DEATH OF MRS. BLACK

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 42, 13 November 1919, Page 4

DEATH OF MRS. BLACK

EVIDENCE AT TUE INQUEST

OPEN VERDICT RETURNED

The adjourned inquest on Mabel Black, wife of i)oicdive E. G. Black, who wae knocked down by a taxi-cab and killed, w;\s yesterday resumed before the Coroner, '.Mr. W. Ci. Hiddel), S.M., at tho courthouse. JMective-Kergeant Scott conducted' the inquiry for the police, and Mr. E. 51. lii'cchev appeared for the driver of tho taxi. Beuct Barker Williams. William Evans, labourer, said that on Thursday. November C, ho was in Coui'tenav Place, and at about 2.25 p.m. lie proceeded to cross towards Majoribanka Street, when ho saw the taxi run into tho deceased. He had not noticed tho motor-car till it hao: struck deceased. There was no other traffic about—tho street was clear. The car went right nver the. deceased, and pulled up a full 40 or 00 feet away from where tho deceased was lying. Detective-Sergeant Scott: Did you notice the - condition of the motor-car driver? Witness: 1 did. I could smell liquor on him. To Mr. Bettihey: Witness ditf not suggest that the motor-car driver was under the influence of liquor. Deceased was not running, but walking, nor did she hesitate. AVitncss was positive that no horn was sounded. Winter Charles IWar, cadet in the head office of the Post and Telegraph Department, said that he was standing near a building undergoing reconstruction at the intersection of Kent Terrace and Courtenay Plnco on the afternoon in uuestion, antf noticed a motor-car proceed over tho crossing at a fast speed. Hβ snw deceased walking across towards Courtenny Place. As far as he could see neither the driver nor deceased saw eaoh other till tho car was almost on tlm latter. As soon as deceased saw the car she started to run, but tho car, without slackening speed, ran into her, and the oil wheels went right over her. Doccaseo.' screamed as tho car struck her. The car travelled on till it drew up near tho curbing. Alice Barry Martin said that, toEciher with Ivy Alice Stevens, she was crossing towards tho tram terminus from Maioribauke Street on tho afternoon in nuestion when she saw a motor-car approaching at a fust speed from the direction of Kent Terrace. Mr. Beechcy: What drtew your attention to tbo taxi?—" The epeed it was eoing at." .' Was not it the horn?-"No; I did not hear nnv horn." Continuing, witness said that almost as soon as the car struck deoeased she was underneath tho cnr. Tho Magistrate (to Mr. Bcccheyb Do you propose to submit the drive* for examination? You neeo; not do so unless vou like. Mr. Beeehey said that be had no ol>inclion. and explained that tho driver tlionriit that his course was clear, and went straight on. He proposed to call nvnlence. Marv Elizabeth Powell, a psBcnaer in the taxi, said that the taxi was not. i ravelling at a speed greater than that of a. tramcar crossing the intersection; Witness was positive that •the horn was sounded. ~ „ , , The driver of the taxi said that no was licensed in June last, and had not had nnv accident prior to November b last. He was proceeding down Kent Tnrraoo at about fifteen niilps per hour, with the last witness as a. passenger. He was hound for tho Public Trust Office. As he was about to enter the crossing he noticed a lacy in a white coat crossin" towards the trainsheda. When witi ness sounded the horn deceased stopped momentarily and then proceeded on Ho I was then between tliirty-ilve and forty i vards off. His direction was to go along Courtenav Place behind the tramsheds. He reduced bis speed to minimise the bump over the tram lines. He would then bo travelling at. ten miles an hour. As ho approached the tramway po.rt in the centre of the crossing, deceased was proceedin" on, and he doubted whether she had sf*n witness. He then sounded his hor.i again, with tho result that ceI erased slopped, went back, and then mine- forward again, and again went back. Thinking his course wae cleaT, witness wont on with his footbrake on, rpclucini speed all the way. Suddenly Mir Bl.icl/ran .qut, and ho could .not avoid her-she was struck by Upright mudguard. • ' . .• Constable John Hunt go.vo formal e«dence. , _~.,. Mr. Beeehey willed Fred William M'Courtie. assistant-motor inspector, who gave evidence to the effect that Williams was a licensed driver and a good driver, and as far as the city corporation was concerned he had eatistieil all I the requirements ior a license.

Open Verdict Returned. In giving his verdict the Coroner eaid ihat tho evidence in the case showed Hint the deceased was a young woman who had left her home at about 2.20 p.m. on November 0 to go into tJie city, nnd at about 2.30 p:m. was knocked down bv a motor-car driven by the witness Williams, and killed. The weight or r\idi«noe went to show that tho cur was travolliiu at a fairly high rate of speed. The driver staled that lie was coming ilown Kent Ternico and proceeded to muss tiie intersection in ibe usual itirec tion for the purpose of going into the eitv. Ho stated he sounded his horn twice, and also slowed down his speed. However, the weight of evidenco was against that,' and ho must accept tho evidence of the independent witnesses, who ernied that tho car did not slacken i>6 snee.l. The erasing was a dangerous one. and in order to protect pedestrian nnd other traffic a by-law had been introduced limiting the speed to six miles m>. hour ever crossing, 'i'ho driver ot tho car also staled that the accident was (Inn to the deceased going forward, then back, then forward again, and then back nnd then forward again, but other witnesses had stated that Mrs. Black continued on her way, and the weight ot evidenco whs against the driver en this uoiiit also. The Coroner did not propose to bring in any direct finding of negligence on the part of tho driver, as tho innncst was simply held to nnd out ilio cause of dentil. However, other .proceedings could bo taken. The verdict would b» an open one. Hβ considered that the driver of a motor-ear travelling at i-iL'ht miles an hour should be a bio to pull up his en r promptly. The verdict would be that tho deceased Mabel Illnc; died as a result of injuries received' through bring knocked down by a aiotorrar driven by Benet Barker Williams on November 6.