MR. C. RUGG’S DEATH

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 February 1932, Page 2

MR. C. RUGG’S DEATH

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST The adjourned inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Charles Rugg, who was found dead as the result of an accident at the 17Mile Bluff, on October 25, 1931, was held at the Greymouth Courthouse, yesterday, before Mr. W. Meldrum as, Coroner. Dr. J. F. C. Moore said that he saw the body of Charles Rugg at 7 p.m. on October 26. There was a moderate amount of bruising in the right temporal region in front of the right ear, from w’hich there was no evidence of bleeding, and there was no other external evidence of any injury. Rigor mortis was present, indicating that death had taken place at least six hours previously. There was no cyanosis or distortion of the face to suggest that drowning or any stress had been present before death. It looked as if death had occurred following on a fracture of the base of the skull. It is not possible to place the time of death from the presence of rigor mortis more accurately than that death had occurred not less than six and not more than 36 hours before.

Jphn Dunn, motor driver, residing at the Barrytown Hotel, said that on Sunday, October 25, he was at home at the hotel all day. About 3.45 p.m. he was seated in the side parlour with his brother and a lady when he heard a motor car at the side-window. It was in the process of turning and appeared to be jumping, the driver not seeming able to work the accelerator. Witness recognised Charles Rugg, but did not know the lady, who was driving. There was a little boy in the back seat. The car had come from the direction of Greymouth and was turning to go back. The engine appeared to be working all right. The only other cars witness remembered went right past the hotel. Witness had not seen Mr. Brenman. Witness’ brother came along from the Seven-Mile about half an hour after Rugg’s car had gone. His brother ha<j not seen Rugg’s car. The 17-Mile Bluff was about 3 miles from the hotel, and the road was flat until the Bluff was reached, and then there was an incline. It would take a car about 5 or 10 minutes to reach there, and the car must have disappeared from the road within the half-hour after it had left the hotel. John James Brown, taxi driver of Blaketown, said that he saw Rugg on October 25, between 12.30 and 1 p.m. when deceased was in a car coming from the Greymouth Post Office to the railway station. Mrs. Rugg and the little boy were also in the car. Mrs. Rugg was driving. He had not seen Mrs. Rugg driving before. Peter Brennan, taxi driver, of Greymouth, said that he had known the deceased well. On Sunday, October 25, witness had left Greymouth with some passengers for Barrytown about 4 p.m. arriving at Barrytown at 5 p.m. He had seen no sign at all of Rugg’s car.

FINDING THE CAR James Roderick Sheedy, sawmiller, of Ahaura, said that on Monday, October 26, he was-camped near the 17-Mile Bluff on the Barrytown Road. About 1 p.m. he saw a lady walking along the road, accompanied by a little boy. At first witness thought the woman had a veil on her face, and she seemed to be finding it hard work to get along. He had met a Mr. Hullah later on the roaid, and Hullah had said that Mrs. Rugg had told him her flame, stating that there had been an accident, and that deceased was in the car. Mr. Hullah had taken Mrs. Rugg to Greymouth and witness had gone to look for the car. Going towards Barrytown, by his lorry, he located the spot. He saw where the scrub had been knocked down as if by a car. The bank there was very steep, and the road was going uphill from Barrytown. Witness examined the wheel marks after the car had been found/ Following the tracks to the beach, witness found the car resting on the beach right at the bottom of the cliff. There were heavy rocks and boulders all the way down the track down which the car had fallen. The back of the car was facing the sea, the front wheels facing the road and resting on a rock. The back wheels were in sand and the car was in an upright position. Witness was shown, by Senior Sergeant Roach, photographs of the car 'showing the undercarriage visible and the car almost on its side. Witness said that he would not say that the car was not tilted, but he did not think to such an extent as the photos showed. The car, continued witness, was badly knocked about. The floor was gone from under the seat and the back seat was not in the car. The body of the deceased appeared to be resting on the iron cross member on the back of the car, near where the back-seat would have been. The body was 'on • the same side of the car as the steering wheel to which side the car was tilted. Deceased appeared to have been dead for some time. Thomas Hullah, farmer, formerly residing near Punakaiki, and now at Tiromoana, said that on October 25, he had met a woman and a boy, about a mile south of the Seventeen-Mile Bluff. As witness approached, the woman held up her hand and stopped him. The woman’s face was bespattered with blood, her eyes were black and swollen. She was not wearing shoes, and her stockings were torn. Sho appeared to witness to be dazed and wandering. Witness had not questioned the woman, whom he could see was suffering. She put the little boy into the car, and then got in herself, then telling witness that her husband had been killed. Witness then went back to Sheedy’s lorry, and found Sheedy on the beach. Sheedy had stated that he did not know there had been an accident. Witness asked Sheedy if he would locate the scene of the accident, while witness took Mrs. Rugg to the Hospital. Witness proceeded to Greymouth, reporting the matter to the police. Mrs. Rugg had said nothing about the accident, but had said something about a ‘'tennis party.” The little boy had a slight cut under the right eye, but otherwise seemed all right.

CHANGING GEARS. Constable Houston, of Dunollio, said tt that on October 26 last ho proceeded to the scene of the accident. Near the top of the Seventeen-Mlle Hill he saw wheel marks, indicating that a car had gone over the cliff. Witness had found tho car, a Rugby two-door Sedan, lying on its right side on the shingle. The rear of it' was towarsd tho sea, and the car was close to the rocks at the foot of the hill. The car was badly smashed. The deceased was lying on his back, with his (head against the rear scat and his feet .towards the front of the car. His left arm was slightly raised. The body was wet and the tido from the sea appeared to have

reached it. The tide, when witness arrived, was about thirty yards out. The driver’s seat had been wrenched off and was lying against one of the wheels. The gear handle was in the neutral position, and the hand-brake was off. The engine switch was turned on. The car had fallen from 150 to 200 feet. Wheelmarks on the road' above showed marks leading off the ordinary cai’ track on the road. The tracks then disappeared in the grass. Whcelmarks showed that tfh.e car had been going up the hill, where there was a slight bend. The tracks had shown that the car had gone a certain distance up the hill, and had stopped, -gone backwards and over the hill. The grade of the hill would be about 1 in 6. From his own experience in driving, it appeared to witness that the driver had been in top-gear, and on the steeper portion of the hill had attempted to change gear and then slipped backwards. It appeared as if the car had been put from high to neutral gear

preparatory to changing to a lower gear. j The Coroner returned the following verdict: —The deceased, Charles Rugg, came to his death at Seventeen-Mile Bluff, near Barfytown, on October 25, 1931, from shock following a fracture of tho base of the skull, caused by . falling over a cliff in his motor car. ‘ The evidence indicated that an attempt was made unsuccessfully to change from top to second gear, at a steep J part near the top of the hill, and the car slipped back, and went over the 1 cliff. Mrs Rugg appeared to have been driving the car when it left Barrytown, | 4 but there was no direct evidence as’ to who was driving at the time of the r accident. < 1