INQUEST.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 986, 23 August 1877, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest was held at the Hospital yesterday at 4 p.m., before J. W. S. Coward, Esq, corner, and a jury of whom Mr P. Rentoul was chosen foreman, on the body of Alfred Poulton, whose death by accident at the railway was recorded yesterday. The jury having viewed the body, the following evidence was taken : William Cur/on deposed that he was in the railway yard on Tuesday morning about halfpast eleven. He was assisting the deceased in loading a truck with piles. A railway waggon passing the end of the truck on which the deceased was, struck it, and he saw deceased knocked off over witness’s head. Deceased fell on the stay of the crane and the pile Struck him in the back. He rolled down and said “ Pick me up, I’m killed.” Deceased had fainted away when witness came back from getting some water. He was then removed to the Hospital. Deceased was perfectly sober at the time. By the Foreman —Deceased was on top of a timber waggon. The cause of his being knocked off was the railway waggon coming past. There was no notice given to us. The pile on the waggon deceased was on just projected over the line about an inch or so, and was struck by the railway waggon. No notice w r as given of the railway waggon coming up the line. No one gave any signal of any kind to deceased to move out of the way. The pile which struck deceased was about twenty-four feet long. John Jenkins deposed to having been engaged in driving a horse on the line on the morning of Tuesday. He was not aw'arc of the waggon on which deceased was being there until he came against it. Witness was engaged in shunting coal trucks on the morning referred to. He looked up the road to see if it was clear before he started, and it was perfectly clear. He sent the brakesman before him to open the points to enable him to cross the road. He went on with the trucks drawn by a horse. On getting within about twelve yards of the waggon on which deceased was, witness saw the danger, and called to the men who were with the waggon. He stopped his horse and looked for a brake, but they all happened to be on the off side. The front truck caught a log which projected about an inch over the rail. He could see this when lie sung out to the men in charge of the waggon. At the time he stopped he horse witness heard a knock, which was the truck stinking the end of the log. He saw the logs falling off’ the timber carriage, and the man also falling. His horse was hooked on either the second or third truck back. He could not say whether there was sufficient time for the deceased to get clear when witness called.

By the Foreman—Witness did not sec how far the timber projected over the line, but lie thought about a foot. The timber carriage was back across the line, with the log projecting across the hue from the tail of the waggon. By Mr Inspector Feast—Every driver is supposed to be responsible for seeing the road clear.

By the Foreman—l was eight or ten chains off the timber waggon when I started my trucks. The traffic is very great, and we have to do our work as we can between the trains. There are trucks, drays, &c., to go through.

William McNiell deposed that he was a brakesman on the Canterbury railways. On Tuesday morning he saw deceased on a timber waggon. He opened the points and gates for the last witness to pass through witli his trucks. When witness passed the waggon on which deceased stood, it appeared to him quite clear of the line on which the trucks wore to come. He heard the last witness give the alarm and then saw the deceased fall from the waggon. Floyd Collins, house surgeon at the Hospital, gave evidence as to the deceased being brought to the Hospital, and being seen by Drs. Frankish, Nedwill, and Powell. The man died at 5 p.m. from exhaustion and loss of blood.

By the Foreman—The deceased was attended by a doctor immediately. Whenever I go out there is always some one who could attend to any accident. I made the post mortem examination to-day. The deceased was not five minutes without being attended by a doctor. I should like to have this matter looked into, and will ask that the dispenser be called.

A Juryman—l heard a report that the deceased was a long time before he was attended to. Dr. Collins —That is very often said, but I can say that not five minutes elapsed from the time of deceased being brought in until he was seen by a doctor. A Juryman—l do not think, your Worship, that the jury for one moment impute any negligence to the doctor. Richard Pridgon deposed that he was chief dispenser at the Christchurch Hospital. The deceased was brought in between 12 and 1 on Tuesday. Dr. Frankish was at the Hospital at the time, and directed witness to send for Dr, Nedwill, who came in a few minutes. Dr. Nedwill saw the deceased three times during the time intervening between his being admitted and his death. Inspector Feast said that if the jury wished to ask Mr Hesketh any questions he was here. Henry Hesketh —I am manager of the outside goods department of the Canterbury railways. The Coroner—l want, to ask you if there is any regulation as to drivers ami others loading timber keeping clear of the line ? Mr Hesketh —We have really nothing to do with the matter. The men load their trucks themselves, and are supposed to look after themselves. They are not under my orders, but of course I should tell them if I saw them in danger. As regards our own men, there is no instructions. When the line is clear they take out their trucks. They arc supposed to see the line clear, and that there are no trucks in the way. The line was clear at the time of this accident, and it was utterly impossible for any man to see the log, projecting, as it did, only a very small distance. It is an every day occurrence for carters to load at this spot, and it is for them to look after themselves. I examined the timber carriage this morning, and it is a very bad one. There is no bolt at the side ; if there had been’a bolt this accident would not have occurred.

The jury returned a verdict of “ Accidental Death.”