Inquest on Schoolgirl

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 43, 21 February 1936, Page 2

Inquest on Schoolgirl

LINDA McCULLQUGH’S DEATH...... REPORTS THAT DECEASED 'STRUCK BY BICYCLE UNFOUNDED, The inquest into circumstances surrounding tho death of tho schoolgirl, Linda McCullough, 12 years of age, who died in tho Pahiatua Public Hospital last Friday, from injuries received while playing with other children on tho playground, was .Veld in the Courthouse yesterday afternoon. Mr J. Wilson acted as coroner and the verdict was one of accidental death, no blamo being attached to anyone. Marjorie Sadie Finlay, aged 12 years, was the first witness called and she said that she attended the Pahiatua School and was in standard 111. She remembered last Thursday, when playing at the school-ground during the morning play-hour, that the deceased Linda McCullough was playing with her at “hide and seek." Witness said she was hiding and Linda was looking for her. The deceased was trying to get home before her, but when witness got there there was no, sign of her playmate. She went back to find where Linda had gone when she met her walking back towards “home.” She asked her what had happened and deceased said that she had fallen over. She did not tell her how she had fallen over but someone else had told her that she had bumped into a boy named Thomson. The deceased was crying when first she met her. However, they went on playing until the bell rang. Witness remembered seeing Linda leaving school before closing time. To the coroner: The “den” was between two trees nearer the primary school —close to Miss McKittrick’s garden. “Linda first saw me near the giant strides and then race ofE towards the “den.” There were quite a number of other children playing at the time and we had to run in between and around them.” Boy Who Collided With Deceased. John Robert Thomson, 13 years of age, tho pupil who collided with the deceased on the playground, said that during the morning play-hour ho was playing “hide and seek” on the playground. Their “den” was in a small shed at tho back of the infants’ room. There were no girls playing with them and to go out and hide they had to run out on the main playground near the infants’ room. When lie was-run-ning away to hide, lie knocked into the deceased girl. He fell over and got a lew bruises on the thigh and grazed his head slightly. At first he could not get up, so two boys assisted him to a nearby seat. As he was endeavouring to get up he saw Linda get up and walk away. Witness said he did not speak to deceased about the accident —he could not have avoided bumping into her —it was just an accident. To tho coroner: “I ride a bicycle to school. I never ride it on tile schoolgrounds.' None of the other boys ride bicycles in the school-grounds because we are not allowed.”

Another pupil of the school, Winnie Saywell, "was called to give evidence in connection with the accident and said that, she saw Linda McCullough chasing Sadie Finlay and . the boy Thomson coming from the opposite direction. The deceased .ran straight into him. They both fell to the ground and deceased got up and ran away immediately afterwards. The next time she saw deceased was when she came into Mrs Beale’s room with Miss Mahoney. -Mrs Beales asked the chil-dren-which of them would take Linda homo and sho was picked as escort. Witness then explained how she helped deceased down the school steps and hill to the front gate where deceased droppied her bag and she did not seem to know where sho dropped it. Near Barkers’ place she commenced to cry a little and she moaned. Witness said she asked her what was the matter; deceased did not answer but put hexhand to the side of her head. When they were near home, witness thought she asked for water. Arriving at the McCulloughs’ house she held up the wires while deceased got under. She said to Linda, “just a minute, I will come in with you,’’ but deceased did not wish her to go insido with her. Witness thou said she watched at the fence until deceased went out of sight. Sho did not see her again. School Teacher’s Evidence. The next witness was Mrs Hilda Beales, teacher at the Pahiatua School, who said she tvas in charge of standards 111 and IVB and that the first she knew of the mishap was in the afternoon. Deceased had gone to Miss Mahoney’s Tooni for sewing but she had only been gono about 20 minutes when Miss Mahoney brought her back into her room. She -was then informed that Linda had Complained of not being well and said she woliTS like to go home. She was then holding herself about the body and when witness asked where it was sore the deceased put her hand on her head and said that it ached. Seeing that the child was unwell, she then arranged for Winnie Saywell to take her home.

The coroner: Is there a rule prohibiting the riding of bicycles in the playground. Why I ask this is be-

cause there is a report that deceased was knocked down by a bicycle. Witness: I know tho rule forbidding the riding of bicycles in the schoolground and this rule is strictly enforced and observed. .They are not allowed to even get on a bicycle until they get outsido the gates. There is graised his' head slightly. At first ho children while they aro playing. Headmaster Says. Mishap Purely Accidental. .Thomas Clarke, headmaster of the Pahiatua District High School, said his first intimation of tlio accident was when Mrs McCullough had phoned him to say that her daughter Linda had been knocked down and she did not know when sho would be back at school. This would be at about 1.30 p.m. on the Thursday afternoon. Witness continuing, said that he then went to Mrs Beales’ room and made enquiries as to how tho accident occurred. From his enquiries ho assured himself that, the accident was purely accidental. To the coroner: Our system of patrol of the school-grounds is such that it is absolutely impossible for there to be any infringement of the school rules. These rules are read out at intervals at assembly on Thursday morning, so that all children, primary and secondary, are familiar with them. There is a rule, said Mr Clarke, prohibiting school children - from riding bicycles on the school-grounds.' I have never had to punish a pupil for riding a bicycle in the grounds. 'No child would have any occasion to ride a in the play-time, which is a-quarter of an hour only. In answer to the. coroner’s question, Mr Clarke said there was plenty of room in the school grounds for ordinary'playing. ’ Not a Strong Child. Dr. Paterson, of Pahiatua, said he attended Linda McCullough on Thursday afternoon at about 3 p.m., at her home. Her mother 'stated the child hud conic, homo complaining of a headache and that she had been knocked down at school. There was no bruising about the girl’s head, and he thought the caso one of mild concussion; ordered treatment, .and said he would return next morning. Early next morning the girl seemed the same, but at about 1 p.m., he was called by Mrs McCuJiough to say the girl had hud a “turn.” Ho went there immediately and the child seemed semiconscious. He took her to Tie public hospital for observation, and at about 3.30 p.m. lie was called to the hospital and found tile patient had stopped breathing altL'-ugu the heart was still beating. Who did not respond to restorative treatment and died about 3.-15 p.m. Id. Paterson sai 1 he liad attended the girl previously ana that she was not a strong child; in fact she was not robust and her physique was rather poor. On Sunday last he conducted a post-mortem and examination of the head confirmed that there was no external injury. Examination of the brain disclosed a clot between the bone of the skull and tho membrane lining the skull. The doctor was of the opinion that death was due to failure of respiration, due to compression of the brain by this clot. There was no sign of a fracture of the skull. Coroner’s Verdict. The coroner, giving his verdict, said that during the hearing of evidence he had continually stressed the point with regard to the alleged report that deceased had collided with a boy riding a bicycle in the school-ground itself, that deceased had told her mother that she had been knocked over by a boy on a 'bicycle. Ho was convinced himself, from the evidence of the boy, Thomson, and also of the teachers, that the girl must have been quite mistaken in what she said. There was no blame attachable to anyone, as far as lie could see. The finding would be that tho deceased, Linda McCullough, died from a haemorrhage of an artery, which .caused a clot of blood to press on the brain, tho accident being due to a collision with another pupil, while playing in the school-grounds.