From Western Post and Mudgee Newspaper 19 October 1861 POLICE COURT Friday, October 18th Present - The Police Magistrate, His Worship the Mayor, and G H COX, Esq., J.P. Joseph CROSSLAND was fined 10s or 24 hours' imprisonment, for being drunk. Bridget LOUTTON was summoned for £7, for wages due. Mr. JAMES appeared for the defendant. Elizabeth PASCOE said she was engaged by defendant to wash and do other house work at the rate of 5s per day; she had served twenty-eight days, and was unable to obtain the amount due to her; she could not say how long, or what month she had engaged with defendant. Bridget LOUTTON denied engaging defendant for longer than a single day, for which she paid her 5s; having know her for some time, she was in the habit of calling frequently at the house, when she sometimes washed up the dinner things, in return she had her meals; complainant always came for her own pleasure and having known her for some time, she (defendant) assisted her. There being no other evidence, the case was dismissed. William BISHOP, summoned under the Masters and Servants Act for £13 15s. Peter GUYLEEMONI said he hired to clear about five acres of ground for £13, and to make a water hole for 15s; the work was completed according to the agreement, but defendant refused to pay any money. Defendant denied having engaged complainant; the land belonged to Mrs. WARREN, who was willing to pay the money as soon as the contract was completed. He (defendant) was only a witness to the agreement. Complainant said BISHOP hired him, showed him the land, and was satisfied when he saw the work done. Stephen BYRONDLODGER, was present when the agreement was made; the stumps were to be taken out one foot deep, all holes to be filled up, the logs to be cut up into pieces and rolled to the fence; nothing was said about the roots being taken up; he saw the work when it was partly done, and it was finished according to agreement; he had not been on the ground since. For the defence. Mrs. WARREN said the ground belonged to her; she had engaged with a man of the name of WRITER to clear it, and to take out all roots, so that it might be fit for the plough. He gave her a written agreement to that effect, which she produced, and which she said she had read to the complainant when he agreed to do the work in the place of WRTIER. The land was now in a worse state than when the complainant first went upon it. The Bench said, from the evidence, the case did not come under the Masters' and Servants' Act, and that they had no jurisdiction; they, therefore, dismissed it. INQUEST On Thursday, W KING, Esq., the Coroner for this district, held an inquest at Stoney Pinch, upon the body of William P HODGE, lying dead there. William HYSLOP deposed that he was acquainted with deceased, who he knew as William Patten WATT. On Wednesday he gave him directions to hold a log on one side with a handspike; a person of the name of HODGE and himself went to the other end of the log, and succeeded in removing it about three feet, when perceiving the log rolling he called to the deceased to get out the way, the log shortly after struck him on the calf of the leg, knocked him down, and then rolled over him. When he (witness) got up to him he found the blood rushing from his mouth. Robert Neal HODGE said deceased, William Patten WATT or HODGE was his grandson; they were yesterday engaged moving a heavy log down a steep hill; it rolled rather too far, and deceased attempted to stop it with a handspike. He got a little in front of the log, when the handspike happening to fall from his hand the log caught him on the leg and rolled over him, he immediately afterwards took him up in this arms a lifeless corpse. Notice was at once sent to Mudgee. Arthur Thomas PIGGOTT CUTTING stated that he was a duly qualified medical practitioner; he had examined the body, and was of opinion that death was caused by violent cerebral compression. The jury returned a verdict, that the deceased came to his death by the rolling of a log accidentally over his body. ***END*** N.B. All care has been taken to transcribe the above accurately, however errors may have been inadvertently made. Spelling of names/places should be as appears in original. Transcribed from microfilm available from the State Library. Annette Piper Coolah NSW