MOTOR BICYCLE ACCIDENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 308, 24 December 1908, Page 2

MOTOR BICYCLE ACCIDENT.

A MAN KILLED, By Telegraph.—Press Association. Ohristchureh, Last flight. Mr. Jones, of Jones Bros., well-known in cycling circles in Christchurcn, lnul been practising on n track witli a motor cycle with u view to the coming contest on Christmas Day. He hail gone round several time with another cyclist, and was slowing down to enable' the otli.ii' to come up. Suddenly tile tyre came off the front wheel, and he Inst all control of the machine, which bounded forward, ran up the track, and crashed into a paling fence which guards the track on the outward side. Jones was thrown forward over the machine and his head struck a sharp paling. Death was almost instantaneous. The accident Has not due to the condition of the (rack, but to unforeseen circumstances. Jones was 30 years of age and leaves a widow and children.

THE INQUEST. Chrislchurch, Last Xighl. An inquest was held to-night touching the death ul' Clones, who was killed this morning through being thrown oil' a motor cycle at Lancaster l'ark. Stephen Henry Webb, caretaker of Lancaster Park, said Jones had not got round more than three times before he ran into the fence. Jto W as thrown into the air and fell on the asphalt track, •limes was travelling not faster than 15 miles an hour at the time of the occurrence. Witness thought the front tyiv hurst and Jones put his left hand down to turn one of the taps. This apparently caused him to lose control of the cycle, and it ran into the fence. Joseph Molloy, a youth of 14, stated that he witnessed the accident, and he gave it a s his opinion that Jones was travelling at the rate of ,'(G miles an hour. Constable Andrew described the nature of the iujuries sustained l>y th'a deceased, and said that death must have resulted instantaneously.

The hrotlier and partner of deceased, in answer to the Coroner, said deceased was training for a race which was got up practically for advertising purposes. Ho did not consider the Lancaster Park track safe for motor cycling. His own theory was that his hrotlier must have heen stooping to adjust the mechanism of the machine in order to get more pace out of it, and did not notice in time that he had come to the corner. The tyre might not have hurst until the accident occurred. Station-Sergeant Johnston explained that Jones was training for n race. A contest was to have Wen held on the' Cashmere Hills last Saturday, hut the police warned those intending to lake part that they would prosecute if they did so. The Coroner gave a verdict that deceased had met his death by accident through being thrown from a motor cycle.