INQUEST.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1370, 6 July 1878, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesterday at the Hospital, before J. VV. S. Coward, Esq , coroner, to enquire into the circumstances under which Martin John O’Connell met his death. A jury was sworn in, and Mr W. Dunford chosen foreman. Frank Taylor, being sworn, deposed as follows—l am the mate of the schooner Josephine, lying in Lyttelton harbor. The deceased was the captain of the vessel. He left the vessel for Christchurch yesterday at half-past nine o’clock. He telegraphed to me from Christchurch that he was going to Kaiapoi on business. He was sober when he left the vessel. He was accustomed to drink occasionally, but for three or four days he had been temperate. I have identified the body in the dead-house as that of Martin John O’Connell. William Webb deposed—l live at Heathcote Valley. On Thursday night at about half-past five o’clock 1 was coming to the Heathcote Valley railway station. I saw' deceased standing outside the railway gate. I went into the station without taking any notice, and in a few minutes I came back again, and the man was standing at the gate talking to himself at the time. He was apparently drunk. The train was then coming from Christchurch, and I asked deceased if he was going through by that train. He replied — “If I am in time, if not I’ll go by the next train.” I opened the gate for him to get to the platform. When 1 opened the gate he went away to the back of the station, on the road mit.sido tlio railroad altogether. The train came in and started again, and after that I saw deceased running to catch it at the end of the platform, where it slopes towards the road. The train disappeared in the darkness, and I saw no more of deceased. I then went and informed the station master that I had seen a drunken man running to catch the train. The next time I saw deceased was at seven o’clock, when I was told a man had been found dead. By a juror—The station-master said ho had not seen the man when I informed him of what I had witnessed. Patrick Gilmore deposed—l am the station master at Heathcote Valley. After the departure of the train, which left the Valley at a quarter to six o’clock a young man named Webb came and to'-d me that a man had jumped on the train when in motion. The train was then clear of the platform, and Webb remarked that he thought t he man was under the influence of drink. I went down from the office immediately after, and looked as far as the end of the platform, but could see no one, nor did I hear any noise. On the train returning from port, which left at six o’clock, I asked the guard, Mr Heaton, if he had seen any one jump in at the station as he was going into port. He replied “ No.” Somebody had told him in the train that they felt a jerk on one of the carriages as they were entering the tunnel. lat once, in company with the porter, went back to see if we cquld find anything on the road. We found the deceased about a hundred and fifty yards from the station, dead. Ho was lying along the line about three feet from the rails. Ho was parallel with the rails. I telegraphed to the statiou-maslor at Christchurch, informing him that we had found a mau dead, and asked him to send a policeman to take charge of the remains.

By the Foreman—Deceased was lying about eighty yards from the mouth of the tunnel. By a Juror —His head was turned towards Lyttelton. Benjamin Perkins deposed—l am a platelayer on the railway. Last night, about halfpast 5 o’clock, I was coming down in the train from Christchurch, and I got out at the Valley station. I saw a man trying to get over the fence on to the railway, and when he got over ho went staggering towards the train, which was at the platform. He made towards the second carriage from the engine. I did not see him get on as my attention was drawn elsewhere. From the way deceased went I considered him to be drunk. Ido not know, as it was dark, whether the man was the one I have seen in the dead house. Constable Hugh Beaumont said—l went by the 7.25 train last night to the Heathcote Valley, and the station master there took me to where the body of the deceased was lying. I found him lying on his back with his head about a yard from the rails and his feet about 2ft. His skull was fractured in two places, that is as far as I could judge, and. his left arm and shoulder were y er y much crushed and broken. He was quite dead. He appeared, from the stains on his trousers, to have dragged some distance. I searched him in the presence of the station master, and found £37 15s 7d upon him, a watch and chain, a knife, four keys, a hill of lading, and sundry other things. His watch was in his waistcoat pocket, and crushed. By a juror—From the appearance of the deceased X think the train must have passed oyer him and dragged him. Elizabeth Marsden, proprietor of the Valley Hotel, deposed—-The deceased was only twice in my house before yesterday. Ho was there from about eleven o’clock to twenty minutes past live. When ho left ho was a little elevated. He was nut sober when he came. He had a couple of glasses of sherry while he was in the hotel. He walked steadily when he went away. | This was the whole of the evidence, and the jury returned a verdict of “Accidental Death,’’