Enginedriver On Charge Of Manslaughter

Chronicle (Levin), 14 June 1948, Page 3

Enginedriver On Charge Of Manslaughter

BLENHEIM, June 12. The preliminary hearing of evidence on Ihe charges of manslaughter against Joseph Wiliiam Gurr, driver of the south-bouud express train which crashed near Seddon on Februavy 25, began before J.P. 's in the Megistrate's Court today. Gurr faces two charges of manslaughter, the iirst in vonnection with the death of Gwendoline Rose Cresswell, and the second relative to the deaths of Kathleen Margaret Flvger, Ettie Irene 'Shields, Rose Alma -Shields, Stephen Henry Warman, and Ro'naidSpencer Hawkins. The first evidence given was that of Clarence Erl Lortie, a former R'ailways Dcpartment piatelayer, who was a passenger on the train, who said that soon after the train left Seddon he made a coiuplaint that it was travelling too fast to make the curves. "Then I felt a jolt and saw a.--cloud of dust. All I felt at the baclc of the train was two or three sliort jolts and I then reached out and pulled the air brake. " Later, witness said there was another railwayman in the carriage and he went to pull the emergency brake, but witness beat him to it. Witness, who claimed experience in several countries as an engine-driver, said that no express on which he had been a pasesnger travelled at anything like the speed of this train. The preliminary evidence was taken because the witness intends shortly to leave for America. Further witnesses, probably uumbering 30, will be heard j-n Blenheim on June 28.