DEATH OF MR J. HEMPTON.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 84, 4 September 1914, Page 2

DEATH OF MR J. HEMPTON.

THIS LNQUJiST. ! • Air. A. (Jrooke, &>!., at 11.15 yesterday opep-ed aii inquest at tihe Courthouse touching toe death of Mr J. Ji. Jtauipton. ,• u>ir iv'V. Jj. Newman, brother-in-law of deceased, gave evidence of identification, stating that tilie widow was not in a lit state to be* present at the inquiry. He last saw deceased alive about 3 pan. on Sunday, when lie was in 'boa bandaged up. Witness said: "Halloa, Jack,' what battle: have you been in?" die replied: "JLii uho battle., of Alans," and, without being asked, tried to describe to injuries, and vhe accident. He siiid that at the tome the oar struck him, he was thinking of the various little commissions ho had to execute in town, adding that the accident was mainly 'his fault for not keeping a look-out, and that he was crossing tile street at the time, iie did not say the car was on hiin ibeione lie saw it, nor on wthat side of his body the car struck him.

I .At this stage tihe inquiry was ad- ' jounied till 2,16 pjn. ' On resuming, Ada- Quillliaani appeared on behalf of JMLr Wyliie, the owner o< the car

Glaiude H. Weston, solicitor, said ho lived at the intersection of Powderhan and Dawson While at dinner on Saturday, about 7 p.m., he heani ,i car go, past, down Powderham street, from west to east. He heard a kind of skidding noise, and then a sound as if a tyre had burst. He went out, and ovor at the north-eastern corner he saw a <Sar standing alongalid'e tlio gutter, and in franit of it, on his rig'it side, and 1 with lhis head .pointing to the south, Mr Hampton was lying. Mr Wyllie was standing over him. .Subsequently Mr Hempton was placed in the car with the assistance of witness, Mr Wyllie, and Mr Newell, and taken home, witness and Mists AVade accompanying. The car was alongside the kerb, Mr. .Hcmpton's feet being about oppoiWo the middle of the car. To the coroner: The car was almost straight, the iheod lights were oil, and the engines running. The whole of the oar (had passed i 6h® corner' of Dawso.'i street.

Frederick Newell, 4toreman, residing in Powderhain street, said lie was. at the corner of Dawson street about two minutes to 7 p.m. oil Saturday. He was just stepping from the footpath into the road, when die saw two bright lights on the hill. He reached the opposite foo.|> path, and then heard a loud report and .a bumping noise. He ran up the nill and on arriving at Powderliam street saw a car, and Mr Heiiiption lying in front, lilf Wyllie asked, witness to agist 'him< No .part of the car was in Dawson street. The wheels' were on tlie edge of the gutter. Mr Hempton was lying about three or four feet directly in front.of the car. When Mr lump ton- was placed in the csor witness asked him how he felt, the answer be<ing, "I'm all right," and he seemed, annoyed at tlie people standing round. It was a clear night, and the Light was good.

To the Coroner: He considered tlie car was travelling very slowty, judging from: the time. Ibrttween hid seeling the lights and hearing the report., ' D, S. Wyllie, surgeon, the owner ot the car, said that a little before 7 p.m. last Saturday, ihe was proceeding along Powdcnliam street in his car towards the centre of tlie town, the car being i well on its own side 6f the road, lie had just crossed the intersection ot Dawson street when he suddenly saw ..a man step in front of the car a short distance away. He had his ibaek slantways towards the car, 'and his head well (bowed! Witness immedjaitely put oil the hand and foot brakes, in doing so,, the tyre of the near hind wheel lift').! from the wheel' and caused a loud report, Apparently the oil' mud-guard knocked the man down, juid he was t'laii pushed along by the willed. Witness stopped the car, and on getting our found Mr lfenpton lying in the road, on his side, with bis head towards the south side of the street, air Hempton endeavored- to get up,, but witness, :>eiore allowing ih-ini to do so, examined him, and then, with Assistance, lifted, him into tlio car and drove him horn-:,, where !i rat-aid was rendercu. and later on in the evening, accompanied by !)r Wade, who acted us anaesthetist,'witness attended to the injuries which were: Upper portion of right oar lacerated in two or three directions; several abrasions ami l contused bruised wonnls behind the right ear; two of the,lower ribs on, the right side, broken, and contused wounds ovct the inner part of the left kn?.e. The ear and knee were 'stitched up. There were no signs! „t' any internal injuries. The, victimpa.wcd a fair night, and on the iug morning seemed to be fairly -well. In tiie. evening he became slightly delirious, developing a temperature. 01 Monday witness was out of town, and Dr Walker saw Mr Hempton for wit, liess. Early on Tuesday morning witness again saw -the patient. The delirium had become much worse, and liU' general' condition weaker. He saw him again later. About 2 a.m. on Wednesday witness' received an urgent telephone message from the nurse in attendance, asking him to conn- at once, as the patient had become much worse. He went immediately and found Mr Hempton had died'. The nurse reported that her, patient had sat up in 'bed. vomited violently, and died within a lew minutes. When witness saw Air Hempton at) 12 o'clock, though his condition was very serious, there was nothing, to indicate such a speedy fatal issuet Witness iwmsidered that Mr llemipton died from the ell'ect of Ule injuries received. As far as witness 'could judge, Mr Hempton stepped right in -front of the ear. Witness had slackened down the car on approaching tlie intersection of Dawson street for i lie purpose of crossing, and just as he had passed the. crossing he accelerated the car. ii- was just then that a man stepped- in front of the car. The car travelled about eight or ten yard* after tiie mail was first*seen until) it stopped, i f the inner tube had n-: t ilnnwt l.e would have bce-n able to pud up faster thfvii he did. There was no imipact. lie merely saw the man fall. The car could be seen a long ivav oil', and it seemed impossible for a man to wall; ;n . fr on * » car, as Mr Hempton had done.

tl'o iMr Qinlliam: Mr Hemptou wis crossing the road diagonally. The electric 'liwid lights wore new, and in perfect -order. The noise he;u*d wns Civuisral l>y the hmsitiiig <cf the imiw tube. On Ihe following morning witness Slid to (Mr TLempton: 'Tan more thiiri ts-orry that> this happened," illlll lie replied. "Don't worry about ..that, old chap. It was my fault."

DMVnlker said he ,ssi\v ilr llenspton about !) p.m. on .Saturdav, when Mr •Hcinpton stated that lie' clayed to cross I'owderliam street opposite l)r Tiome's front gate, ami suddenly became conscious of a Maze of light, ind heard the noise of what he took to be a motor bike. He endeavoured to avoid this, but was struck and Iwraine uneonscioiiis. Having heard Mr 11 j .->* ■ evidence, witness agreed l with him as to the. cause of death, Mr llcmpfon had a peculiar method of walking with his 'head down. An ordinary pivrsin crossing the street should have seen th? car immediately. ])r filadtley said lire saw Mr Tlramv ton on Monday afternoon, 'and again about l.Stt on Tuesday. He agreed with

Mr \Vyllie as to the canst* of *' Tile Ooron«rf said it wan ewUmt tie|ceai»ed;_niet "his; death, as ; result? of ■an accident, and had adnutuhl ~to hu lbrottter ! in-la.Wv thtf>'it wiu> chiefly->his own fault. Neweß'a evidence showsd that the car was going slowly and Mr Wyllie ted done all that was possible to Ibring the car up, and no blame was attachable to him. A verdict of accidental death was returned.