A STRANGE DEATH.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 June 1920, Page 5

A STRANGE DEATH.

MAN'S FALL PROM TRAIN. NO EVIDENCE OF THE CAUSE. By Telegraph ~Pm» Association. *, ' Auckland, Last Night. inquest respecting the death of a ship's steward, James Mallin (23),.wh0 fell from a moving train at Penrose on Monday evening and subsequently died m hospital, was held before Mr. J. E. Wilson, S.M. to-day. Evidence was given that *wo Penrose residents were attracted by a cry near 'he railway line at 8 o'elocl? on* Monday evening, and they found two men, Mallin and Murdock McLeod, lying injured beside the line, Mallin being unconscious. Both were sent to hospital, where Mallin died next morning. McLeod had a head wound and an arm wound, but was not seriously hurt. McLeod, in his evidence, stated that he and Mallin were both ship's stewards and lived at the same plaee at Onehunga. They had been in town together on Monday and left for Onehunga shortly after 6 o'clock. They changed trains at Penrose and wont inside the carriage, but went out on the carriage platform just after the train started.

Witness said ha wan standing outside the door and his friend Mallin was leanin* with his back to the platform Tail •inking and beating time with his hands. Witness then had a faint recollection of falling off the platform through the platform gate. It was dark at the time, he said, and he did not notice whether or not the jjate was open when they went out on the platform. When he came to he called out.

In answer to the Coroner, McLeod ■said that Mallin did not have any drink In his company, but between 5.15 and 6 p.m. he was in the Waverley. Hotel with someone else. When witness rejoined Mallin just after 0 p.m., Mallin appeared to him to be quite sober. Witness could not give any reason for going out of the carriage to stand on the platform, and could not sav how either he or Mallin fell off the platform. He thought it must have been caused by a lurch of the train. The Coroner found that Mallin's death was caused by falling from a moving train at Penrose, and that there was no evidence to show how he came to fall from the train.