FALL FROM TRAIN

Evening Star, Issue 21583, 1 December 1933, Page 11

FALL FROM TRAIN

The inquest was concluded at the Courthouse this morning touching the death of Norman Stewart Newall, who was killed on the railway line near Bavensbournc on November 17, Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., returning a verdict that deceased was killed by falling from a train. Sergeant Boulton appeared for the police, and Mr J. P. Ward represented the relatives of the deceased. Archibald Cameron Warnock continued his evidence, and said that he escorted the deceased to town for dental treatment. On the return journey witness escorted deceased through two carriages to a lavatory, and stood at the door. When deceased came out he gave witness a push and went out the door behind him. Witness turned round, but when he got on to the platform of the carriage deceased was going down between the two carriages, witness being unable to stop him. Witness ran through the carriage to pull the emergency stops, and after_ deceased fell the train stopped within about 200 yards. Witness had escorted deceased to town three or four times previously. At the time of his death deceased appeared in his usual health and spirits. Mr Ward said that from the relatives’ point of view they wore satisfied that Mr Warnock had taken every care of the deceased.

To Mr Ward, witness said that at the time of the accident the train was just passing the boat harbour. Deceased’s mother lived in the locality, overlooking the boat harbour. Deceased got down on the town side of the train.

The guard in charge of the train, Frederick William Grover Quaife, and Dr E. D. Hayes, medical superintendent of Seacliff Mental Hospital, also gave evidence. The latter said that deceased had been allowed to sleep out of observation, and had been allowed to visit town on several occasions for dental treatment. There had been previous evidence of impulsive conduct when deceased had run off for home in his brother’s car when the latter was visiting him. Since then, however, he had not been so markedly depressed as he had been previously. Evidence was also given by Herbert Alfred Newall,_a brother of the deceased, who said that when he had visited deceased ho had shown an interest in nothing outside the hospital except a concern for his mother. The Coroner said that the question was how the deceased had come to got between the carriages. Ho had takenevery opportunity of going to his mother’s place. From the evidence before him he could only find that deceased was killed by falling from a railway train near Ravensbourne on November 17, He added that the attendant, Warnock, had taken all proper care in keeping observation of the deceased. and that deceased was very properly allowed in to town by the medical superintendent on that occasion, there being no reason to anticipate any occurrence such as had taken place.