RAILWAY FATALITY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 260, 27 July 1908, Page 7

RAILWAY FATALITY.

THE INQUEST. An inquest touching the doath of Aloxandor Robert Webster, who was run ..over, .by, the train at the Whiimore Street • crossing -on Friday night, was "hold'at'the hospital' on' Saturday before Mr. Riddell, 5.M.,; Coroner. Mr. Foil was pjcysont, -ropresonting tho Railway Department. Dr. llenry said thi\t at 8.45 p.m. he was called to attend to the' deceased. < He found him lying on a stretcher at tho' Government railway station.. Both logs wero crushed and mangled from tho Knee's downwards, and the right arm was severely crußhed abovo the elbow. Ho was conscious, 'and witness had him romoved in the ambulanco to the Hospital. Ho said that lio .Md not hoard tho train coming. Ho'was", not under tho influenco of liquor. Dr. Ewartj medical,,superintendent at'..tho Hospital, said that; tho deceased 'was qiiito conscious when admitted' to' the.institution, but was suffering from'severo shock-and loss of blood. Witness' treated the wounds, but tho 'deceased diod about two hours after admission from shock and loss of blood.

Mary Margaret Wcbstor; > .wifo of.tho deceased, said that_,l(e;,,was a .slaughterman, and shoaror, 29 years of ago, and lived at Petono. Sho saw him .last a.t 11.40 a.m. on Friday, when he-was.' in his'.usuaL'healtli! Ho wont to Wellington'to meet tho Sydney boat to get a greyhound.'/,..' William Greig, driver of the train, said •that tho engine had just finished whistling for the Whitmoro Street crossing when'his attention was drawn to the ongmo.. running as if it was passing over rough gravel. Thinking that thoro was something wrong with tho track," witness appliod tho Wostinghouse brake. Htf'lit a lamp to go back and examine tho lino,' when he-heard tho de-' ceased's groans. Ho found him lying outside tho track, with both-legs.'off below, tlig-kfico. Deceased said "my^jvifo",and.,.then."Sydney, Street." .Decoased was taken to tho Wellington railway station._ ' • To Sub-luspector Phair,Ho. had. a good head light on tho erigltiS." He" did''inot notice any object on tho lino, which,was particularly dark at tho back of tho Railway Buildings. Tho sp,eed-of;.the train.was.five miles an hour, and. ho , nulled .up ..in. about 70 feet. There was usually a light close by, but ho could not say if it was burning on this occasion. The. head light would enable him to seo a man standing straight in front of him between the-lines, -but hq did-not see the deceased beforo" the .-•'accident.'

To Mr. Fell: Ho always wont back when ho suspected something ..wrong „.with the track, for tho sako of. other trains, following. Tho spot on which the accident occurred was Government v proporty, and tho deceased would bo a trespasser. , ... To Sub-Inspector Phair: Witness _ was keeping a look out s.head when the accident happened. 'The- steam .fi'omf I .tho,whistle Would not obstruct his view of tho lino, but if a man wero standing close in front of the engine, tho tender would break the driver's view. : " " ' ! The Coroner said that ho did not propose to tako any further ovidenco at that'stage.' Tho inquest was adjourned, till 4,30 p.m. on Tuesday at tho Courthotiso'. ' ..."