FATAL TRAM ACCIDENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1170, 4 July 1911, Page 5

FATAL TRAM ACCIDENT.

IN FEATHERSTON STREET. MR, DUNCAN M'MURRICU KILLED. A fatal accidcnt occurred on iho tramlino in Foatherston Street last night, resulting in tho death of Mr. Duuciui M'Murricli, of 30 Ohiro Komi. About 8 o'clock Mr, M'Murricli ond his wifo boarded a trnmcar at the comer Oi Manners Street and Willis Street, and travelled down Lambton Quay as lar as Ballanco Street. They woro apparently on tho way to visit tno Exhibition, hut event.'; look the, sad turn muicaieu, lor wlion they wero crossing ieatnerstoil Street, trom Ballanco Street, Mr. M'Alurrich was struck by a. trauicar ana bo severely injured that Jio expired in a low minutes.

Sergeant Lyons, of tho Lambton Quay l'ohco Station, immediately proceeded to tho scene of the accident, accompanied by a constable, and at the request ot Mrs. M'Murricli the body was removed to tho family residence. Sergeant Lyons subsequently obtained statements Horn both tlio motormun and tho conductor of tho car concerned.

Motorman Anthony .Robinson Broad bent .stated that ho lett .Lutnbtou Station just betoro 8.10 p.m. on car _\o. 1, bound lor Constablo Street. While proceeding along Featherston Street ho noticcd deceased and his wifo attempting to cross tho lino iust opposite Messrs. Jenkins and Mack's building. Tho motorman rang tho bell, and Mrs. M'Murricli hesitated, but Mr. M'Murricli proceeded to cross, and tried to pull Mrs. .M'Murricli with him. Sho stopped, however, and Mr. M'Murricli stepped in front of tho car. "I at oijco applied the emergency brake," said the motorman, "but deceased was knocked, down. I rushed forward and pulled him from near the buffer at the front of tho car, and found that ho was bleeding profusely about the head. Conductor Koid then went 1 away to ring for Dr. Henry, who attended promptly, but tho injured, man died shortly niter. Thero was nobody, else in tlio roadway at tlio time."

Conductor Robert Crawford Reid stated that his attention was first attracted by tho car stopping suddenly after the gong had sounded. "I rushed to tho front of tho car," continued tho conductor, "and saw a lady standing on tho track. I asked her what she was doing wandering on the line in tho dark. Sli« ttked ine: 'Whoro is lie?' I did not know what slio meant, but afterwards found deceased on tho life-guard. Mootrman Broadbeut and Motorman Cooper Andrew, of tho service, lifted him out."

Deceased was an elderly man, and is survived by a widow uiul family. Two of his sons are engineers in tlio Union Company's service, one son being engaged on the s.a. Mspourika and another on tho fi.s. Maori. Deceased himself was a marine engineer, and had served his t.ima with the shipbuilding firm of Denny Bros., Dumbarton. After coming to New Zealand he was well known on a number of tho Union Company's steamers. Subsequently he served as superintending engineer lor tho company at Port Chalmers, and, about ten years ago, ho came to Wellington, serving first as assistant superintendent and finaliy beinfr promoted to tho position of superintending engineer at this port. An inquest will bo held by tho City, Coroner, to-day.