ENGINE DRIVER TO BE TRIED

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 306, 21 September 1943, Page 4

ENGINE DRIVER TO BE TRIED

Manslaughter Charge

PRELIMINARY HEARING

ENDS (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, September 20.

The hearing of the manslaughter charge against 3ohn Patrick Alphonsus Corcoran, driver of the engine in the Hyde rail disaster, was resumed in the Magistrates’ Court today, with still 20 witnesses to be called.

After the evidence had been heard accused pleaded not guilty and, reserving his defence, was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail was allowed in his own recognizance of £2OO and two sureties of £lOO each. Patrick McCarthy, draper, described the rough swaying of a carriage. Witness noticed that a woman passenger appeared frightened and was crying. Witness himself was uneasy.

John Malachy O'Connell, farm hand, stated that after leaving Hyde the train picked up speed quickly. Just: before the accident two suitcases fell from a rack. Witness’s father died from injuries received. "1 had the wind up,” witness said.

Other passengers of both sexes gave evidence on very much the same lines as to the speed of the -train, particularly at corners. ■

Patrick Francis Kinney, farmer. Hyde, stated that his son, aged 19, was killed in the accident. Witness saw the train approaching from a paddock on his farm. The train was then on the down grade, but the engine’s noise was as though it were climbing.

James Anthony Reynolds, assistant district engineer, Dunedin, produced calculations showing that at the maximum speed allowed the time that could be made up between Kokonga and Hyde was 6.3 minutes. By the times of departure recorded at the stations the actual time made up was 11 minutes, which, allowing that no time was lost between Hyde township and Hyde, would necessitate a speed of 35.3 miles an hour. Detective R. J. Berry gave evidence of having interviewed Corcoran at the public hospital on August 13. Giving an account of his movements on the morning of June 4, accused admitted that lie had been in the bar of the Raufurly Hotel about 11 o’clock and that he had no lunch. He also admitted that Sarginson had travelled from Raufurly to Waipiata on the engine. On being told that it was alleged he had overrun the stations at Waipiata, Kokonga and Hyde, he said he received signals to stop from his fireman, and any over-running may have been caused by the brakes, but he added that he had had no difficulty in stopping the train and that he had not found the brakes to be faulty. He did not think he was travelling any faster than on the trip hl- had made the previous week. When it was suggested that the. engine was steaming down the decline immediately prior to the smash he said, “If that’s the case she would be doing 60 miles an hour when she reached the curve.” He maintained that the engine was drifting and that a certain amount of steam would be escaping. Asked if he had any liquor on the train, witness continued, accused admitted that he had bought, two bottles of beer at Raufurly as the hotels would be closed when he reached Dunedin. He had these bottles in his bag in the cab, but they had not been opened. A paste jar found in the cab was used by him for taking indigestion powder. He had had three beers in Ranfurly, but at the presen: strength of beer these would not affect him. He did not consider the curve where the derailment took place a bad one. He had not noticed anything wrong with the condition of the engine'. He had seen no obstruction on the track nor had he received any complaints at the stops about the speed of the train. Accused was*theu told it was alleged that he had made up 11 minutes between Kokonga and Hyde and he replied that he knew some time had been made up but he would not say it was 11 minutes. The statement, witness added, was a verbal one and was made in the presence of accused's solicitor.