BLOOD-STAINED MOTOR CYCLE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVI, Issue 87, 29 March 1926, Page 7

BLOOD-STAINED MOTOR CYCLE.

SEQUEL TO RECENT FATALITY. Palmerston North, March 27. The inquiry into the circumstances surounrding the death of Maurice Stewart, aged 18, who was picked up in an unconscious state on the Rangitikei line on Monday evening, and subsequetly succumbebd to injuries to the head, opened before the Coroner, Mr. J. L. Stout. S.M. The medical evidence of the doctor called to the scene of the accident was that the deceased was suffering from a fractured skull. In his opinion the deceased was knocked off his bicycle, being struck from behind. It was quite plain that the deceased had not skidded and fallen off on his own account. John Harold Watt deposed driving to Palmerston North from Feilding on the night of the accident. Near Whiskey Creek, on the Rangitikei line, he had seen a man either pushing or standing beside a motor cycle. He could not remember. The man appeared to be going hi the direction of Newburg. A little later witness noticed the body of a man on the road. Mehical aid was then summoned. Witness had seen broken grass on tne road. From his experience he would say it was of the type used in motor cycle lamps. Constable Thom said he had visited a room near the Newbury cheese factory and seen in bed Herbert Michael Bailey, suffering from recent injuries to his head, which he said would be due to a fall from a cycle. An examination of Bailey’s motorcycle revealed the lamp staved in. with only one small piece of glass loft. On the front spring were skin and bloodstains. Bailey also stated on the evening of the fatality that he had returned from Palmerston, and after passing Manyaone Bridge remembered nothing more until he ?ound himself pushing his cycle through the gate. Herbert Michael Bailey, wh centered the box with his head bandaged, said that after passing Manyaone Bridge his only recollection was picking himself up off the metal near Newbury factory .a distance of three mires from the bridge. Ho still thought he haa fallen from his motor-cycle through skidding in loose metal. The Coroner’s verdict was that the deceased died from injuries sustained through being knocked off a bicycle by a motor cycle ridden by Herbert Michael Bailey. The latter was then charged under Section 27 of the Motor Vehicles Act that ho negligently drove a motorvehicle and thereby caused the death of Maurice Stewart. The accused was remanded until Thursday.