TRAMCAR FATALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 144, 18 June 1907, Page 5

TRAMCAR FATALITY.

(KRONER'S UfQUEST. Tl|e adjourned inquest into the death of Henry Elder, a married man, aged 42, who was run over by a tramcar m Victoria-street, on the evening of June 10th, was continued before the Coroner (Mr. T. Gresham) this morning. Mr. Hackett watched the case on behalf of the relations, and Mr. Newton appeared for the Tramway Company. William Joseph Campbell, the conductor of the car in question, said that on the evening of June 10th, about 9 o'clock, he was en route to Heme Bay, from Queen-street. There were about 15 to 20 people on the car. The deceased hoarded the car in Lower O.ueen-street. The deceased asked witness to let him alight at Nelson-street. He appeared to •be under the influence of drink, but he was quite inoffensive. Tbe car stopped at the corner of "Victoria-street, and one or two passengers got off there. The car then moved on, and directly after witness gave the motorman, "two bells" to stop at Nelson-street. From Victoria-street it was a slight down grade. The car came to a stop at Nelsonstreet. The deceased got up when near the stojyping place and eot off the car when it stopped. Deceased alighted firmly and started to walk away. Witness ' saw i-he deceased land safely and took j no more notice of him and rang tbe signal for the car to proceed. Witness n*£srt knew that tbe man was killed, "i)ut he could advance no theory as to ,how it happened. The car had gone about 19 to 20 yards after deceased alighted, when witness heard the motorman shout, and the emergency brake j was applied. The deceased was right under the motor case, across the line, with his head against one rail and his •feet against the other. They had to wait for jacks before the deceased could be got- out. About ten minutes elapsed between the time of the accident and the arrival, oi the iacks. To, Sergeant Hendry: He believed the life guards were tested by the tramway company. Assuming that deceased was struck by the front part ot" the car witness could not account for the life -uard not acting. It was not part or" witness's duty to inspect life guards before cars started out. At the start witness told the deceased, who wanted to remain on the platform, to go inside. To the Jury: The deceased spoke •clearly and knew what he was doing, but he had had something to drink. To Mr. Haekett: Witness had instructions to collect the names of -passengers in the event of accidents. He did so in tbis instance, and he believed the names were handed over to the police. Deceased was the only passenger who got off the car at Nelson-street. It would be three or -four seconds before , witness gave the signal to proceed after j deceased alighted. He could not explain bow the deceased, after alighting from j tbe -car, could have been found 60 yards i further on under the car, assuming" such was the case. To Mr. Newton: Witness could not be sure whether the life guard had fallen or not. He knew little or nothing about them. At this stage the car in question (No. 63) was brought up for the jury to view, Dr. Walter Scott Brockway said he got to the scene of the accident soon after ■it-occurred. The deceased was under the front part ot the car in front of the front wheels between them • and " th«i fender behind the guard. Life was extinct when witness arrived. The deceased's skull was perforated, the centre of his face was fractured, the right arm was broken, and both legs were fractured. The injuries were such as could be occasioned by a man being dragged by a (ar. The cause of death was fracture of the skulL Wallace Gardiner, a passenger by the car in question, said the car stopped at Victoria-street. It slowed down at Nelson-street, but did not stop there. Witness intended to alight at Nelsonstreet, but did not do so, except by standing up before reaching there. He knew the deceased well, but did not see him on the car. He did not see anyone alight at Nelson-street. The point where the car stopped -would be about fifty yards from the Nelson-street stopping place. He did not think it possible for a man to alight from the back of a car at Nelson-street to get under j the car at the point in question unless he ran along with the car. To Mr. Hackett: His back -was to the motorman, and he had a full view of the car. If any man alighted at Nelsonstreet he must have done so whilst the car was in motion. To the jury: His name was not taken by the conductor. (Proceeding.)