THE TOKO FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 316, 16 June 1915, Page 8

THE TOKO FATALITY.

INQUEST CONCLUDED. Tlio adjourned inquest on the death of Mr. John Inglis, the victim of the iailway accident last Wednesday, was resumed to-day "before Mr. 8. Ward, acting coroner. Mr. 1 ! . O'Dea, of ll.iwera, represented tlio engine-driver and fireman, while Mr. Lawrence represented the deceased's relatives.

John Inglis, son of deceased, said he resided on the farm at Toko. On tho clay of the accident, his father, who seemed to he in his usual stato of health, had been in Stratford tho previous day, and returned home at about 0 p.m. He looked as if he had been drinking. He was turning the cows ou; of the shed when Mr. Johnston, ganger on tie railway, asked him where his father was. He replied at home. He told him he was not, because he hid gone down the line in front of the engine. He proceeded down the line with Mr. Johnston for about three-quarters of a mile, and met the other surfaceman, and then learnt that his father had been killed. He did not go to see the body, because he was advised not to, but returned home, and about quarter of a mile before reaching the crossing saw marks as if something had been dragged along the line. When he arrived home lie found both the gates closed. Before proceeding with Jlr. Johnston, he looked towards the gates, and saw two buckets standing alongside the line nearest the gate leading to the cow yard, but on his return they had been removed. The deceased's health had been generally good. He had good eyesight, but his hearing was not good. He had never heard his father complain about the gates or make any reference to tin: working of the railway. To Mr. Lawrence: His father was perfectly sober on the morning of the accident. As far as witness had seen, his father could always hear tho train? whistle.

To tho police: Judging by the way the trains usually pass tlic place, lie would say it was going slower than usual. Trains do not whistle when tip proacbing the crossing, Thomas Henry Geraghty, inspector of permanent way, put in a plan showing tho grades and distances from Stratford to Toko. The .distance from the crossing where the deceased was struck by the engine to where the body was found was 1 mile 38 chains.

To Mr. O'Dea: Mr. Thomas, the driver of the engine, was a very capable man, and an exception to the rule in whistling at sharp cruvea and level crossings, and invariably gave long whistles when approaching crossings. To Mr. Lawrence: For about half a taile the view is clear.

Arthur Inglis, another son of deceased, corroborated his brother's evidence.

Henry Johnson, ganger, said he traveled by the line on the morning of the accident from Stratford for about five and a half miles. He examined tho gates and crossings, as was liis usual custom. When passing deceased's place he noticed the gates closed and two buckets standing near the line. It was ' nothing unusual to find buckets there, ' Ho proceeded on to where his gang was working, and was informed by Surfaceman Riley that a man had gone down in front of the engine. Witness remarked to his gang, "It is the old man Inglis," and Riley replied, "I took it to be him.' His reason for coming to that conclusion was that deceased had twi«*i | been convicted for "fouling" the railway 1 and, further, witness had had to stop' Ins velocipede on more than one occasion to save running over deceased. Deceased was very hard of hearing, and very careless in crossing the railway > ~" )oc< ' a ® e(1 had llev er complained about tho gates. J To Mr. .O'Dea: Mr. Tom Inglis (old nni after the accident at Toko that this is what they expected would happen to their father. wSinl 0 * BU ' f,womM . he was tn h , Proceeding to his work, when he met the ballast ram about half a chain on the Stratford side of the six-mile peg. As the train passed lie saw deceased haii.rinjr acrocs the buffer of the engine. When the train passed he was about two yards from the engine on the line, and would judge that tho train was travelling at between 20 and 25 miles per hour." ][« made an effort to signal to the fireman, but awing to what he was carrving he cou d not give a clear signal. He proceeded along the line and reported the juattcr to tlic ganger. William George Godfrey, fireman on tlie engine, said his instructions "were to keep a good look out when not otherwise engaged, and he kept a good lookout. 0„ going over the crossing at Inglis farm he felt a slight bump as if the engine had gone over some stone, which often occurred at crossings. The driver asked him what they had passed over, and they both looked out. Witness said lie could see a dog limping. "iwm'ng was misty, but he could sec. good enough ahead of him.

James Cameron, gum-el in charge of the ballast train, said the first stop after leaving .Stratford was at liuiroa, and the fireman informed him there that tliey had run over something. Witness went along to tlie engine and found the remains on the front of the engine. He [nit tlie train into the loop line, and instructed the driver to return to 'JoUo, where lie was informed of the accident. Percy hdfwin Thomas, driver of the ballast train, gave similar evidence to that <»f the fireman, adding that when he got to liuiroa, while oiling the engine, he discovered pieces of clothing on the cylinder cocks oil the fireman's side of the engine, and on making a further examination he found animal matter, presumably brains, on and about the caw-catcher, lie returned to Toko, and was then informed of the accident. This was all the evidence. The jury brought in a verdict of accidentally killed, no blame being attachable to anyone.