Diagnosis or cause of accident
Strangulation Kalgoorlie Miner, Friday 8 September 1905, page 2 MENZIES Sept 7. The adjourned inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of the late Francis O'Reilly, who recently met with an accident at the Menzies Consolidated mine at Woolgar, was held on Wednesday afternoon before the coroner (Mr. P. L. Gibsons) and a jury comprised-of Mr. W. Smith (foreman) and Messrs. T Bell and C. J. Harris. Lengthy evidence was tendered by various witnesses, including Mr. George Frefeman, the underground manager, who deposed that the deceased informed him that on the occasion of the accident he took hold of the truck by the tugs and pulled it backward. Being a strong man, the extra tug he gave it, pulled it into the bin In tipping the truck the deceased should have gone behind it, pushed it to the edge of the bin, fastened the rope to the hook at the rear of the truck, and tipped the contents of the truck into the ore bin. Had he done that the accident could not possibly have occurred? The arrangement of working the afternoon shift without a platman had been in force for about two years and was agreed to by the engine drivers. Dr. Corlis deposed he was present when Dr. Miskin, of Kalgoorlie, performed the post-mortem examination on the deceased, the examination being ordered by the coroner at the witness' suggestion to find the cause of death. On opening the chest Dr. Miskin discovered an effusion of blood around the right lung, the left organ being normal. The walls of the heart were very flabby, the auricular valve being also diseased. On opening the abdomen the liver and all the other organs were in a healthy condition, save the stomach which was protruding through the diaphragm, in which there was a two-inch rent. In his opinion, death was due to syncope of the heart, caused by the strangulation of a portion of the stomach in the diaphragm, which in itself would be sufficient to cause fatal results. In reply to the coroner, Dr. Corlis stated the rib had been healthy, as also was the wound on the skull. The jury retired and brought in a verdict that the deceased died from injuries received as the result of an accident at the Menzies Consolidated mine the result of his own negligence., there is no blame attachable to the management of the mine in any way.Mr. T. Arthur, general secretary of the Engine drivers' Association, and Mr. Ackand, of Kookynie, watched the proceedings in the interests of that association, Mr. Goninon representing the Menzies Consolidated management.

MSW
Married

Father
Francis OREILLY born 1846

Mother
Bridget FITZPATRICK born 1851