THE DEVON PORT FATALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 277, 29 November 1897, Page 2

THE DEVON POR T FATALITY.

INQUEST ON THE VICTIM.

NO BLAME ATTACHED TO ANYONE.

On Saturday afternoon an inquest was held at the Globe Hotel, Wakefield-street, : into the cause of the death of Mrs Jane Tidey, of Melbourne, the lady Avho Avas killed in the unfortunate 'bus accident at Devonport on Friday evening Dr. Philson, coroner, presided. Mr Hugh Campbell appeared for the friends of the deceased^ and Mr T. Cotter for Messrs Patterson and Co., the owners of the 'bus. Sergeant Lyons and Constable Ro .vies represented the police. The jury viewed the body of tbe deceased at " Glenalvon,' Symonds-street, and then returned to the hotel. Dr. E. A. Roberts, of North Shore, Avas the first Avitness examined. He stated that about a quarter past five o'clock on Fridayevening he was called to see the deceased. He found her lying on a table at the Devonport Council Chambers. She was in a state of collapse, and her pulse Avas almost imperceptible. There Avas a marked bruise on the left side of the neck and the left cheek. She Avas in a state of semiconsciousness. She Avas able to recognise her daughter's voice. She was not able to speak Avhen witness sa.v her. He Avas informed that she bad been riding on the 'bus which had capsized. On making an examination he found that the ribs on the right side had been fractured. There was no external wound beyond the bruising. He believed the cause of death to have been nervous shock to the system generally and internal injuries, probably injury to the lungs, judging from the blood and froth Avhieh issued from the lips. He did not think there Avas any necessity for a post mortem examination. When Dr. Roberts had concluded his statement, one of the jurymen asked the Coroner, Dr. Philson, if it Avas usual to take the Doctor's evidence first before any of the other Avitnesses. He expressed the opinion that the Doctor should be examined last. Dr. Philson : That has nothing to do with you. The Juror: I demand an answer. I would like to knoAV if it is the custom to take the doctor's evidence first and not last ? Dr. Philson : It is my custom. The Juror : I think there should be a rule that the doctor's evidence should be taken after the other witnesses have been examined. Dr. Philson: Well, Ave'll get you to make a rule. The juror: I demand an answer to my question, as a juryman and one of the public. Dr. Philson: Sit down, sit doAvn, and don't be nonsensical. Miss Katie Tidey, daughter of the deceased, was next examined. She stated that her mother was the widoAV of the late Edward Tidey, farmer and property OAvner of Rochester, Victoria. The deceased Avas 44 years of age. On the previous day witness and her mother Avere travelling from Lake Takapuna to 'Devonport in a 'bus. When they started from the Lake Hotel the 'bus Avas full outside and inside. There Avere three horses abreast draAving the 'bus. The horses seemed difficult to control and another man helped the dri\'er with them for some distance and then they quietened down. They bolted about half-Avay on the road, but the driver pulled them up, and most of the ladies got out. The horses started again quietly. Witness and her mother Avere both on the outside of the bus. They intended to get out at the top of the hill at Devonport, but the horses started going at a gallop again, and Avhen witness and ber mother said they wished to get out the driver said it Avas too late as he could not stop tbe horses. At a water-trough at the foot of the hill, near the beach, the accident occurred, and the passengers Avere thrown out. Witness Avas helped out by somebody afterwards. She saAv her mother underneath the vehicle. The deceased was after .yards carried on a stretcher into the Council Chambers, Avhere she died. The body Avas aftenvards taken to Auckland. She did not think the driver Avas to blame, for he did his best, but she thought it Avas a most wicked thing to put such an ungovernable horse into harness. James McCreery, tbe driver of the 'bns, stated that he Avas employed by Patterson and Co. driving between Takapuna and Devonport. Mrs Tidey Avas one of the passengers by the 'bus on Friday from Takapuna to Devonport. There Avere about sixteen passengers on the 'bus, seven of them being outside. Seven of the passengers were females. The three horses Avere all trained horses. Witness had been driving two of them for twelve months, and the third one for either four or five months. They came along very quietly till about half-Avay, Avhen the third horse got a little bit Avild. The horse, Avhieh was on the near side, tried to bolt. Witness did not knoAV Avhat Avas the cause of its trying to bolt, unless it was the flies and the heat of the sun. Witness pulled tbe horses up about half-a-mile from Avhere they started. Some of the ladies then got out, but deceased remained outside on the second seat in the front. Witness asked the ladies to get in again, but they refused. The horses after this Avent along steadily till the top of the hill at Devonport was reached, Avhere they bolted again. The horse on the near side Avas the cause of it. Witness asked a passenger on the front seat to give him a pull on the reins, but as the passenger only pulled on the one rein, the near one, Avitness asked bim to let go again, Avhieh he did. The horses continued doAvn the road and collided Avith the Avater-trough at the Council Chambers. The :bus was overturned, and Avitness Avas thro.vn out, but escaped Avith slight injuries. He saAv deceased under the 'bus. Witness had been coach-driving for twelve years, and he had never had a fatal accident beforeThe horse had been very quiet until the afternoon of the accident, and had been quiet during all the time tbe Avitness had previously been driving it. The quietest horses Avere liable to bolt at times. Witness Avas sober at the time. He had had one glass of beer for lunch at twelve o'clock. The passenger pulling the near reins did not cause the accident. . By Mr Campbell: There was no difficulty in putting the horse in the 'bus that morning. He had never known the horse to "play up" before, though he had been driA'ing him daily. By Mr Cotter: The trip on which the accident occurred Avas the second trip that day in which the horse had been engaged. The trip Avas a round one, round the Lake and back, and Mrs Tidey and her daughter had gone out by the '"bus that trip, and remained on the vehicle all the while at the Lake. There Avas a brake on the 'bus and witness used it. By Sergeant Lyons: There was a heap of road metal on the side of the road, but that had nothing to do with the accident. Ed .yard De Beer, shipping agent, Melbourne, stated that he Avas one of the outside passengers on the 'bus. He corroborated the driver's statement, and said the driver behaved splendidly. Witness fell clear Avhen the accident occurred. The near side pole collided with the water trough, and this caused the capsize of the vehicle. Witness believed the occurrence to have been purely accidental. By Mr Campbell: The driver had some difficulty in avoiding a large heap of road metal which bad peen deposited on the Lake Road, almost right across the road, and in witness's opinion it Avas that thathad caused the accident. The driver did

I 1 not Avhip up the horses to get past the obThe jury returned the following verdict: —"That the deceased was accidentally killed by the overturning of an omnibus, and that no blame is attached to anyone."