LATE MRS CAUGHLEY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19154, 10 November 1927, Page 8

LATE MRS CAUGHLEY.

THE FUNERAL. [THE PSSSS Speclil Service.] WELLINGTON, November 9. The esteem in which Mr Ellen Anno Caughley, wife of Mr John Caughley, ex-Director of Education, wa" held, was proved by the large attendance at the funeral. A brief service was conducted at the house by the Rev. \V. Day, minister of the Kelburn Presbyterian Church, assisted by the Kev. G. K. Stowell. Amongst those present were:—Mr A. King (brother), Mrs J. D. Watson, Mrs D. .Mundesil, and Miss K. King (sisters), Miss C. J. Caughley, Miss A. J. Caughley, Mr and Mrs K. Caughley, Miss K. King, Misses Caughley, and Miss M. Watson (nieces), and Mr H. Mawhinney (cousin). There were also present representatives of a number of the organisations of which Mrs Caughley was a member, including the Presbyterian Church, Kelburn, the Women's Christian Temperance Union, the Young Women's Christian Association, the New Zealand Alliance, and the Lyceum Club. The City Council was represented by the Mayor (Mr G. A. Troup), and Councillors, and there were also present the Minister for Education (Mr Wright), the Director of Education (Mr T. B. Strong), and the AssistantDirector (Mr Alex. Bell), and Dr. W. J. Anderson, former Director. There were numerous beautiful floral emblems of esteem and affection from relatives, friends, and societies. A large number of written and telegraphed expressions of esteem and love for Mrs j Caughley, and sympathy with her fam- i ily and relatives, were received from all j parts of New Zealand, including letters j from the societies named, from members j of Cabinet, members of both Houses of Parliament, the Education and other Government Departments, local authorities, and many inspectors and teachers, and the Teachers' Association. The interment took place at Karori j cemetery, the service at the graveside j being conducted by the Scv. W. Day.

CORONER'S ENQUIRY. (press association telsgrah.) WELLINGTON, November 9. At the inquest into the death of Mrs John Caughley in the motor accident at Kelburn on Sunday, Mr Caughley gave evidence that on going through the cutting at ten miles an hour ho noticed a boy coming at him on a bicycle five yards away, and on the wrong side of the road. A collision was inevitable. He swung the car to the right, at the same time applying the foot brake. The cyclist, however, swerved in the same direction, and struck him about the middle of the road. Up to that time, he said, he did not realise that thev were in danger. °-° saw they were heading for the fence, and he applied the full pressure of the brakes, but the car went on through the fence and over the bank. Both brakes were adjusted a fortnight before the accident. He believed that thougn the collision was unavoidable, he would not have left the road if he had applied the full pressure of the brakes immediately he saw the boy. The cyclist, Frederick Freeman. 01liver, said he was riding on the right hand side of the road because there were several people walking on the left and middle of the road. He swerved to the left when he saw the car, assuming that it would keep on, but it turned towards him and struck him. It was travelling slowlv, but he did

not think it was slackening speed when it went through the fence. The Coroner said if both parties had kept to the left the accident might not have happened. However, there was no absolute law regarding positions on the road. It appeared to him that if there was an error of judgment it was on the part of Mr Caughley in concluding that the cyclist could get past him, but he would not say that it was a wrong conclusion that Mr Caughley came to. He should have, applied both brakes fully when he saw the cyclist, and the car would probably have stoplied before reaching the fence. The verdict was death from injuries through being accidentally crushed. The Coroner expressed sympathy with Mr Caughley and his family.