INQUESTS

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 134, 3 December 1915, Page 4

INQUESTS

THE TRAM FATALITY,

An enquiry into the death of Donald M'Neill, seaman, who was killed by a tramoar in Willis-street on Tuesday evening, was held before Mr. D. G. A. Cooper,. S.M., yesterday afternoon. Mr. J. O'Shea represented the City Corporation, and Mr. P. J. O'Regan the relatives of the deceased.

Thomas Allan, motorman, stated that he was driving his car from Lambton Station, up Willis-street at 5.15 p.m. on the afternoon mentioned, and passed another car going in the opposite direction. Before he cleared that car a man came up behind it, and witness immediately shut off power and sounded the gong. He stopped the car within eight or ten feet from the place Where he first saw the man. The man was within six or eight feet of the car when witness first saw him. The car struck him before it could be p'uDed up. The man was dragged for seven or eight yards, and was under the second lifeguard when he was extricated. >

In' reply to Mr. O'Regan, witness said the car was going about ten or twelve miles an hour at the time of the accident. This was the usual speed in that part of the city. An Evening Post reporter stated that he was going up Willis-street at th& time of the accident, and saw the car strike M'Neill, who was immediately knocked down. He was caught by' the front fender-and pushed for some distance in front, of the car. The car was pulled up suddenly and M'Neill was extricated from underneath the lifeguard. Before this was possible the car had to be eased up on the front bogey by a crowd of bystanders.

Daniel Graham Rogers, a member of the Expeditionary Forces, also gave evidence. What drew his attention to the accident was the noise of the gong being sounded.

After hearing further evidence, the Coroner returned a verdict that M'Neill met his death through being accidentally run into liy a tramcar. and no blame being attachable to the motor-

At an inquest held subsequently into the death of O.fst.tv Die.hl. who died suddenly on Monday evening at his residence in EHzjbuth-struet. the Coroner (Mr Cooper), after hearing the medical and other evidence", returned a verdict, t!wt dec-eased died of chronic pleurisy and bronchitis.