INQUEST AT MANGAWEKA.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8735, 8 February 1907, Page 2

INQUEST AT MANGAWEKA.

The inquest relating to the death of Richard Brown,- who was killed on the railway line on Tuesday evening, was held in the Courthouse, Mangawcka, yesterday afternoon, before the District Coroner, Mr J. P. Aldridge. Dr. Turnbull stated that he examined deceased on the arrival of the train at Llangaweka. Both thighs were badly fractured in addition to several ugly flesh wounds about the lower portion of the body and legs. Death which occurred fifteen minutes after arrival at the Railway Station was due to shock and hemorrhage. To the Foreman : The appearance of deceased did not giro the impression that he was drunk or that he was in the habit of drinking to excess. AY. K. Patterson, engine-driver, gave evidence to show that on the night of February sth, just after leaving the Obingaiti station, ho noticed a dark object lying across the rails. He immediately tpplied the AVestinghouse brakes and stopped the tram, when he discovered the body of a man partly under the cowcatcher. Y/ith the assistance of the guard and fireman the body was released and placed in the guards van and taken on to Mangaweka. To the Foreman: The train was a fairly heavy one and was stopped in about 40 yards. The guard and fireman gave corroborative evidence.

Joseph Howard, mate of deceased, stated that he was in Brown’s company from the time he left the ballast camp early in the evening till a quarter past eight. They had three drinks at the hotel when the deceased left him to go back to the camp. To the Coroner: They had been acquainted for a good wbilo and he had always found his mate to bo a very steady man and had never seen him the worse for liquor.

Constable Potter said that he had made searching inquiries about the habits of deceased and found that he was a sober and steady man of good character.

The jury returned the following verdict :—That Eichard Brown’s death was caused by the result of injuries through being run into by the 8.55 p.m. train on February sth, no blame being attachable to anyone. The foreman further stated that the jury wished him to express their regret that a newspaper had led the public to think that Mr Brown was under the influence of liquor when th§ accident happened. The evidence had proved the reverse, and the mistake had caused unnecessary pain to the relatives and friends of deceased.