NOT KNOWN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1060, 24 February 1911, Page 6

NOT KNOWN.

VICTIM OF THE PETONE FATALITY. THE INQUEST. ; -"BUSTLING:OF. TIIE SHINGLE." * Tatal results attended the accident-that occurred on tho railway line-near I'otone on Wednesday night. Up. till the present the.victim Ims not been identified, though ho was seen in . Petono on the night of tlio accident. In a tin matchrbox found iu ono of his pockets was Jil' ls'. ,7d. iii money, but thero-wero 'no pipers that .would lead to his identification. 'Ho is supposed to have been about CO years of . age, of medium build, with fresh complexion, grey hair, beard aild .moustache and brown eyes. At tho timo of tho acci- 1 dent ho was wearing . a brown " tweed coat and vest and bluo trousers. ' There were tattoo marks oh his fight forearm, tho figure, of a woman and vine. Yesterday afternoon at the Grand National Hotel,. I'otone, Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M.;-; held nn inquest. Sergeant •Foster represented . the police,, arid tlio stationmuster ■ at Petone was present; for the Railway Department. .- James Grace 'lVohill, driver' on the Government Railways, was on the train, which left Wellington at 9.25 p.m. and was duo at Petone at 9.50 p.m. On nearing tho.signal box on the Wellington side of I'otono ho blew tho whistle and Rot tho clear, signal t "Come in." He blew tho whistle again on approaching the crossing. 'Tho train As going at. ten miles an hour. Witness was keeping a sharp look-out, and before reaching the crossing, ho heard a rustling spund as of-tho-shingle being'disturbed. On arrival at' Pctono witness got down to examine the engine and noticed blood on the rods." He communicated with tho north signal box and got them to ring up tho signal box below tho crossing to examine tho line. , 'To'tho stntioiimaster: It was about 50 yards froin where I first-whistled to . tho scene of the accident and 100 yards from the scene of the accident to tho crossing. Tho .Coroner: Did you hear any.noisp? Witness: but the rustling of the sliinglc; Tho Coroner: Or scream? -> Witness: No scream of any kind. . DavidxGreig, fireman on tlio stune engine as tho previijus witness, was on the'left-hand side of tho engine coming to -Petone. He corroborated the evidence of tho previous witness. If any person were standing'in the middle'of tho rails witness would have' noticed such person ; as the engine carried a good head light. - If a person were lying down between the rails it'would have been very dilficult to notice him. ,o:'.s - . Walter Juliiis Jorgenson, licensee of the Grand National Hotel,. roeosni;od tho body of deceased .as that-,of a'man who camo into .tho- hotel about half-past six on Wednesday evening aud left bitween 9',20-and 9.25 p.m. During that .time he had three mugs of beer , arid a plate of biscuits. Befofe ho left he-said: hp'was going to , catch tho 10 o'clock train to Wellington. were others in tho bar n'itli deceased' at the time. • The signalman came to witness at about a minute to 10 aud said there had been, an nccident. Witness went with the signalman' to tho scene, about 100 yards down ihe line. ' The man was lying with his head towards tho road. Dr. Ilarding arrived, had the man removed to'the liotel, mid attended him till about midnight. , Witness and the constable remained with him until ho died, at 1.15 a.m.- After tho threo mugs of beer, witness- refused to supply the deceased with more, because of • his' ago ■ and tlio • swag ho had to carry. He seemed perfectly sober when ho left tlio 'hotel. . Harry Ernest Safnuel Banksi'signalman, said ho was on duty in Xo. 2 signalbox at the timo the 9.25 p.m. train from Wellington camo in. , Witness heard tho train whistle, and gave tlio signal "come by." Tlio train whistled again passiug tho box. Witness saw nothing on tho lino at'the'time. In consequeiice of a telophorio message, received at 9.52 p.m., witness examined tho line in; tho direction of Petone,i and,about; 50 yards, from the' signalbox he found dewiased. Ho was lying botwceji tho "back shunt" and tho main lirio on which' the 9.25 train Mind passed iip. Witness sent for a doctor and for tlio police. Oil that part of tho l rnjlway line," whore the man was found, the piibjic had no right to. trespass. Tho man must havo crossed tho .cattlo stops or the fence. . ,'■ , '" The Coroner: The'night was calm? ' Witness: Very calm, and very dark. Dr. H. W. L. Harding, of Petone, stated that ho saw deceased on the railway lino at about 10 p.m. on Wednesday. Ho was a man of about GO years of age, of medium height, with gi-ey hair and beard. Ho was lying unconscious. His right leg had been taken off at the knee, his left foot was completely ■ crushed, and there was a long cut on the back of tho left hand. Witness remained with him till midnight.- There was no.hone from tho start, as ho was suffering from a fracture of tho base of the skull'in addition' to- his external 'injuries. Death was duo to shock from tho serious -injuries received from being struck by tho engine. . A verdict was returned that deceased djed at Petone on February 23, 1911, from Ehoek due to injuries receive<l from .being accidentally struck by ti railway engino between Petone and Wellington. After delivering tho verdict, the coroner remarked that the evideuco showed conclusively that tho driver and tho fireman on tho engine kept; a proper look-out and that they, and the signalman did all that was necessary in the performance of their duty,,before and after the accident.