Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Tuesday 12 April 1892, page 3


INQUESTS

FATAL FALL DOWN A QUARRY

The City Coroner held an inquest yesterday in the South Sydney Morgue upon the body of a firemnan named Edward Slater, who had been found lying dead at the bottom of a quarry at Pyrmont on Saturday.

Elizabeth Green, a domestic servant residing at Pyrmont, stated that the deceased was a widower, leaving neither children nor property. He was of intemperate habits. He had resided in a boardinghouse in Kent-street. He was about 40 years of age, and a native of Ireland.

Katie McCrae stated that at about half-past 8 o'clook on Saturday morning she was at Purgatory Quarry, off Crown-road, Ultimo, in company with another little girl named Rubie Irvine, gathering chips, when she saw the deceased lying on a plank on his back at the bottom of the quarry. She ran home, and the police were informed.

Dr. Frederick Milford said he had examined the body of deceased and found that life had been extinct about 60 hours. He found many fractures of bones and bruises on the body. He was of opinion that death was duo to shock to the system, the result of the injuries lie found on the body. Those injuries might have been caused by falling from, the height of 50ft. or 60ft. down the face of the quarry. All the injuries were of recent origin, and had been inflicted at or about the same time.

Constable Robert Hendon stated that he was in-formed of the occurrence, and had recovered the body. The plank on which the deceased lay was about 12ft. long, and about a foot wide.

By a juror: He had not heard of anyone having put the deceased on the plank.

The jury returned a verdict of found dead. As a rider they added that the quarry should be fenced

in.