Inquest.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 6, 26 June 1914, Page 2

Inquest.

An inquest on the body of Sydney Thorn, the old man who died last Thursday as the result of a railway accident that occurred near Rangiriri station, was held in Huntly Court-house last Friday befori Mr E. J. Farrell, J.P., acting coroner, and a jury of six which comprise 1 Messrs. James Elliot (foreman), W. H. Bailey, J. McKinnon, L. Morgan, C. Starr and B. Stowe. Mr Foweraker was present on behalf of the railway Department. John Spilsbury, launch proprietor, Rangiriri, stated that he had viewed the body now lying in the Huntly Morgue, and identified it as that of his father-in-law, Sydney Thorn, whom he last saw on the 12 th inst, when he left Rangiriri to visit a married daughter, Mrs James Cusack, who then was living at Papakura. He was in good health and was in his eighty-sixth year. His hearing was good, though his eyesight had somewhat failed. The deceased could neither read nor write, and his inability to do so might account for him getting out of the tram at Te Kauwhata, as he did, instead of at Rangiriri whither he was going. His memory was not good. He did not drink, nor, as far as wittness knew, was he subject to fits or moods of abstraction. Mrs Cusack daughter of deceased deposed that her father left Pukekohe for his home at Rangiriri at 8. 15. a.m. on the morning of tljg 18th. She didnot go to the station to see him off. He appeared to be in splendid health. His hearing was very good, but his eyesight, though not quite so good, was remarkable for a man of his years. He expressed no intention to leave the train atTe Kauwhata. His memory was not good, and when not feeling well he became dull and moody. Arthur Rougham, driver of the Thames express, on getting round the curve near the station at Rangiriri, noticed a man about 300 or 400 yards in free of the train walking on the si 1 - of the track. He gave a lon : clear blast of the whistle. W ion about 150 or 200 yards in fron f him, the man stepped be--1 tween the rails, and proceeded 1 on his way. He presumed teat deceased left the side in order t > cross the bridge situated at tha point. Anticipating danger, as no notice has been taken of the whistle or of the noise made by the oncoming train, the emergency brakes were applied, the ' whistle was opened, and kept going until the man was struck. When the engine was about 10 1 yards away from him, the man looked round, but still kept ' walking slowly along. Knowing that he would be unable to stop the train, he called out loudly—“ For God’s sake, get a move on.” The impact took place just as the bridge had been crossed, the train proceeding onwards for some twenty yards before it came to a stop. Witness left the engine immediately, and seeing no sign of the victim about the cow-catcher, looked back and found the deceased lying with his head against the retaining ooar'ds of the bridge on the east side and clear of the line. On picking him up he noticed the serious nature of the injuries, and was under the impression that life was extinct. The body, which was placed in the van, was brought on to Huntly. The train could not have been pulled up more quickly, witness doing all that was possible to prevent the accident. Stephen Tomkins, the fireman on the train, corroborated the evidence of the previous witness. Constable Ingram described the bridge in question as being situated about 300 yards north of the Rangiriri station. It was about two chains in length, was undecked and spanned a lagoon. It would take a very active man to get off the bridge before a train coming round the bend was upon him. The following was the verdict of the jury: “ That deceased met his death by being accidentally struck by the locomotive of the Thames express; and that, as both the engine-driver and the fireman had done all that was humanly possible, no blame could be attached to either of them.”