A TRAM FATALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 152, 28 June 1911, Page 5

A TRAM FATALITY.

THE INQUEST. I The inquest on the body of the elderly man John Moore, who collided . with a tram car in Ponsonby-road. on the afternoon of Tuesday, 20th inst., was continued before the coroner (Mr. T. Gresham) at the Criterion Hotel this moraine Mr. R. R. Bell watched -the proceedings on behalf of the Tramway Company. Mrs. Emilie Cook stated that at about 3 p.m. on the Tuesday afternoon she was standing at the corner of Russell-street and Ponsonby-road, waiting to' board a car for town. The car approached and slowed up, and she went into the road--1 way to board it. Sh e saw the deceasec o-o forward also, apparently for the sam< purpose but he suddenly Btepped on ti the rails in front. He came in contae with the car, and fell to the ground. The car was stopped almost immediately, but she was not sure that the gong was rung. This evidence was corroborated by .urs Mabel Harper, who added that the ear was moving very slowly at the time deceased was struck. It was her impression that the gong war sounded, but it was plain that the motorman could not have prevented the accident. William Henry Willcocks stated that he had been employed as a motorman for a little over three years. On the afternoon of the accident he left the Three Lamps at 2.50, tins being the schedule time. Russell-street was the tirei stop on the route, and on turning th. bend at Pompallier Terrace he saw de ceased standing in the roadway at the stop some six yards from the rails, and about eight or nine yards nearer than the stopping place. He accordingly slowed up, but when the car reached him deceased stepped forward right mto the centre of the track, and was struck down. After the impact the car moved about three yards, but no more the speed of the car being not more than three miles an hour. He rang his, gong the moment deceased stepped Inward, but not previously, as there "/as no indication that deceased was not going | to board the car in the al ™£ ,"t applied the emergency brake the instant before the impact. Dr. Brockway stated that on the luesday afternoon, shortly after 3 pjji. he found deceased lying on the footpath near the scene'of the accident. He was unconscious, and. there were symptoms pointing to fracture of the.base of the skull Witness ordered his removal to the hospital, but the Case seemed hope_ less The cause, of death was fracture ot the" base of the skull, and internal X°e?ur g y e b r ought in a verdict of accidental death from the causes stated.