed that the man had completely
lost power over the horse, which bolted and
drew the vehicle violently against Mr.
Peacock's fence in Bertha-street, Saw no  
more until the horse broke their (Gillett's)
fence and entered their garden. It left the
vehicle outside the fence. Saw deceased lying
in Mr Peacock's gateway. Heard the crash,
but did not see either deceased or his wife
thrown out. The horse seemed a little bit
fidgetty before Mrs Virgo got in. , It seemed
as though the moment the woman got in the
horse started off.
Mary Pickering, wife of Robert Pickering,
Institute librarian, said she was standing
alongside one of the butchers' carts at about
half-past 10 o'clock on Saturday morning when
she saw Virgo's horse bolt, and in a minute or
two the trap was tipped over at Mr, Peacock's
gate. Both Mr and Mrs Virgo were in it at
the time. Saw Mrs Virgo after the accident,
and saw she was very much hurt. The horse
went a very short distance before the vehicle
capsized. Deceased could not hold the horse in.
Reuben E. Fidge, laborer, said that about  
10 o'clock on Saturday morning he was sitting
inside his father's house, when he heard a
noise as of a bolting horse, and went out to see.
Saw Mr, and Mrs Virgo lying at Peacock's
gate. Assisted to lift them up, and ran for
Dr. MacDonald. Did not notice any train
passing about that time.
James Crouch, laborer, said that on Satur-
day morning, hearing the noise of a vehicle
travelling very fast, he went out to see, and
saw some people bringing a horse with harness
on out of Gillett's garden, and other people
standing round Peacock's gate-way in Bertha
street. Saw a pool of blood in the gate-way,
and some people holding deceased up and bath
ing his face. Took the horse away and found
the off trace was broken at the collar buckle
hole. It was worn through almost to a thread.
The near trace was not so much worn. The
breeching and hip straps were broken, but
they did not look worn. Deceased was never
conscious after the accident. By a juror -
Thought the horse was frightened by the trace
breaking. Deceased could not have struck the
gate, he thought, when the wheel struck the
embankment on Peacock's side. The trap went
over on its side, and then the horse righted it,
and went across to the other side of the road.
The train did not come up till along time after.
The horse was a young one, but seemed quiet
enough.
Dr A. W. Powell said the deceased was ad-
mitted to the Hospital about 12 o'olock on
Saturday. He was quite unconscious, and had
an extensive scalp wound on the left side above
the forehead. Some stitches had been put in,
which he removed, and found large quantities
of cerebral matter exuding. Just above the
super-orbital ridge there was a large hole with
the bone quite depressed, so that one could put
his finger in. It was from there the brain was
exuding. The crack in the skull extended over
six inches. These injuries were the cause of
death, and the case was quite a hopeless one
from the first. By a juror -Death ensued
about three hours after admission, Mrs Virgo
was in a dangerous state and could not undergo
examination.
John R. Sage, butcher, said that on Satur
day morning he was delivering meat in
Claraville and was in the same street as
deceased at the time the accident occurred.
Hearing a horse rush off he turned round and
saw deceased's horse going up the street as hard
as it could go, Mr. and Mrs Virgo were in
the trap. Saw the trap turn over and both
were tipped out into a gateway. Thought it
was the kerb the trap struck when it turned
over. It must have been righted again, because
he saw the horse afterwards going round the
corner with it. By the time witness got up to
the trap the horse was out of it, and got into
one of the gardens. All the things that were
in the trap were on top of Mr. and Mrs. Virgo.
Pulled them off and lifted Mrs. Virgo up, and
two women took her away. Then lifted up
deceased, who was lying in a pool of blood, and
was quite unconscious. The large cut on the
side of his head he covered over with a white
cloth that was in the trap. Washed his face
with cold water and then deceased groaned a
little. Laft him in charge of two men and
went away. By the Jury -Deceased was
lying on his left side doubled up nearly inside
the gateway, and his wife at his back. Thought
deceased was thrown out and struck his head
against the gate fastening, When the horse
was running deceased was trying to pull it in.
He lost a large quantity of blood.
The Coroner having said a few words, the
Jury consulted and returned a verdict as
follows: -
That the deceased, David Virgo, came to his death
through being thrown out of his vehicle through his
horse bolting and upsetting his vehicle, and that it
was purely accidental.