Fatal Accidents on the Railway.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 224, 22 March 1895, Page 2

Fatal Accidents on the Railway.

; MR J. R. HAMPER' MEET3 WITH i A .SHOCKING^ DEA.TH(Per Press WEiiiNGTON. March 21. Mr Jno. R. Harper, agent at Palmers* > ston North for the Singer Sewing Machine Co., was run over by the Manawatu train to-night and killed. The accident happened as the train was leaving Johnson* ville station, Harper being a resident of Palmerstoo, and it is believed he was Beized with a fit and fell underneath the carriage, Tha body was fearfully runtxlated. Later. It is not very clear how the accident occurred. All that is known is that just as the train was moving out of Johnson ville station the guard's van came into contact with something, which, on the train being stopped, was lound to be the body of the deceased It is surmised that he had got out on to the platform when the train drew up to the station, and being late in boarding it when it moved on again, attempted to jump on to the footboard, with the result that he fell under the van and was killed instantly. The body, which was badly mutilated, was, by direction of Mr Gould, stationmaster at Wellington, who happened to be on the train, brought on to Wellington and taken to the morgue. Deceased, who was about 40 years of age, was until lately manager for the Singer Sewing Machine Company at Palmerston North, but about a fortnight since was promoted to the position of general superintendent for the company in New Zealand. He was a widower, his wife having died about 12 months since, and he leaves four children, the eldesn of whom is about 12 years of age. An inquest will be held. Dunedin. March 21.. William McAuliffe, son of the manager of the Port Chalmers gas works, wa3 killed last evening. He was playing with other boys on the side of the hill, and just as the train was approaching he started to run down. Another boy followed him. McAulifie was unabla to stop himself and ran against the cow catcher of the engine and was thrown some distance. His skull was completely fractured, death being instantaneous. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, no blame being attachable to any* one.