WESTPORT SUICIDE

Grey River Argus, 21 May 1928, Page 7

WESTPORT SUICIDE

Inquest Verdict (Our Own Correspondent.) WESTrORT, May 19. An inquest was held at the Courthouse, before Mr E. R. Fox, Coroner, touching the death of Mr W. H. Kilner. Sergeant McGlone conducted the case on behalf of the police. Samuel Paul, draper, said he had viewed and identified the body. He had known the deceased for 25 years. Deceased was a storeman. He had not enjoyed good health recently. He suffered from insomnia. Witness last saw him at the Post Office on Wednesday afternoon. Ho appeared to be in his usual state of health. Deceased was an Englishman, 64 years of age, and had been a resident of Westport for a number of years. He knew of nothing which would make him do away with himself. Dr Dunn said he knew the deceased for about 27 years, and was called to the railway yard at 4.55 on the 171 h inst. Deceased’s body was lying by the rails. lie described the appearance cf deceased’s body'. The head wa s nearly severed. Death would be instantaneous.

F. Junker, engine driver of the N-Z. Railways at Westport, said that at 4.55 on Thursday afternoon he brought a rake of trucks from the Crane Wharf, and kicked them into No. 4 siding. Just as the trucks had been kicked off, he saw a man cross the line towards the trucks. He came from the lowef end of the platform. He called the attention of his fireman. McLean. He saw the man throw himself in front of the trucks. He went to see if deceased had been knocked clear, but found him under the truck. The trucks were not. travelling fast. When deceased had got to No. 3 siding he went down on his hands and knees as he threw himself under the truck. There were about 40

empty trucks. The trucks were uncoupled from the engine. If the engine had been coupled to the empties it would have been impossible to have prevented the fatality.

J. McLean, fireman, said he wa s on the engine at about 4.55 p.m. on Thursday, and saw deceased. The trucks were shunted on to No. 4 siding. He saw deceased on the platform when the engine came from the Crane Wharf. Wlien he noticed deceased on the plaftonn he appeared uneasy. He ‘saw deceased afterwards getting on his hands and knees, but did not see him get in front of the trucks. He went up to where the deceased lay. He corroborated the former witness’s evidence. He believed the deceased deliberately threw himsel f under the trucks. When he first saw the deceased, lie had an uninterrupted view. It would have been impossible to haw? stopped the waggons if the engine Isad been attached. G. Radford., shunter, N.Z. Railways, said he was bringing up a rake of empties from the Crane Wharf at 4.55 p.m. mi Thursday, and saw deceased on th" platform as he passed. He was riding on the brake of the end waggon when they were kicked off. He stopped the trucks when he thought they had gone far enough. Someone called out “Help!” but he had not seen the man since. The engine driver said he thought they had run over someone. He went across and saw deceased’s body. He did not see anything of deceased until he saw him dead on the rails. The trucks were going about four or five miles an hour. There was m> crossing at this part of the yard, though people sometimes wandered across the yard, but were not supposed

E. (1. Cogger, assistant, shunter, said he was assisting in shunting the rake of empties. When they passed the platform. Kilner was standing on th" platform. lie turned the points for No. 4 Radford cut off. Ho saw deceased walk across the line, and then witness went to turn another set of points, and when he next saw deceased lie was in a kneeling position in front ot the moving waggons. He saw the ivaggons jump. He said: “We have run over someone!” Ho went to the station and informed Mr Langridge. He saw deceased lying with his head over the rail, looking towards the wharf. His body was between the rails, and his feet on the other rail. The waggons were going slow. Deceased could have got across if he had wished. He was certain that deceased did not slip or stumble. He had an uninterrupted view. He was about 60 waggon lengths awav. There was plenty of light. J.' N. Joseph, shunter, deposed that at 4.20 p.m. on Thursday he was at Wakefield Street crossing, and saw the deceased, who appeared to make a spring to go across. He thought he was attempting to get acros s in front of the waggons. He grabbed him, and told him to go round the other way, but lie got. no reply. He thought de(•eased was going over to the wharf. He noticed nothing peculiar about deceased. Deceased followed him to the Ground Frame, and after putting the engine away he took him back towards: the platform, whore he sat down. Dc-| ceased said nothing when told to go over the overhead bridge. He did not see him again. He showed no signs of drink. Anyone crossing the line would be trespassing. Mr Paul, recalled, deposed that, .deceased had been in bad health, having giddy turns. He had had no sleep for three nights previously. He slept on Thursday morning, and slept on until three in the afternoon. Constable Matches deposed that he received a call at 5.55 that a serious accident had occurred in the railway vard. In company with Constables Spence, and Surgenor he visited the vard A description was given of th ' position of the body. Hr Huun pronounced life extinct. They conveyed Ihe bodv to the Morgue. Rev Mr Miller tendered evidence, stating that he knew deceased for over 10 years. Last year, in particular, lie had a serious illness for about six months. Witness visited him. Deceased appeared to be mentally depres; s ,,d His sister-in-law told witness that the d eeased had suffered from insomnia. Deceased was a man of a high character. He did not, drink. The Coroner said that, following the evidence, there appeared to be mi negligence upon the part, of anybody. The deceased was trespassing in the railway v: ,,d. His verdiet was. that deceased, while in a stale of mental depression, committed suicide by throwing himself front of a rake of trucks in the railnay yard.