Lucky or Unlucky Thirteen ?

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 31, 6 February 1937, Page 2

Lucky or Unlucky Thirteen ?

WELL-KNOWN FARMER BEFORE COURT. On the morning of December 7 of last year, Mr. J. Hewitt, well-known stock breeder in the Alangamaire district, was on his way with his wife to the wool sale at Wellington. When passing road contractors at Newman he hit, with his back mudguard, George Henderson, the tar sprayer, employed by Messrs. Gill and Co. Yesterday morning before the Eketahuna Court, where Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M., presided, Hewitt was charged with negligent driving. Defendant pleaded not guilty through his counsel, Mr. 8. K. Siddells. The first Crown witness was George Henderson, employed as a tar sprayer. The witness stated that he had just finished spraying and was putting tho hose on the hooit at the side of the tar kettle when all of a sudden he was hit by a passing car. Henderson said he had two black jerseys on and these and his trousers were badly torn. He was 0 attended by a doctor that afternoon and was off work for a fortnight and . one day due to a nasty gash on his body. Witness stated that there were six men near at hand and he was close . to tho tar kettle putting tho hose in X»lace. The day was fine and the Visibility good. Mr. Siddells asked witness if he had been bending over. Witness: No. I had finished putting tho hose on the sprayer. Mr. Biddells asked if he had on his goggles at that time, but the witness oculd not remember. As far as he could recollect he was only hit once. Constable McGowan: How long have you been spraying? t ' Witness stated that he was only falk- . ing to his mates on tho Friday, saying it was his thirteenth season and then x on the Monday he was hit. e George Williams was the next to be r called. He stated that he had signalle ed Hewitt’s car to slow down. He L estimated the car’s' speed at between L 12 and 15 miles an hour. a E. John Cookson, labourer, stated t he. was near the injured man and that as soon as the accident happened he ran after the car and informed Hewitt what he had done. Mr. Siddells asked Cookson if he had over been an athlete and the answer came back: “Yes, I have been a footballer.” “Lovelock only runs at 15 miles an hour and you said that you caught Mr. y Hewitt up when he was doing 20 miles an hour,” commented counsel. ' Constable McGowan said that the ' accident was reported to him by Mr. and Mrs. Hewitt, who made a statement stating that they thought some thing had fallen from tho tar tank 0 when the bump of their car was felt. j Mrs. Hewitt, on looking around, saw a man on the ground and on telling her husband ho stopped tho car and got : out. , Mrs. Hewitt stated that she was sure they were only going at 15 miles an ’ hour as when the man Williams signalled them she looked at the speedometer. / In summing up, Air. Stout stated that there was no excuse at not seeing a man, even if ho was in black on the j roads. In his opinion both Air. and Airs.-Hewitt should have seen thM man. . A motorist should see a workman and 3 it seemed Mr. Hewitt had not kept a x proper look-out. “I don’t think it was j a case of excessive speed,” added the Magistrate. A fine of £2 and costs was imposed.