STRATFORD NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 3, 4 June 1913, Page 3

STRATFORD NEWS.

FROM OUR RESIDENT REPORTER,

KING'S BIRTHDAY CEREMONIAL

THE MILITARY DEMONSTRATION.

The King's Birthday came along very quietly, and. apparently took the military authorities by surprise, for the arrangements for yesterday morning's ceremonial were very incomplete. Many of the Territorials who paraded received no official notice, but attended because of paragraphs they read in the newspapers. Apparently no orders were issued to the Senior Cadets, so no cadets paraded. The request for the assistance of the Stratford Brass Band was made , only oh Monday evening, and, as the !'attendance at practice that night was on the small side, only a few of the bandsmen were cognisant of the arrangements. ' Early morning messengers were sent out, and eventually a band was mustered, and its members did very well in the circumstances. About thirty of the "D" squadron of the Queen Alexandra's Own Mounted Rifles paraded under Captain Wilson and Lieutenant, James, and slightly over forty of : the "M" Company, - XI. Regiment, and the Medical Corps under Lieutenant Munro. Captain Lampen was. in charge of the parade, and Surgeon-Major ,Car,bery, as senior officer, was at the saluting base with the Mavor of Stratford, Scoutmaster Rev. W. A. Butler paraded, about thirty of the Boy Scouts. The troops were inspected by the Mayor (Mr. W. P. Kirkwood) and the member for the district, Mr. ,J. B. Hine, ex-cap- J tain of the old Stratford Mounted Rifles.

Public notice had .been given of the intention of the military people to raarph to the post office for the ceremony of saluting the flag, and tha Mayor was prepared to make his speech from the pqst office steps. At the last i moment, His Worship received a message asking him to attend the ceremony at Victoria Park. At about ten o'clock (the men "fell in" at 9.15 a.m.) a small boy on a bicycle approached several of the people who had gathered in Boadway, and advised them that the troops would paHde alf the park, and not at the post office. Few took any notice of the message, thinking it most unlikely that they would be brought to the middle of the town on a fool's errand. At the request, of the Mayor, some of the Borough Councillors were present, and these gentlemen and others openly expressed their chagrin when, after waiting for about an hour, they saw His Worship return from the parade ground, and heard the ceremony was all over. Then the troops, headed by the hand, tramped through Broadway, and did a more or less punctilious "eyes left" at the flag hoisted at the post office, and that was all that most of the people saw of the doings of the day. But to return to the function itself.! The trfiops having given f he, general "salute at the saluting base (and Sur-geon-Major Carbery's liol'se flew from each advancing line, to the imminent danger of the Mayor), the various units were formed up in a hollow square, and gave three cheers for His Majesty,' the band playing the National Anthem. The Mayor briefly addressed the troops, but the strong wind prevented his remarks from being heard, except by those close to him or immediately to leeward. His Worship complimented the Territorials and Cadets on the excellent muster under the circumstances, and also remarked upon their fine physique, military bearing, and good marching. The birthday of His Most Gracious Majesty the King, said His Worship, was the occasion of rejoicing and celebration throughout the Empire. As the armaments of all nations became greater and greater each year, the celebration of the King's Birthday became something more than ceremony. Any time it might be necessary for all loyal subjects to do something more than talk patriotism. Should the necessity arise, there was littje doubt that New Zealand would respond to a man. but in these days of trained troops it \yas most necessary that our men should be trained also, and for that reason it behoved our young men to attend to drill as laid down by the Defence Act. The shirking of proper training for the defence of our country placed a very grave responsibility on the shoulders of the shirkers, and these men would see the error of their ways when too late. What the flag of Old England meant to the subjects of the King would be best realised by those present who had lived under (i foreign flag. Concluding, he said, "May the Union Jack continue in its place in the world until such time as universal peace is assured. God save the King!" The troops then marched from Victoria' Park, via Orlando and Regan streets, to Broadway, and through the business centre before being dismissed.

THE FENTON STREET FATALITY,

THE CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquest was held on Tuesday at the Courthouse, Stratford, before Mr. C. D. Sole, acting-coroner, touching the circumstances • surrounding the death of Reginald Bell, a chauffeur in the employ of Mr. Newton King, who, while riding on a motor-cycle, received fatal injuries in a collision with a spring cart at Stratford on Saturday night last. The enquiry was conducted by Sergeant McNeelv. • Mr. S. Spence (Messrs. Spence and Stanford) watched the proceedings on behalf of Mr. Newton King, deceased's employer. The -jurymen were: Messrs. Garret E. Wilson (foreman), A. O'Leary, .T, W. Boon; W. 'McDonald, E. Jackson and E. G. Foster.

BRAVERY REWARDED.

Norman Patrick Curd, of Tnglewood, a youth of about seventeen years of age, gave evidence that he was in Fenton street at the time of the accident, and, with two companions, was walking towards Broadway. At the corner of Orlando street he saw a cart, going in the same direction, the outline of the driver's body being just distinguishable. The driver was carrying a lighted lantern in his hand. The cart was a little to the left of the middle of the road. When the cart had passed him bv a few vardx, he heard a motor-cycle approaching at a "fair rate of speed," judging by the explosions. In a few seconds there waß a crash, as the e.vele and cart collided. He went to the middle of the road, and found the cycle between the wheel and the bodv of the cart, on the driver's right. The injured man was lying between the right wheel track and the horse, nearly in the centre of the street. He and some other men moved the injured man to the roadside, and medical assistance was sent for. Just before the doctor came Bell asked what, he had rim into, appearing not to know what he had 'struck. Young Murray went for a doctor.

To a juryman: Witness fancied hp hoard the driver of the part rrt7l out "Tiny!" or something like that. Sergeant McNeely: James will swear that lie ditl not call out at all. A hoy named Reginald Curd, a nephew "f the previous witness, and residing with his father in Fenton street, gave f-orrohorative evidence. Tieplyiii" to Sergeant ATcXeelv. he said that he saw the lantern in the hand of the driver

Office and Job Printing Works: Next N.Z. Loan & Mercantile Agency Co., Broadway. Telephone No. 113.

■ of the cart, and was sure there was no jamp on the motor cycle. I Philip James, licensed carrier, living at ( Stratford, deposed that at about 0.30 ' on Saturday night he was in his cart in Fenton street, driving towards Broad- ! way. Pie was on the metalled portion ; (the middle) of the street, and was cari rying a socket gig lamp under his right arm. The light showed clear in front. I His horse was just going at a jog trot. Near Orlando street he saw a motor J bicycle approaching him, about a chain | 'away. The bicycle carried no lamp. He' I was quite sure about that. The cyclist, I when he first saw him, was well over on his right side of the road, but on coming nearer to the cart he appeared to, bdre in towards the cart. Witness tried to pull off to the left, and did get pretty well over before the collision occurred. There was plenty of room for a gig to have passed the dray on its right side. The motor-.cycle was traveling very fast. "I seemed" no sooner to see him than he was right alongside me," explained the witness. He could not re-, member calling out, except a "whoa" to the' hdrsei^.the impact occurred. There was no tirneito call out. The man on

the clid not seem to have seen the cart at all., Bell struck the shaft of the cftrty and was knocked clean off the bicycle on to his back. The witness pulled up immediately the accident happened, called to some men who were passing, and, when they had got the machine clear of his wheel, he backed out. Then he ran to the Empire Hotel, and got Mrs. Fitzgerald to ring up for a doctor,

To the coroner; He had given the motor bicycle plenty jof room, and had 110 idea that there would be a collision until, in the last' few yards, the cyclist bore in towards him. Had he had a whip in'his hand he might have "shook the horse up" and got clear, 1 but it- was doubtful. If the bicycle had missed the shaft it must have struck the wheel. A juryman: Do you think that the position of your lamp led the man to believe htf : had room to pass?—No; "I don't believfe, he sa\v me at all.

To another juryman: My lamp was I not obscured by my coat. i Sergeant McNeely's evidence was to [ the effect that on Saturday night, after the injured man had been taken to the hospital, he had examined the spot where the collision occurred. He located it bv the presence of a pool'of blood. The nearest street lamp was 45 paces dis- | tant, at the corner of. Orlando street. [ The metalled portion of the street was 17ft. 6i«. wide from grass to grass. I There was a space of 9ft. 4in. from the pool of blood to the frrass on the north side of the ; ro&d—the cyclist's left. The driven of the cart, he inferred from' this, had allowed this djstance for the. cyclist to pass, and jhad ,i)ot. .been occupying his ! half of the roadway. He had also found blood pn the point of the right shaft (the driver's'right)' of James'lb drayi To ths coroner: I heard Mr, Bell on the way to the hospital in a cab, ask "What has done it!" He was told what had happened, and then said, "It's my fault. I had no light." Judging from Bell's words; he thought the injured man had not seen the cart or the driver's light. Dr. Carbery, who attended the deceased on tho' roadside shortly after the accident, said that lie had a very large penetrating wound on the right side of his chest. He was much shocked. Witness applied a first dressing. Dr. Steven administered some morphia, and witness assisted in removing the injured man to the hospital, where he received surgical treatment undej an anaesthetic. Examination revealed an extensive laceration of the lung. Witness saw him again on the following (Sunday) morning. He was still suffering from considerable, shock, and died, as he had been informed, at a quarter to eight o'clock on Sunday night. The cause of death was shock, the direct result of the injuries received in the accident.

To a juryman.- I am of opinion that the deceased must luive been travelling at a rate of- speed exceeding, say, fifteen miles an hour, to have receivd such injuria.

The acting-coroner said that there was no doubt that the deceased hail been travelling at a high rate of speed, a thing that Was only too common with motorists, both in cars and on cycles. What, surprised him wag that there were not more fatal accidents from this cause. The time had arrived when such travelling would "have to be put down. Reviewing the evidence, he said that James had given his story very clearly, and the jury would readily understand that he had been given no time to get further off the road, for it would take scarcely any time for the,cyclist to reach him from the point where he first came into view—about <3O feet away. The carrier was driving on his correct side of the road, and had a light; the motorist had none.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, no blame being attachable to anvone.

Some months ago. when the lad Murtagh was drowned in the upper Waitara river, Mr. C. D. Sole, the acting-coroner, recommended to the notice of the Royal Humane Society the plucky conduct" of Will tor Buchanan, of Kiore, who risked his life in attempting to get Murtarfi out of the water. Mr. Sole has received a letter now to the effect that the Council has issued a first-class certificate to fiuchanan, and, recognising the case as one worthy of more than passing notice, asks for fits photograph for insertion in the Society's journal. Mr. Sole will take the first opportunitv of having the certificate presented publicly. •

The King's Birthday does not cause am* great excitement when it falls in midwinter, as does the present Sovereign s birthday. It is not much of a tune for out-door gatherings, unless vou are clothed in warm underwear, a good smt, and topcoat from "The Kash" (Mulden and Marshall, proprietors). The men of to-day and the men of tomorrow are all interested in this an-no,,,,cement-that the best place in M, at ford for a hair-cut or shave is S. Sharps Turnout saloon, next Bellringer Tiros. Why not buy your cigars, cigarettes. tobaccos, pipes, and matches there too?* .