RAILWAY FATALITY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 December 1941, Page 6

RAILWAY FATALITY

FALL UNDER WHEELS FORMER RUGBY PLAYER KILLED. TRAGIC ACCIDENT AT GRANITY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WESTPORT, December 25. Generally acclaimed as the best fullback in Buller Rugby representative teams for the past half-century, Sidney James Neighbours, brick and drainage pipe manufacturer, aged 61, of Waimangaroa, tragically lost his life at Granity last evening when he was getting off a late train while it was in motion.

Apparently he was asleep at Waimangaroa and was carried on to Granity, where he attempted to step off as the train was about to proceed further on its journey, but fell between two carriages, the wheels of the train passing over both thighs. He died in"a few minutes.

In his football days he was a great kick and on one occasion when a visiting team was playing Buller he sent the ball over the bar from half way. “Now try the other end, son,” said the visiting captain, and, putting the ball down in the same hole, Neighbours sent it flying over the other goal. He, like all members of his family, was very musical and won competitions at West Coast and national contests. Three of his boys, Bill, Dave, and Frank, have represented Buller in Rugby, Frank also playing with service teams in England and Egypt.