The Recent Railway Fatality.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7712, 14 January 1905, Page 2

The Recent Railway Fatality.

THE IHQDEST. The adjourned inquest • into the circumstances surrounding the death of. Cecil Wallace Crocker, who was killed by the express at the Stratford station on Wednesday night, was resumed at the New Plymouth Courthouse on Friday', before Mr T. Hutchison, Coroner, Sergeant Haddroll conducted the inquiry for the police. Mr O'LoughHn, sjationmaster at New Plymouth, appeared on behalf of the Railway Department. Thcjirst witness called was Arthur Yardlcy, a fireman on the StratfordToko line, who deposed that ho saw Porter Crocker trying to cross the Fentoni Street crossing in front of the express engine, when the cowcatcher struck him. Witness' did not see him trying to board the engine, It appeared that deceased did not know the engine was so plosc. Had ho turned his head he could have seen it. Witness was about 30 yards away from the spot. He signalled the driver of (the express train to stop, and then jumped down to assist in removing deceased, who was found lying across the cowcatcher. Deceased had to cross the line to get to the plank over 'the cattle stop. He appeared to be upon the first rail when the engine struck him. Witness could not say whether deceased had actually placed one foot on the foot plate of the engine. The train was going about five or six miles an hour, By the Foreman : After we placed deceased on tho station platform, the guard of the express, Richards, asked deceased how lie. was, Crocker answering, "I a m all right." Ho had up to that time appeared unconscious. Witness also'received a similar reply to a question. Deceased then started vomiting. By a juryman : Deceased was still in the act of running when the engine struck him. Maud Birch, barmaid at the Empire Hotel, Stratford, said she knew deceased, who came to the hotel about 7.110 o'clock on Wednesday evening. Ho was then perfectly sober, and had one drink, a long shandy. He remained there about twenty minutes, saying good-night as soon as the mail train whistled. Jacob Mander, driver of the express, did not see anyone about the crossing. Going over the Fenton Street .crossing the fireman sang out, "There's a man in front of the engine," and then sprang across the cab to see if the man had cleared the line. Witness applied the brake and brought the train to a standstill within the length of a carriage, that is, from 10 to 12 yards. Tire fireman on tho Toko train sang out just as tho brakes were applied. From tho position of the body and the fact that the logs were uninjured witness surmised that deceased must either have jumped to clear the train or tried to step on the cowcatcher.

Archibald Ferguson, fireman on the mail train, deposed that he had whistled for tho Fenton Street crossing. Il e was leaning out of the cab, and saw no one until ho got to the first cattle stop. Ho then noticed a man running across the road, at an angle of 45 degrees towards the second cattle stjp. When there the man made a dash across the line.

John C. Richai'ds, guard of the express on Wednesday, deposed that deceased was brought into hip wan, where Dr. Anderson examined him! saying, "He's gone ,: lie's done for."' Deceased died within ten minutes of being placed in the van. He never spoke after his replies to the 'questions put to him on the platform. John Stewart, stationinaster at Stratford, sworn, said that deceased had to assist tho guard of the mail tram on the trip to New Plymouth, The nearest way from the Empire Hotel to the station platform was the way deceased took. His dutystarted as soon as the train stopped .

George Home, qualified medical practitioner, gave evidence on the result of the postmortem. There were no marks on the body except a slight abrasion on the right elbow. He found some diffused cjotted blood anions the muscles of the neck, towards the left side. .One of the bones of the spinal column was loosed and cracked, There was a sjight contusion on the right side of the fprehead. Death was due to concussion of the spinal cord ; this could be accounted for by a. blow on the back of tho neck from the engine.

In conformity with the direction of the Coroner, thu jury, without retiring, returned a verdict "that deceased met his death by misadventure, no blame being attachable to anyone."

Tho jury added a rider that they expressed to the parents the deepest sympathy in their sad bereavement.

The Coroner : It is .your wish, gentlemen, that I forward to tho parents this rider. 1 desire, then, to associate myself in that expression.