MOTOR CAR COLLISION CASE.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 February 1918, Page 3

MOTOR CAR COLLISION CASE.

t'HAKOK DI.'SMIStKD, The attention of the Magistrate (Air. A. t'roukf) wiio taken up at Inglewood yesterday in hearing tin' charge against Whitei'ord Hell J'aton, taxi-driver, of Now Plymouth, of driving a motor car at excessive speed Lo the ..'anger of the public, whereby a girl who was l-iding a pony in the wake of a , trap was seriously injured. Constable l.ongbottom conducted the vase on behalf of the police. .Mr. 11. Johnstone represented defendant. Charles 11. Laurence said he was in a ear going to the Stratford races. They were passed by the defendant in another ear going at about 25 miles an hour. Coining to the bridge ho saw the results of the collision, but did not 1 fee the accident. The pony was rin the 1 road when he lirst saw it and behind ' the trap. • To Mr. Johnstone: Could not say how > iar from the bridge the defendant's car ' passed him, and could not say where ' defendant, slowed up. K 1,. Laurence stated he was in the 1 par that was passed' by defendant's ear. Ilis car was behind and travelled about to ±~> miles. The road was clear, and ; he saw the trap, which was well over to 1 the side of the road. | H. C Luke, Inglewood, stated he was 1 in the car with previous witnesses. The little girl was injured through 'being thrown from the pony, lie did not think she went through the wind-screen of Paton's car. l'.lsie TTTIoy, Tariki, said she was driving a gig from Tariki, containing Mrs. Roberts, Mrs. Pullen, and two children. The little girl, liarknoss. was riding a pony a few yards behind the gig. The concrete bridge where the accident occurred would be half a mile from Tariki. H'd not meet any other ear between I ariki and the bridge, where the girl was about three yards behind them. After crossing the bridge she pulled off the metal. To the Magistrate: She pulled off because a car was approaching, but did not know who the driver was. After the accident the car was on its own side and .".topped wiien she looked roundDid not see the accident. To Air. Johnstone: There was another car coming behind Paton. Did not whip the horse to travel fast, hut the horse broke into a canter. Noticed a heap of wood on the roadside near the bridge. The 'car passed the trap before the accident occurred. Hilda Marion .Roberta (married), Inglewood, stated she was in the trap driven by Miss Kiley. Saw one car behind Paton's. The' horse in? the trap shied just before coming to the bridge and broke into a canter. The child was riding just behind the trap. Saw the child wnen the car and pony met. the trap being about a chain away. The accident. Happened o n tiie metalled portion of the road No other car passed them. Did not know what pace the car was travelling, but considered it was verv fast. To the Magistrate: The car was stopped immediately on the impact with tiie ponyTo Mr. Johnstone: "When the car struck the pony the animal was well over to her right. When she looked round after the collision the pony was on the ground and was struck by the right hand side of the car. Saw the "irl leave thejionv and go through the wind screen 0 f (he car. Was positive on the matter. She then described the girl's injuries. D lanny Pullen (married), Inglewood. gave similar evidence Christina llarkness, aged 0, sa/d she remembered riding a pony belli/id Miss liileys trap on January -..JJjfl not remember seeing a motor ear and did not know what knocked her down. Mi' Johnstone maintained the case should be dismissed. It was only necessary to mention "races'' and it was possible for some to imagine that cars' were being driven to the danger of the publicIt wa-. impossible to .say the car was going :s» miles an hour. It had passed a car going on miles certainly. The ladies claimed it was going at a fast pace, bill that was possible to them as i they were going in the opposite direction at. a canter, and the car approaching would create the impression that the defendant was travelling at a greater speed than he actually was. He suggested the pony shied at the loose wooit on the roadside, and, swerving, came across the road and struck the car, which was slowing down. The ear had eight passengers, including the driver. If his Worship thought they had a case to answer he was prepared to submit witnesses. The Magistrate said it would be better to hear defendant's witnesses.

Whiteford 801 l Paton, New Plymouth taxi-driver, stated he passed Laurence's car about two miles trom Tariki and then saw another ear ahead, which he had ascertained was owned hy Mr v or ,,. man. of Tikorangi. When approaching the bridge he saw a gig coming Hi' was not certain whether the car in front of him had passed over the' brid"e before the accident. The horse i„ the (CiR came over the bridge at a canter or trot and the child was following. The car was then 1 to 1J chains away In order to pass the trap he had slowed down. The pony eame out suddeitlv and right across to him. Tho lionv struck the front and tho car stopped immediately. The girl was thrown against the mudguard and had to be assisted out from between the guard and the bonnet. The car was a little damaged, but that was all in front -of the machine. Some of the passengers were injured by the flying glass from the wind-screen. His brother had to have a few stitches put in and.others had to receive attention. He speeded up to pass Laurence's ear, but slowed down again after passing; . The constable put in Paton's statement to the police, in which he said his speed was 25 miles, but witness explained. that what he had intended to convey was that he had been travelling at that speed 011 the journey from Mew Plymouth. ,J„ st before the accident occurred he had slowed down, and when the pony struck the car the vehicle had stopped dead. Passed one car and saw shied and came right- across to the car which was on its right side of the road! j. John Swanson, linotvpist, Xew Ply. mouth, stated he was a passenger by Paton's car. Passed one car and saw another car ahead, and they proceeded behind this until the 'accident occurred. Saw tho trap approaching- and the girl riding behind. The driver appeared to wh:p up the horse in order to get over tho bridge before the ears. The two cars slowed dovyn. but the trap came at a 'nir pace till over the bridge, when it settled down to an ordinary trait. After passing the bridge a short distance the pony eame out from behind the trap, crossed the road, and collided with the ear. Paton's car was almost stopped at the tiros n{ jjunact. Accounted lot ttw

wind-screen being broken by-the pony's impact- ITe was hit by glass from the ffmd-sereen. The pony got up on its own and walked a short distance away, ami then stood still owing to the saddle and i"!ns being between its feet- He took oil the and sent the pony towards tiie paddock; it was bleeding at the right shoulder.

To Constable Long'bottom: The girl slid off the pony and was not "shot" off. He took it that the girl's injuries were eaih-ed through, contact with the bonnet and mudguard. Was positive- the girl Jin not strike the wind-screen. The pony struck with its right shoulder ajid liie car was on the left hand side of the road and close to the fence.

m. .James Batten, storeman, gave evidence on similar lines-

Mr. Johnstone said the evidence adduced sliowed that the car was tinder proper control and promptly pulled up. 1 he Magistrate, in dismissing the information, said this was a case in which witnesses had difficulty in describingwhat actually happened- In a ease of excitement there must naturallv be. some confusion, ami the evidence tendered bv the police was Iroiu those who such a good view of what really, happened as (he witnesses for the defence, who were in the car. The information of driving a ear to the danger of the public would be dismissed.

BY-LAW CASES. I lie borough Council had a number of case:! of breaches of by-laws. In each instance Mr. P. K. Wilson, appeared for the council, and the lines indicted were: L. .Street, driving vehicle without lights ill llata Street, 10s and costs; C. Ansford, Kent road, leaving car unattended, convicted and ordered to pay costs. H- \\. Horner, allowing horse to wander in Kelly Street-, 10s and costs. A line of lis and costs was entered against J. Fresco tt for allowing a cow to wander in Hata Street. In the motor speed cases, I'-. Cattley, Xew Plymouth, was fined t'l and costs, and Adam Miller, Inglewood, 10s and costs. P. W. Mucles, an Tnglcwood youth, 1 was charged with riding a motor-cycle without a complete and efficient mu filer, and thus caused unnecessary and prolonged noise, lie "pleaded not guilty. The borough overseer stated that defendant rode for an hour or more round the square of Inglewood with the exhaust going in full blast. Defendant was lined 10s and costs. Several cities of excessive speed by motor cars were not heard through notices not having been served. .T- Hopkinson was convicted and fined 10s and costs for allowing a horse to wander in Matai Street. ■ludgment by default was given in the following debt cases: W. H. liudkin v. J. Williamson, claim £2 15s, costs 12s; L. 11. Whetter v. J. Williamson, claim £2 ISs, costs 235; M. J. Ilartigan v. Hiroa, claim £2, costs 28s. HOW TO NEUTRALISE DANGEROUS STOMACH ACIDS. F«w people besides physicians realise the importance of keeping the food content's of the stomach free from acid fermentation. Healthy normal digestion .lainiot take place while the deligate lining of the stomach is being inflamed and distended by acid and wind—the results of fermenting food in the stomach. To secure perfect digestion, this fermentation must be stopped and the ecid neutralised. For this purpose physicians now rarely prescribe drugs or artificial digestants; they rely instead on a harmless antacid and food corrective known as bisurated magnesia, and obtainable of all high-class chemists in the fofm of small compressed tablets. Two of these tablets taken after a meal are sufticient to quickly neutralise all harmful acid, and, in consequence, they prevent fermentation and wind, heartburn and flatulence and all of the many disagreeable symptoms which indicate indigestion or dyspepsia. But only the tablets prepared from bisurated magnesia will accomplish these happy results, and therefore should you wish to try this remedy you must ask your chemist for bisurated magnesia tablets. These are put up in handy little flasks which you can easily carry to your pocket, and they are sold at a price which places them within the easv 1 eaci. of every suUfarat,