Fatal Accident at Manakau

Horowhenua Chronicle, 14 December 1915, Page 3

Fatal Accident at Manakau

THE L\ QUEST

On Iriday allerncon as the express wao passing'through Munakau on its way to Wellington a man named Frederick Spencer lost his Ue by being •strucK upon the heud by uio automatic tablet exchanger. Un Saturday, the coroner, Mr Nation, held an inquiry into the circumstances at Otaki. Constable Cameron, stationed at the Lower Hutt, idoiitilied the body as that of Frederick -Spencer, who he had known at the Lower Hutt *or two years past. lie knew nothing about Tiis people. James Moss deposed iliat lio had been working* off ami on with Spencer lor two yours. For six weeks past they had boon working at fluntervillo together, shearing. Several mates wore on their way to Wellington by the exprcKsLO/i \FYjday aTTernoon/ when the irain "pulled up\«t Manakan~ and some one came to the window of their carriage uiut'said: "Look at your mate outside." Spencer'had ueen staudiug on the piatl'orm of the carriage. On going outside tliey found him iying ar full length on the piatl'orm unconscious with blood flowing irom a wound on the left cheek*. As the express was going on to Otaki they left Spencer on the platform, audi at Otaki a stretch*:' was procured, und he was taken in a motor car to the hospital. Witne-s----went up with the car, aim a lew minute*; after they "arrived deceased breathed his last. He was m the best oi spirits during the journey by train; he was a very steady man.'

John Or Johson said ne was tableporter at-.Ylanakaii. On r'riday aftei• noon as the express passed it pulle I up, gave two whistles and returned, lie ran 10 the train and was told toeing up Otaki tor a doctor as u man ha i been hurt. The train then went on On t examining the exclianger he found il bfoKen, audi not in the position it should have been after the passing <•' a train. The tablet Had been take:i by the engine showing that it had bee i properly set. Witness xaw nothing of the accident. The receiver ha I always worked prop'eTly.

Willifim S. iSmitTi, the engine drivi?:. said that he noticed that the receiving fork was pointing the wrong way. He received) his tablet all right, hut t'" 1 station tablet fell to the ground. As he looked back lie saw a man leanm,; over the gate of the carnage piatior:.) which was nest to the engine—leaning over as far as it was possible; then 'lie saw the exchanger strike his face. Til? accident would have happened if th" exchanger had been round the rigiii way. -David A. Sotitar, electric linesman. said he had. examined the tablet aut >- jjiatic exchanger at AlanaKitu and found the top bearing bracket or me exchanging arm broken; otherwise it was i-i good order. A .passenger loaning ovei like the deceased could not help being struck under any circumstances. H'a«!< the exchaflger been placed the wiojg way it would not have had any effect on the release.

Allan Satherley, police constable oi Otaki, deposed that on receiving information of the accident he went to the hospital where Spencer died jusas he arrived. He examined the body and louml the left cheek smashed in and there were bruises round the neck and shoulder. On searching the clothes of deceased he found £24 iu notes aud Is Sd in silver, a silver watch, fold ring, sovereign case and some letters. One letter, from a sister, was written from o 13 a mis Terrace, Upper Wartley, Leeds." A'itncss di.l" not know of any relatives of deceasei in New Zealand. His age was about 28 years. The cot oner returned a verdict ''that the deceased, Frederick Spencer, met his death accidentally by leaning over the gate of a railway carriage platform at Jianakau, his head striking the tablet exchanger, and that no blame u attachable to anyone connected wW> the .Railway Department.' The cor oner added to the verdict that this accident should be another warning to passengers to refrain Irom leaning nv ;r tue iron Kate of a carriage platform.