STREET MUSICIAN'S DEATH.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1683, 25 February 1913, Page 6

STREET MUSICIAN'S DEATH.

THE iNaUESI. taxi-driver's evidence. HOW THE.ACCIDENT HAPPENED. Death of Guiseppo Pisani, street musl* cian, who was run down by, a taxi, cab in tho , vicinity of tho Burlington Cafe on Friday evening last, farmed lh« subject of inquiry at an inquost hold by the City, Coroner (Dr. M'Arthur) yeslcr.' day. • ■ . ■' ! ," ■.'■'■- Senior-Sergeant Mullaney'' represented the police. Mr. T. M. Wilfbrd appeared i lor tho owner of the car (Mrs.'-JNigTitin.: gale), and Mr. J. J. M'Grath for Gejrgo Stuart S. Neigh;-the driver. Mr. G, 13. Jackson represented the relatives of tho deceased. . .■,-'! ' Georgo Stuart ■ Ncish, driver: ot thtf tnxi-cal>; stated that ho was driving along , Lainbton Quay and into Willis Street at about 7.45 a'cioclc on Friday evening last. When turning into Willis Street he was at the rear of a tranicar, which he. fol- i lowed/Until opposito to-the Singer Sewing Machine'Co.'s premises. • The fiont 'wheels then skidded to tho right, and os witness was, endeavouring to get back on to his proper side,!.he noticed' a man. crossing the road and carrying a harp {or something) on his left sliouldcr. tho trout ot tho car (one of the head lamps) struck tho harp, and deceased was knock, ed down, Witness 6toppcd the car iti about its own leilgth. A passenger, who was sitting in front with witness,' got out buioro tho car stopped, and ran back': to tho injured man's assistance. Wl\<n. witness alighted ho found deceased lying on tho road, and Unconscious. Deceased " was put into tho inotor-car, and wituoss drove off to tho hospital. Ho then returned to tho Lambton Police Station, • and reported the matter. v • '.-•■'.. To Sergeant Mullaney: Deceased was walking from tho Grand Hotel Bide to' '-•' tho Empire Hotel side of JVillis Street,' The harp which he was carrying was fao. > ing witness. Witness.admitted, he felt the car, bump over something which ho thought was-tho harp. The deceased was' 1 , lying face upwards on the road. It woa raining hard at tho time of, tho accident,■•'", Tho .wet roads ••- and tires caused the car) ■ to skid. Ho said that; tho. cor skidded .... some four or five feet to the tight. . ",' To Mr. M'Grath: Ho had known other ' cars to skid under similar conditions. Ha did not sco deceased before tho car skidded. Witness was going at about four : ! miles an hour at tho time of the accident.?'.:, Ho considered that the deceased carrying , tho harp, in tho position it was in wuldl . : not have seen any approaching vehicle's \:' The harp was covered, and that made'iti' j more difficult for deceased to see.' , ;'■'" '■-', Mr. Wilford cross-examined.witness as ■; regards his position on the'road,,arid tho brakes on the car. In regard to tho' : 'tires, .witness said that ho hadEo-uilled 1 : non-skid tiros ou his car, "Thero iB, in my opinion, no such thing as non-skid; tires,' said witness. To Mr. Jackson: The 6treet was dark at the time of tho accident. Ho w.as nob:-< , driving at eight miles ad hour. Deceased;*•'.' .was crossing the Btreet at right angles. Witness did not attempt, to pass tha tram, which ho followed round the coN' net-. ' -.•'■'■ Dr. Woodhousc, acting-supbriritendorit',': of the Public Hospital, said that de<-. ; ceased was admitted to tlio hospital at'B'.' p.m.' on Friday Inst in a semi-conscious-'.;' condition. Witness- described, the ln« •■ 'juries on deceased's body,'and'said ha--'! died without gaining consciousness at Ift ■■ . p.m. on February 21.-.ln witness's opitU'■•:'■.. ion deceased died from'shock following.: concussion of tho brain. : <~ ' To Mr. Wilford:, Witness said that there we're no marks on deceased's body thati diowed. that ft motor-car, hod passed,, over'him. ~. ■■,',-.-■ .■'•',"!'■• ,~, -. ~ : Olaf Jacob'sen, a passenger,in.- the car, yrho sat next to .Ncish, also gavo! en-""■■'.-dence. • <.' ■• , - . ~ ~ ,'.:'.' ' ; Sergeant Mullaney asked witness wh«k, ,mado him take notice of the'position 01. • ;tho car. Not receiving n, direct answer, ■'■ . the said-something'to the'.effects,,. that witness liad a conversation - '.with' I ',' Ncish> and-;they had decided to make'. ..similar statements..';,■',,]■ •'"'' ;..'•..,.:•.,..•■;.■; ; >To this witness replied in" tlio ncßative^; Mr. WilfordvThis is a' seriouschargo ■. to make.- ' ■'• • .'... '.'~,-r: •»■■■ , Tho sergeant explained 'that he only wanted to get tho.witness's reason for taking so much notice as to tho position, of tho car.'. '. ■ '.'-..'•',.',-. , Witness said that he iiad'only spoken ~ .with Neish once since tho accident,' and" that was in the presence of the police. ~:■' . Lionel G. White,'a youth ai?ed 17years, '; said that ho saw the whole nooidont. ■", Tho car turned into Willis Street on-.itj.'' wrong side. He 6aw-tha car striko tho, ~ liorp oarricd-¥y tho deceased, who fe11,.. !< and a wheel of the car passed, over, him, , 'near his head. Witness clearly saw this. .He-did not sea tho car stop. Witnesi ; then drew a plan of the accident, and 'marked tho various points. ' To Mr. Jackson: Ho did not notice th« car skid. He noticed': that tho ( hood ot 'tho car wris lip, and itvttppeared to striko tho harp first. £?£>-. '■''. ,\\ , '_'.'"'.'! ' Evidence was also'given by Albort H.' • Muhdy, Thomas J.'.'Tiljjrd, and Percy" .■ ; James. i , ■'■:• •■'.. • His Worship, said: "Deceased was acci*. dentally killed iii Willis' Street on tho, evening of February 21 while attempting ' • tto cross the road by a motor-car drivon ,• .by Georgo Stuart. Neish;' '"From ' wa'" '~ weight of evidence it appears that. tho car skidded to the right, and struck de» coasod's harp Tho' cause, of "death waS ;•'•' duoto, sliock,' following concussion of th# •. brain, tho concussion: being the result ot 'the fall to the ground." -..'•-,