MARTON RAILWAY FATALITY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9393, 13 March 1909, Page 5

MARTON RAILWAY FATALITY.

Per Press Association. Palmerston N., March 12. The inqnest on William MoGonagle, who died as a result of an accident at Marton Junction was continued. A good deal of crossexamination took place to elicit whether the deceased was putting a jigger on the van at the time of the accident, not in the -course of his duties, and as to whether there was a breach -of the regulations in the manner of the shunt leading to the accident

Jas. Jamieson, a shunter, said he considered the Marton Junction station was under-staffed.

T. W. Pratt, engine driver, said that if no one was in charge of the carriage shunted off the engine (as alleged) it was a breach of regulation 234.

Mr Spindeler, in the course of his evidence, said deceased’s duties terminated at 7.10 p.m., and he was to have returned home to Rata by the 7.10 train.

To Mr Cooper : Just prior to the accident the train for Taihape was being made up. Jamieson was the shunter, and the guard’s van was the only portion of the train at the platform. There were three carriages and some trucks to go on the train. No one assisted Jamieson with the shunting. When witness saw deceased he was lying on the ground below the station platform, his head underneath the end of the guard’s van nearest the carriages and his feet under the end'of the adjoining carriage. To Mr Innes; Both Trotter and deceased were porters, and under instructions from the Department had exchanged stations, Trotter going to Rata and deceased to Marton. Trotter usually came home once a week. He did not |give instructions for the jigger to be sent to Rata, and did not know who g-ve the instructions.

Mr Innes: Are you not rather eager to defend the Department?— No. Mr Innes : Are you sure yon did not know the jigger was being sent? —Yes.

Mr Innes : Now, isn’t it a fact that the jigger went up every Saturday night?— I don’t know. It didn’t go by my instructions. Witness said the jigger was only used by order of the Department, and he could not give instructions for it to be used. He did not know whether the Department had issued instructions for Trotter to use the jigger. The train was delayed over an hour after the specified time on the night in question on account of the Wanganui races, but deceased was not obliged to wait after 7.10. Two other men were on' and were obliged to do the work if the train were delayed; deceased went home by the train in question. Since the new time-table came into operation the train had frequently J;been late. He was not aware that the deceased had ever worked after 7.10. The Coroner ; This all seems to be turning on 7.10 p.m. Mr Innes complained that the witness was trying -to shield the Department in tiie matter, and he said he only wanted to see justice done to the unfortunate widow.

Witness: I’m not trying to shield the Department. Mr lunes:'Have you been advised by the Department as to what you have to ssy at this inquiry? Witness: I have never been advised at all. Mr Innes: You are sure you have got no instructions from the Department as to what you are to say?

Witness: None whatever. Mr Innes: You seem to fully appreciate the position, Mr Spindeler. After a slight breeze between counsel and witness the cross-exami-nation continued.

Witness, in reply to further questions, said deceased had a right to travel to Rata and back by the trains and similarly Trotter had a right to travel by the trains to Marton. Witness did not actually see the train and the guard’s van meet when the accident occurred. The regulations prohibited “rough shuntina.’* The term was used where damage to rolling stock was likely to result. No damage was done on this occasion to the rolling stock. So far as he knew no goods were thrown out by the force of the collision. The brakes were on at the guard’s van at the time of the accident. To the jury : He did not hear any particular noise at the time of the accident, as if a collision had taken place. To Mr Cooper : He did not know whether the brakes were put on before or after the accident. To the foreman: He understood that the force of the collision shifted the van about six feet. A verdict of accidental death was returned, with a rider that more care should be taken in shunting, especially when a train or portion of a train is at a platform.