THE LATE MR. W.T.L. TRAVERS

Evening Post, Volume LXV, Issue 99, 28 April 1903, Page 5

THE LATE MR. W.T.L. TRAVERS

ENQUIRY REGARDING THE ACCIDENT. Yc«tcrday aftornoon the District Coroner (Mr. James Ashcroft) held un enquiry legar.ling tho death of Mr. W. T. L. Tr.ivt'i-H, tho result of an Rcuident at tho Hutt lailuuy station on Sunday evening, ns tho 7. 1S train wns leaving the slution fur Wellington. Mr. Henry Jackson was foieinmi of tho jury. Mr. J. P. Campbell appeared for the relatives of Iho ileeo.i.ved, and Mr. A. Gray for iho Railway Department. The. enquiry va» held at tho residence of the de"oe;\fed gentleman at the Lower Hutt. Dr. Punly said ho s.nv deceased about 7.55, wlion ho was being brought i;i!» his house on a ■Iretcher, He was conHcimtn. His injuries consisted of a very b- rtimpomid fracture of the right leg, vi... a great deal 6f crushing and bruising of tiiwuw, a superficial cut on tho right eyebrow, nnd ti fiacturo of tho nose. He complained also of a pain in the shoulder. Amputation of the injured limb was decided upon after constitution with Doctors Collins, Vulintine, and Hamilton. When told of the decision ho asked if it was necessary, and on being told that, it would afford him a good chance of lifo he consented. Ho also said that tho accident was entirely his fault. He did not knqw that (he train Van moving so fast when he got off. When ho made tho effort to get off, some one clutched him, thinking that ho was falling— ho did not know who— and he shouted to him to leave go. Ho must have fallen on tho platform in any caso. When ho did fall he collided with the guard and rolled over between the ,j)latform and the carriage. Ho said that he 'lay quito still while the carriages wero passing, and, nnid the doctor, "he did not worn to realise that hi* teg had been run ovor. He took tho antesthetic well, and seemed" to do well until a little after 6 o'clock in tho morning. He then complained of a fooling of great oppression ou his ehfeSt, and, was rather rest lots. Ho unmeet awoy very quietly at 5.30 a.m. Witness believed that death was due to hoemorrhago of tho brain. Constable Lilloy, who was on duty on tho railway platform at tho time of tho accidont, said that when two or three ctvrriages of the movhig train had pOSSCd him he heard some ono shout out "Let mo go, you foolish boy." He next saw Mr. Travers jump from the train, bump against the guard, who was on the platform, fall back against tho enrringe, and then fall between tho wheels of tho train and tho platform. Witness rushed up and told him to lio still. Ono of his knees was sticking up, and witnew* pushed it down a* the earring* wns going by. The stops of tho next carriage were lower and caught him, twitrted him dyer, and dragged him seven or eight yards. Two moro carringos and tho guard's van passed by without touching him. Tho train stopped about a carriage length from whore he was lying. The collision with the guard was unavoidable, aa tho guard was side on to him and was walking in tho diroction of Iris van. The boy who had tried to detain deceased on the carriage could not bo found. Mr. Travers told witness that the boy had said to him, "Don't jump off." To Mr. H. Traver#--Deeeaaed appeared to jump straight off the train. To the foreman — He fell with hit head towards tho engine, and after being caught and dragged was turned right over. Constable Patton was also on tho Motion ptatforni at tho time of tho accident, but did not etc it occur. He helped to remove Mr. Travera homo. J«mwf M'Farlnno Williamson, guard on iho 7.45 train, said tho train was moving nt tho rate of six or. seven miles «n hour. Ho wn« waiting to jump on, and looking toward* tho engine. Somo one — ho dia not know then it was Mr. Travers — jumped off tho pint-form of the third carriage from tho end of tho train, and collided with witness, who had no timo to move to one side. Tho man's olbow struck witness in the pit of tho fttomuch, causing him to almost fall ; then tho man fell back against tho carriage and then between the carriages and tho station platform. The steps of a- carringo caught and turned him over. Witness ordcr'ed the stoppago of the train, and sbowcl a red light.. The train stopped immediately. / To Mr. Campbell— Witness saw tho act of jumping. Deceased jumped straight out from the platform of tho carriage and did not u*o tho sltp. To tho Coroner — There was a boy of about fifU-on who appeared to get amongst witness's feet just about the time Mr. Travers jumped off. Ho did not know where the b,oy came from, or whoro ho went. Tho Coroner—This may havo been the boy to whom Mr. Travors spoko. Ho may have jumped with him, or been dragged out. Constable Lilley said that he saw no boy come out of the carriage! Witness wns asked wao Mr. Travers committing any bre«ch of tie railway regulations in acting as he did. Mr. Campbell said it was not suggested tliab the railway authorities were at fault. Tho Coroner , docided that the question was one that ought to bo piit and answorcd. Witness replied, "Yft», decidedly." He ndded in /oply to Mr. Gray that tho train hnd travelled quito forty yards before Mr. Travors jumped, and the speed was increasing eVery rrioment. The usual starting signals w«re given. Witness was about tiiree feet from thts carriage as it was passing. It was a frequent occurrence for people who come to see friends off to enter the carriages and remain thore until Iho train was starting. William T. Trogurtha, assistant stationmnstor, mid that he signalled for the trnin to stop on hearing a woman ; scream. Tho train was stopped almost immediately with the Westinghouso brake. This concluded tho evidence. Tlio Coroner said it was quite, clear from Mr. Travers's own statement that he made a mistake in jumping off the' train when in motion, Mr. Travers was a man whom they all knew and respected, and the mishap was a most regrettable thing. Tho jury found that deceased came by his death through accidentally falling from antf under the- train when in motion, The jury added ati expression of sympathy with tho family of tlio deceased gentleman, and also stated that in their opinion no blamo was attachable to any ono. The latfe Mr. Travors wns buried quietly in tho Boltbn-streot Cemetery this* ntortting. Tho interment wa« practically a private one, including otily members of tho deceased's family. Captain Alexander, nnd tho Hon. Mr. Butler (reprofnntiug his Excellency tho Governor), Mr H. D. Boll' (representing tho New Zealand Law Soclcjtf), and Mr. C. P. Starrett (President of tho Wellington Law Society). Tbo funeral ceremony was conducted tiy tho Rev. T. Sprott, Vicar of St. Pauls prrf-Cttthedinl, who. was asisisted by the ftev. Joshua Jones, of the Lower* J-futt. At the public meeting held at the Lower Hut* lost evening, the Mayor (Mr Orton Stevens) propped it vote of sympathy with Mrs. Trftverft in her bereavement. Tho resolution tfas carried, the aud\«hca standing, and it will be couvey*d to M». Tracers <bj letter*