THE SOUTHLAND RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XI, Issue 574, 9 November 1880, Page 5

THE SOUTHLAND RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

From the Southland Times we condense the evideuce taken at the inquest on the body of Mrs M'Nulty, whose untimely death we recorded last week :

On Saturday, before District Coroner M'Oulloch, an inquiry was held at Edendale touching the death of MargaretM. M'Nulty, who was killed by falling between the platform and carriages at the railway station there on Friday afternoon. Captain Dundas, who, with the deceased, was the only traveller by that carriage, stated that the train drew up with the carriages about 100 yards away from the platform, and he advised her to wait till the carriages were abreast of it. This she did, but the train moving on he had again to tell her not to attempt to get off. She was at this time on the carriage platform, and a porter having asked if she wanted to get off, and being answered in the affirmative, he as well as the guard signalled the driver to stop, at the same time telling her to stay where she was. As she appeared to be trying to leave the train, both men ran to her assistance and laid hold of her. Deceased, however, who was a stout woman, seemed to swing round between the carriages, holding by the rail of the carriage with one hand, and being unable to support herself fell between it and the platform. The guard and porter did their best to rescue her from her perilous "position. He did not think the train was stopped opposite the platform, but he noticed that the driver slackened speed at once on his attention being called.—Charle3 Mitchell, the guard, accounted for the train stopping short of the platform by the fact that there were 17 trucks in front of the carriages. When the train drew up finally at the platform some goods were discharged, and the station-master gave the order to start. The train had just begun to move when he saw deceased trying to get oft, and went to her assistance. He tripped over a bag of oats and fell, and deceased fell between the carriage and platform, when the brake-van came up and crushed her. After hearing the evidence of other witnesses, which corroborated what has been stated, the jury returned a verdict finding that deceased came by her death in attempting to leave the train while in motion