Inquest 1840-1866 VPRS1920 153/53 SCOWEN John, dray passed over him, Melbourne, adult, died 1853. [153]

p1 An inquest on view of the body of John Scowen March 14th 1853. Accidental death from a dray passing over deceased - he being intoxicated.

p2 Colony of Victoria
Edward Slater, labourer, residing in the City of Melbourne and Colony aforesaid - Sworn.
The deceased was my mate, his name John Scown. We had been working together at Mount Alexander. On Saturday evening last, the 12th March when I had just started from the Crown Hotel with a bullock team for the diggings, Deceased was riding on the fore part of the dray, I had not proceeded many yards when someone shouted out to me and on looking round I saw the deceased on the ground and the off wheel of said dray was just passing over his body. I immediately stopped the bullocks and then ran back to deceased who was by this time supported in the arms of another person. He seemed near death at the time and expired in a few minutes. He was under the influence of liquor when we started. A constable then arrived on the spot and a doctor was sent for.
Edward Slater.
Taken and acknowledged this 14th day of March 1853 in Melbourne before N.S. Wilmot Coroner

p3 Colony of Victoria
John Boak Brown, constable, residing in the City to wit of Melbourne and Colony aforesaid - Sworn.
Whilst on duty on the afternoon of Saturday the 12th of March when I heard a boy cry out that a man was run over and I went immediately to the spot. I found the deceased on my arrival had expired. I sent for a Doctor immediately who came shortly and pronounced him to be dead. A dray with ten bullocks was in advance of where I saw the deceased lying on the ground about five yards and I saw a person in the act of picking him up when I arrived at the spot.
John Boak Brown
Taken and acknowledged this fourteenth day of March 1853 in Melbourne, before N.S. Wilmot Coroner

p4 [Consists of signatures of the twelve men and their seals.]

p5 Colony of Victoria
An inquisition taken for our Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria in the City of Melbourne and Colony aforesaid the fourteenth day of March in the sixtieth year of the reign of our said Lady the Queen before N.S. Wilmot W/ Coroner of our said Lady the Queen in the said Colony on view of the body of John Scowen then and there lying dead upon the oath of Henry Towns Knox - Charles Griffin - Frederick George Andrews - Edward Curren - Richard Alexander Montgomery - John Shelly - Patrick Kennedy - John Otely - William Ashton - William Simonds - Edward Busby - Henry Pierson - good and lawful men of the said colony duly chosen and who being then and there duly sworn and charged to inquire for our said Lady the Queen when where how and by what means the said John SCOWEN was accidently killed in consequence of falling from a certain bullock dray in which he was riding at the time, the off wheel of said dray passing over the body of the said John Scowen occasioned so much injury that he expired in a few minutes afterwards. The said John Scowen was under the influence of liquor at the time.
In witness whereof as well the said Coroner as the Jurors aforesaid have to this inquisition.