THE SANDON FATALITY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9097, 17 March 1908, Page 4

THE SANDON FATALITY.

THE INQUEST.

Yesterday afternoon the Coroner, Captain Mowlem, held an inquiry, at Palmerston, concerning the death of Lawrence Hatherley Walters, aged 15, who died as the result of a cycling accident on Sunday night. Dr Wilson stated that on Sunday night he was motoring through Sandon from Wanganui. About 400 yards from Sandou ho noticed a hoy lying on the road, and a trap was drawn up a few yards away. There was a woman standing near tho boy and witness stopped his car to see what was the matter. The boy was then quite conscious, but almost pulseless, and he complained of feeling cold and of great pain in his stomach. There was another boy present, who;

had also been cycling, and the woman had been thrown out of the trap as the result of a collision with the boy Walters, who had been cycling. "The boy was taken to the nearest house,” and witness rendered -what aid was possible in the circumstances. The only chance of saving the boy’s life was an immediate operation. As there was no better conveyance available witness tilled the back of his car with mattresses and brought the boy very slowly into Palmerston, the father sitting with ins sou to support him. The boy spoke several times on the journey, and complained of the cold when within two or three miles of Palmerston. On arrival at Mrs Freeman’s hospital witness saw that he was dying, and he expired within a few minutes of admission. A post mortem examination revealed that death was due to shock, resulting from hemorrhage. Several of the ribs on the left side had been fractured. The injuries were almost inevitably fatal even if an operation had been performed immediately. Deceased said fro the woman who had been thrown from the trap and who was blaming him for the accident “You were on the wrong side of the road.” The boy afterwards said the same to his father. The woman made no reply to the boy’s statement. It was a fairly moonlight night; witness did not notice whether there were lights on the trap or the bicycle which lay in the road.

Edward Hatherley Walters, father of deceased, and head teacher at Sandon school, stated that he audhia wife went out after tea on Sunday, leaving deceased and a younger brother at home. They returned after an absence of about an hour, and half an hour later a boy brought the news that deceased bad met with an accident. Witness went towards the scene of the accident, and saw men bringing the hoy on a garden seat to the nearest house. Ho could not say whether the boy bad a light on the bike, but did not think so. At this stage the inquest was adjourned until Monday next at 2.30 at the Courthouse, to enable the police to procure the occupants of the trap as witnesses.