INQUEST ON MRS DOVE

Evening Star, Issue 14414, 9 July 1910, Page 12

INQUEST ON MRS DOVE

The inquest on the body of Harriet Louisa Dove was resumed at 2.15 yesterday afternoon before Mr Widdowson (coroner) and a jury, of which Mr 0. H. Holier was foreman.

Station-sergeant King conducted the inquiry. Mr F. G. Duncan represented Joseph Hunt, and Mr \V. L. Moore appeared for the relatives of the deceased. Albert E. Harraway eaid that ho was at tho comer of George and Frederick streets at about 5.10 on the 2nd inst., on the east side. Ho noticed twelve or fifteen persons standing on the opposite side waiting for a tram car. He also noticed a man driving northwards, three men in the trap. He first noticed the trap when it was not more than ten or fifteen yards away from the people. The horse was trotting along at a brisk pace, not out of the ordinary. The Coroner: Is it what you would tail a fairly safe pace in tho town? Witness : In certain circumstances. : The Coroner: When there are not many people about. Witness: Yes, quite safe then. Continuing, witness said that the driver went.right between the people at the same pace. He kept hie right side. The lady who was i knocked over was fronting the tram line, but as tho trap approaches! she turned-her head in Its direction. She was one of the most northern of the people. She was slightly in front of the people who were facing the tram line, perhaps three feet from it. The trap passed over her. It was palled up with a sudden jerk within ten yards, and two persons jumped out, the driver remaining and turning his horse up London street. Witness approached the driver and asked him who were the occupants of tho trap. He thought it his duty as;, a citizen to do so. Alter some little hesitation the driver said that the owner’s name was Hunt. Witness heard no one call out to tho people to stand back—he heard no.sound till after the accident. The driver seemed to have the horse under control before the accident. • Witness did not sec deceased move forward just as the trap was coming up. There was ample room for the trap to pass between the point where deceased was standing and tho electric poles. Witness was not sure whether the trap carried lights, but the very fine light in MolLison’s enabled everyone to see-wiiat was going on. The three men in the trap were sober. To Mr Duncan: Was quite certain that the driver entered the crowd at a trotting pace. Would be surprised to learn that the man who was driving was the first to get out of the cart. Would contradict any witnesses who said that the horse, came on at a walking pace. Reexamined : Could not explain the driver - not seeing the deceased. Dr Roberts gave evidence as to the results of his post-mortem esa.mina.tion. There was a deep cut on the left temple, and he lound contusions on the pelvis, forearm, and shoulder,' as well as minor injuries, and bleeding from the right car, which would indicate fracture of the base of ■the skull. The chest showed fracture of four ribs on the left side, and portion of that lung was crushed. He also found rupture of the spleen. Tho inference ho drew was that deceased was knocked down by the blow on the left temple, that the skull was fractured on the asphalt, and that the wheel of the trap passed over the body. The eause of death was shock. The blow on tho temple could- not, witness thought, have been caused by the shaft of a trap drawn at a slow pace. Charles Light, foundryman, eaid that there were over thirty persons standing on tho west side. The horse approached at a slow trot until within about half a dozen yards of the people, when the driver pulled up into a walk. The crowd stood back a bit, and the driver pulled over on to the lino. Witness was between tho two sets of lines,--and thought the trap was coming into him. The driver pulled away from witness and towards the crowd, who had drawn in again, and the old lady was a bit slower than the others. As the trap went over and away from witness the old lady was struck by the butt of the shaft, not its point. She seemed to be struck about the breast, not on the head. Wines was standing by the wheel, and could see distinctly between the splashboard and the horse. The left wheel passed over her body. He had not discussed the evidence with Hunt. On the previous day ho had talked in a general way with Hunt about the accident. Witness helped to carry tho sufferer to the doctor. He would contradict Mr Harraway’s; statement that the horse was trotting through the people. To Mr Duncan; The pace then was a slow walk. The trap swayed about a matter of four or five teet. Ho never saw Hunt before the accident. To tho Court: Perhaps it was the body of the trap that struck her. It was not the point of the shaft, To Mr Duncan: The trap swerved to avoid witness, and all the others were nimble enough to get out of the way except the old lady. James Schofield, papermaker, said that he stood at the hotel corner. As the trap passed him it was pulling up. That was nelore the accident. It pulled up (o almost a walk. Witness did not see. the accident. The trap was not carrying a light. When he saw the trap after the accident there was only one man in it, and he was not Hunt. Alfred Hudson, vaii-driver, gave evidence as to the awkwardness of tins comer for men in charge of horses, for the people waiting for trams would not keep to the footpath. Joseph Hunt, the driver, said that he ami two friends were in a two-wheeled gig, all on the same seat. Ho went down George street at an ordinary trotting trace, lie saw tho crowd. They moved track a ;uik>. He slowed down to a walking pace. He had got hallway through tho crowd, when his brother said'that .they had ra over somebody. He looked; over. his shoulder and saw a. woman lying on tire asptiali Ho wheeled the horse to the back .of. the crowd and jumped out, helping 10 pick up the woman. He had not the lamps, alight. It was quite light where the crowd stood. He did not see the woman at all He had only about a I couple of feet to spare to get between the crowd and the lamp;post. The horse did not swerve. If. it <ltd .he did not notice it. To Mr Duncan : He had been driving in Dunedin for dearly eight years. ‘ 'I I .Charles Cates, one of the occupants of the trap, said' that when. within fifteen yards of the crowd, and slowing' tip, .witness and Thomas Hunt called “Look out !” They were nearly through when he thought he saw - someone come out from thc crowd; f he leaned over.: ahd saw the wheel strike

this person. She was not struck by the shaft or tho body of the cart. Thomas Hunt was in tho trap with him when Mr Harraway asked him for the owner’s name. To Mr Moore : The horse was past the woman when she stepped out from the crowd. They were almost past the crowd, and the horse may have been beginning to get up pace again. ; Thomas Hunt gave corroborative evidence. The old lady was standing in the crowd, and suddenly stepped out- as ii she were going to walk along. The wheel struck her and ehe fell.

The Coroner said the question was whether there was anything on the part of Hunt amounting to Gould the accident hare b en avoided if reasonable care bad been exercised by the driver? They must remember that this was a very awkward comer, and unfortunately the trams stopped right opposite the place where there was no footpath. Consequently the people were almost forced into the roadway, and, as they know, crowds collected there waiting on trams. There was a certain, amount of conflict in the evidence. Mr Harraway had said that the horse was trotting ;....ali the other witnesses seemed equally positive that the horse was walking. The jury’s verdict was that death was the result of injuries received in tho collision, and that no blame was attachable to the driver of the gig.