THE INQUEST.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2265, 28 October 1889, Page 3

THE INQUEST.

The inquest was held at the Commercial Hotel at half past one to-day, before Mr B. Alcorn, acting Ooronor, tnd a jary of whom Mr P. Wllllsmr was chosen Foreman.

The toting Coroner explained tbat the Avideoce of the driver and fireman of the train, would not be available till afie.tbe arrival of the express th»t evening. They oonld now view tbe body so tbat a certificate for burial might be given as decomposition would speedily set m, take what ev'denoa was now forthcoming, and then adjourn the farther hearing till the evening, ot till tomorrow by whloh time the men In question would have arrived from the south.

The jary deolded to hear what evidence vm forthcoming, and then adjourn till th« evening, Alter the jary had viewed the body the following evidence was called : — Samael Horsnell, tbe guard on the ■oath express on Saturday last, said that •boat 1.10 p.m. on tbat day as the train was approaching Windermere station, he heard a sharp whistle from the engine. Ha was sitting In the look ont m thß guard's van, snd had been so for some time previously. Directly he heard the whistle fat looked forward. He saw something, whleb, at the moment, he thonght to be a aheep, tarn two or three times m the air, having been thrown off the track by the engine. Be applied his brake as hard as possible, and looking ont of the window of the van saw that the objeot was a human being. The train stopped within a distance of about twioe Its length. He jumped ont and as •oon as it was safe and possiqle he > ttgnallad to bring tha train back. The dsiv» did so, and soon after starting back £© met a man ntmed Sklveos twinging thti body of a boy towards the train. Witness took the boy from the arms of the man a.^d placed hlax m the van on the floor, a.t<* nnder the care of Sir J, J. Klnsey, Jou* Forbes (of the Ohzistoharoh maiaam) and » Clergyman. Tbe boy was then alive. Witness then went forward to the driver, and told htm that they woold take the boy on to the Hinds. He then got the ptssCOgeM back into the train, and made a start. He then assisted to make tbe child ootf* "table but while these arrangements tfere being made tbe boy expired. The* top of tha head was split open, there a?' peariog to be a hole large enough to admit a fist. The riant arm and the right leg were broken. Tbe body was left at Che Hinds. At the time of the acoident the train was running at a speed of about thirty miles an hour. Witness had had a good deal of experience as a guard, and it #as nothing nnosuai to Bee such objects as bags and old clothes on the railway line. Tbe line at this particular point was bare of ballast. If the chi d had been lying fiat between the sleepers the train would have passed over it without causing injury. The driver of the engine, John Brooker, was a careful and experienced man. He did not kcow tbe name of the fireman. The accident took place two or three miles from any house. Dr Tweed said that he had on several occasions been consulted about the child bow deceased. The child was an epileptic idiot, subject to fits, and quite incapable of control, fie was not responsible for his actions, and quite insensible to fear and danger. He might have gone to sleep on the railway line, or he might have bad a fit tfcere ; bat even supposing that neither oi these was the case he was jast as likely as not to have sat down and looked at the engine ooming on him. Physloially, the boy was strong and healthy, with the exception of the fits and convulsions, whloh he frequently had several times* day* Edward Bell, manager of the jQhatmoss Bstate, said that he was the fathei of the deoeased. Tbe boy was of sound mind .until three years of age, bnt since then fiK< intellect became unsound, and he was not responsible for his actions m any way whatever He was not quite nine years old ; was ■tk' on K» healthy, and well grown. Missed him fr»? m tne houie at ahout 20 minutes to one on 9*turday, and at onoe sent the servant girl J" «>srob ot him. She not finding him, witness seat oat a station hard, and eadat>£ a horso went out himself. Witness galoped ap tbe Windermere mad, •» the boy had gone that way on the day previously. Wheo a few chains from the end of the toad he oaw tbe express pass, and when he got to ■the top of. the road be met a gentleman m i a boggy who told him that a boy had been can over by the train. Witness went on to the Hindi, and found the dead body of ills boy there. U w»a about a mile and a half from his house to the spot whore tbe aooldent ooenrred. The boy used to wander from bomea good deal, and had to 9>e constantly watohed. He had no control whatever ov<rr his actions, and m warm weafher was sub j act to epileptic fits— three And font fits d»liy . At thU fitsge the ll quest was adjourned ial seTan o'tflook, when the evident pt *M drirer and fireman oi the train will 1w