OTAHUHU FATALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 133, 5 June 1914, Page 2

OTAHUHU FATALITY.

-: THE INQUEST RESUMED. • -• -"\TOT_nCE OK .P4SSE XTjaE-S. 'When the inqUte t-.-on tihe bodies-of Aunie Aquilla Aukett, and her granddaughter, Dorothy Tbelma A— kett. the yietifftd of tb'c railway fatality Which occurred at Otahuhn"' "last. week, .bsd apparently reached its closing stages, a voluntary witness eame<forwar<i-and declared that.-alt— ough she. had attempted to-'.viight at-Otahuhu on the —mc occa-

?ion. the train did not stop long enough to .allow bpr to -get out with her luggage. The coroner (Mt. F. V. F-razeT, S.M.) accordingly adjourned the inquest till this, afternoon to allow the police to obtain the evidence of cbher passengers by the 6ame train.' At the same time the 'coroner remarked blurt there did not appear to be, any suggestion of neglect on the i»Tt of the station pffic—Jb.

The witness referred :to above was Jane Windsor, a married woman, residing at Tarnnliere, and sShe further deposed te hn-ving thrown the elderly deceased's

hamper on to the platform at tbe request of the latter, seemingly just as the (rain, was moving off.

I.The first witness this afternbdu was I—wrenee Topping Donaldson.' a school teacher at' Ottihuhu. He said that on May 27. at 5.30 p.m.. he was in Station Bond, Otaliuhtr-, -when he saw the Main Trunk train pulling up. He walked across the ramp tn the station, and just as he wan going on to the station the train ephi—enccd to move off. The distance he walked was 132 yards, and he went-leisurely. Timing himself subsequently over the same distance he took between two and two and a-hall minutes to cover it. From that he was satis,fied that the train remained long enough in the station to enable passengers to alight.

Mr Shera (who appeared for the. Kailway Department): Did the station appear to -be properly lighted at- the time?— Yes, ft seemed to be lighted as >V.ell an usual. : '"

The Coroner: 1 have settled the lighting question for myself, having inspected

the scene of the accident twice since the fatality' occurred. The particular spot is right between two liglitk

William.Charles .Windsor, caterer, reAuckland; said he was a passenger from Hamilton to Auckland by the express in" -question. Witness; considered that ample time was allowed at Otahuhu for. paas'engers to aliglit. lie thought that the platform was suiliciently illuminated. '

Sergeant J?yan, who represented the police, siiid that no more evidence was f orthconihig/,. • Tiro Coroner returned a verdiot to the effecti-tti-ati both deceased*. died as the refliilfi-'of injuries sttfeLaihei'L through being run over.by the. express referred to in t"ic evidence. ' T-i-inf'Worship completely exonerated l the. railway officials, and added: "It is a sad case— a very sad case—but it is quite clear that nrtbodv W—6 is still living can be in any way held rrsponsiblc fatalities."