ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCV, Issue 10919, 30 March 1896, Page 5

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

[Per Press Association.] MELBOURNE, March 28. The Port Henry boating accident is less serious than was feared. The boat which foundered was the Pearl, and the only occupant was a fisherman named Hedrick, who was rescued after clinging to the mast for five hours. ' WELLINGTON, March 29. A married man named Henry Allen, a resident of Eata, near Marton, who was on a visit to the city, died suddenly on Friday night. He had been attended by a medical man, and was- given the medicine prescribed for him. On Saturday morning Allen was found dead, and the Doctor said that he must have taken five times the amount of medicine prescribed for him. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict that death was due to failure of the heart’s action, accelarated by an overdose of medicine administered by the deceased himself. THE FATAL TEAMWAY ACCIDENT. An inquest touching the death of Hester Christiana Mitchell was held at the residence of the parents, Victoria Street, Linwood, at noon on Saturday, before Mr E. Beetham, coroner, and a jury of whom Mr Treloar was chosen foreman.

Walter Seager, tram conductor, deposed that he was in charge of the 10.10 a.m. tram from Christchurch .to Sumner on Friday. Deceased was a passenger, and when witness took her fare he asked her where she wanted to got out. She replied Woolston, and witness next saw her lying on the rail. There was no signal to stop given. Deceased got out near the Ferry Eoad school gate. To the Foreman; It was a common thing for people to jump off the cars while they were in motion. The guards were continually warning people. The company had a by-law giving it power to prosecute people for jumping off the cars while in motion. To Mr Mitchell: Deceased did not ask him to stop the tram at the school-gate. St John’s Eoad was a proper stopping place for Woolston. To the Foreman: Had instructions to take the names of persons jumping off the cars before they stopped. The guards did not always do this. The' by-law was practically a dead letter. Charles Selby Howell gave evidence as to seeing deceased -lying on the rails, and assisting to take her to Dr Hunt’s. Mary Ann Liddiard deposed that she was standing on the footpath near the school gate when the tram came along. Saw the deceased standing on the back platform of the front oar. She jumped off while the tram was in motion. Witness called out to deceased not to jump off. Nearly all the trams stopped at the school gate. To the Foreman: The tram had stopped at Smith’s Eoad, about 250 yards from the school, and was running slowly when it approached the school. Walter Seager, re-called, said he did not intend to stop the tram at the school gate. It was not usual to stop there unless required. John Wood, traffic manager, deposed that the company had a by-law prohibiting passengers from jumping off the cars while in motion. The by-law was in force, and ho had summoned several people during the past two years. It was impossible to prevent people jumping on and off. A copy of the by-law was placed in every car.

The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death,” exonerating' the tramway officials from any' blame, and added a rider that the Tramway Company should endeavour to more strictly enforce the bylaw.