HAMPDEN MOTOR CAR INCIDENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10069, 10 February 1909, Page 4

HAMPDEN MOTOR CAR INCIDENT.

To the Editor. Sir,—l was not at Moeraki when the unfortunate accident happened to the boy Wooltord, but, seeing that- it was my motor-car at which his horse took fright, I called upon him the following day, and I also saw Mr Kennett—the owner of the vehicle. Subsequently I communicated to vou the result of the interview, and you referred to the same in a local. A Hampden correspondent took you to task )n last Saturday's issue for so publishing information which conflicted with a previous communication from him, and in support of his first report he enclosed letters he had obtained from the father of the boy and Mr Kennett—the latter ; 6 employer." As those letters contained statements at variance with what young Woolford had previouslv stated to me I again made it my business to see the boy, and yesterday, accompanied by Mr Kennett. did so.

Unfortunately for your self-dubbed "Reliable" correspondent, the boy substantially- confirmed his first statement to me and clearly showed that the letters from his father and Mr Kennett -were written under a misconception as to the actual facts of the case, and that your correspondent's report of the matter is not to be relied on.

The boy once again fixed the blame upon the fact that a link in the chain of his traxe was very much worn, and snapped at the first" jump the horse gave. He says that after the trace broke the horse continued to plunge, and, as he could not control it with the broken trace, it kept edging towards the low side of the road and finally went over the bank. He states that t.»e "car was not moving at a rapid rate, and that from the time he first saw it coming over the top of the hill until it abreast of him he had ample time to turn his vehicle around on the road, which he actually did. The fact that he had time to do this clearly shows that the car was not travelling at a good rate, as has been suggested. Hefurther added that the horse was not of a timid nature, and, although it was trembling a little as the car approached, he had no Teason to think the passing car would cause him any trouble, and, of course, he did nothing to indicate to the driver of the car that he should pull

He says that just as the driver of the car got "exactly opposite him the horse crouched as if "for a spring, and the next moment it did spring. He thinks Mr Dewar, who was driving the car must have seen the horse plunge. The latter, however, says that up to the time hepassed the vehicle there was no sign whatever of any trouble and he went on quite unaware that the horse was playing up behind him.

Your •"Keliable" correspondent, in his first communication, insinuates that- this same car was the cause of nearly running down IMr Xicolson and Mr Dunbar, who at the time of the accident were within 200 yards of the accident, and were driving towards it. I waited upon Mr Xicolson. and he authorises me to state that such a suggestion is absolutely false. He sr.vs that when he was about ICO yards or" so from the accident he first saw the car coming towards him. The car would then be about 50 vards from the acci-tl---i:t. and. although it was running down a hiil. it was travelling very slowly, the srcc-d.-in his opinion, being certainly not more than five or six miles an hour. As he iMr Xicolson) had an exceedingly troublesome horse and the road was very narrow, he deemed it wise to turn back a few yards and pull into a side road, which he did, and he says the car continued its journey at a slow pace, and be -was not troubled by it in any way. Mr Xicolson mentioned that Mr Dunbar accompanied him, and suggested I should see what he had to say. 1 did so, and Mr Dunbar confirmed every word -Mr Xicolson stated.

Mr Keunett, in the letter published by vour correspondent, gives a long list of the dama.e sustained by his cart. There is no doubt the damage he mentions is quite tniiK-t, but, iie admits that when I first saw him the only items of damage he mentioned were a "broken splash-board and that the harness required some stitches. It seems almost unnecessary to refer further to the leter of -Mr \\ oolford, the uoy's father; but there is one passage must deal with. He says he could not have admitted to me that tiie accident was not the fault of the driver of the car, and he gave as his reason that he did not see the accident. The ionic here is not very convicing, anu what I emphatically assert is that the father, with a full knowledge of the circumstances, stated in the presence of several friends I had with me at the time, that he was quite satisfied no blame was attachable to the driver of the car, and that he had no doubt the accident would not have happened if the trace had not broken. He distinctly said the only complaint he had to make was that the driver of the car had not returned to assist his son after_ the accident. 1 took him to see the car, which had its hood up, and showed him the position that the driver would necessarilv be in, when he at once admitted that it was quite possible the latter had proceeded on his journey quite unaware that the accident had happened, and he was prepared to accept the driver's statement that such was the case. I am. etc.. ALBERT J. GRAVE. Oamarti, 9th February, 1909.