RAILWAYS FATALITY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 262, 29 July 1908, Page 4

RAILWAYS FATALITY.

UNPROTECTED RAILWAY CROSSING. Tho adjourned .inquest on tho body of ■A 1 oxijudor• ;'R obert Wcljster, aged 29, lato of 10 who was knocked down and injured by tho 8.3G p.m. «Wolliifg{oii-Xoi Arq 'traiu near tho Whitmoro 'Str&stVrosatliff SrK'iday last, was continued boforo, Mr,. ,G. Riddell, S.M., District Coroner,'iyosterday afternoon. Mr. Myers appeared for tho Railway Department, Mr. ,o'Leary. for tho. relatives of deceased, and Sii'li-1 n'spector'Pliair for tho police. , Hafrv'-Alhert'''Owon, fireman on tho 8.35 'p,rii.;Wbllin'gton-To Aro train on Friday, July 24,. corroborated tho evidonco' previously ■tondbrcd"'by -■•William Gregg, driver of tho train.'-Under examination by Mr. O'Leary, ho said that Webster was sober, as far-as talking:/.was .concerned, but ho could smell drink.: oq .himSergeant Kelly deposed to seeing tho in-jured-man-at,'tho Government Railway Station.'. In. reply* to a question from witness as to whether,he had been drinking, Webstor replied:/"! was just as you see mo now." Tho man was quite conscious, and gavo his address as Sydney Street, Peton'e. Ho stated .that, lie ; was walking.,along the line towards thovStation. Witness .later visited the scene of tho accident, ; which'was about fifty yards irorii. WhitmoroiStre'et.rThero was a concrete obstruction near tho lino at the back of the New Zealand Railway Ofßcos, over which deand so fallen on the line.' To Mr." O'Leary: "Deceased appeared to bo quite sober when I spoke to him-at tho Station.."" William ■ James Feeney, clerk at To Aro Railway Station, stated that ho saw a man, whom.-he-afterwards-identified as deceased, at tho Station twico on tho evening of the accidont. On tho second occasion, about 7.41 p.m.,;this man, who was evidently under tho influcjico of liquor, and who was accompanied by a greyhound, ; .whieh was led, was observed to fall on" the platform near tho van - of. a train which was,being shunted. Witness'told' the .guard."of-"the 5 -train to' look after liirn, whilo'ho (witness) delivered tho tablot'to tho driver of 1 the 'mail--train, then 'due. Witness subsequently discussed tho question of calling the-police, ;bUt..,the man protested, and finally went off towards Wellington Station, with tho intehtion;of catching tho p.m. train from Wellington to l'etone. That was tho last he. saw ,of .him. Evidenco'was given by Mrs. Webster, wife of the deceased, to tho effect that her- husband ; had' : liad a'' prohibition : order issued against himji) March last. '[ ' f ■ THE VERDICT. The jury ■ returned a verdict .of accidental death;'and added the following rider: — "That" .tho.i'alttention ;of the Railway authorities be called to the unprotected : approach to tho AVhitmoro Street Railway Crossing."