THE LATE STREET ACCIDENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7922, 14 April 1887, Page 6

THE LATE STREET ACCIDENT.

J steamer to-day,

« CORONER'S INQUEST. An inquest was held yesterday afternoon before Dr. Philson, at the Pier Hotel, on the body of the lad C. W. Pitcorn, who was killed by being run over by a drag in Queenstreet on Monday evening. Mr. Rigby appeared for the driver, Rollo Duncan, Sergeant McMahon conducted the inquest, Alexander Duthie was chosen foreman of the jury, and, after viewing the body, the following evidence was taken : — J. W. Oxley, shipchandler, Queen-street, deposed that on Monday evening, between six and seven p.m., he was walking up Queen-street, and when about opposite the Thistle Hotel, he , noticed a four-in-hand drag ooming down Queen-street. It was going at a moderate trot, and when inline* i diately opposite the Thistle he noticed deceased in front of the horses.apparently making for the pavement. The near horse kncoked i the boy down, and then he was trodden on by the near shaft horse, and then the front i wheel went over his body. Witness then . rushed to the middle of the road and picked the boy up, and took him to Edson, the i chemist, and subsequently to Dr. Hooper. i He then went to the deceased's stepfather, : Peter Petersen, Chapel-street North, and - told him of the accident. He did not notice i whether the drag had lights. . I To the Foreman : The Volunteer band was e f coming up the street at the time, and a e very large crowd was following. The drag t was almost in the middle of the crowd, and 1 the horses were eoinewhat restless. He did t not think the driver was justified in going at a such a rate, but it was a difficult matter to . drive four exoited horses quietly* 1 To Sergeant McMahou: He heard the driver call out warning the people to get out 0 of the way. He seemed to have the horset o fairly well in hand. ;. To Mr. Rigby : He heard the driver shoot t ing before he saw the boy. The street wat . not clear in front of the brake. The boy ap speared to be confused, and tried to make foi t witness's side of the street. He thoughl a the accident was an inevitable one, and hi i- did not think any blame was attachable t( k the driver, except that he was going a little 8 too fast. s Dr. Hooper deposed to attending th( e deceased, He found him crying, and verj r faint and cold, and covered with dirt. Th< e left arm was broken between the elbow anc i the shoulder, and he complained of grea £< pain in his chest, and stomach. Severa a ribs were fractured near the left Bhoulder Is There was a mark as if a wheel had passec ,o over the breast bone. There were alsi j- bruiseß on both Bides of the ab y domen. Afterwards the lad was takei ie to the house of his mother in Chapel-street le Witness thought the cause of death wa i- severe injury to the chest and abdomen. H< st stated that in driving about the streets h 3e found it almost impossible to keep clear c »r the children, and they seemed to make ); practice of seeing who could run in front c is the horses first. They appeared to do it ou ig of pure devilment. at Mr. W. R« Waddel, baker, deposed tha er while going up Queen street on Monda i- evening, about half-past six, in charge c er the City Guards, of which he is captain, an 3r when nearly opposite Darby-street, he hear r. a scream, and saw a four-horse open dra or coming down the street. Some one sun id out that a child had been run over. Th to drag was going at a trot, and the drive ae pulled up opposite Fisher's, the butchei ; ft Witness did not see the child knocked dowi lit as his attention was taken up with his mei e, The horses did not appear to be frightened e! and he did not see any irregularity in th ni driving. The driver pulled up at once. 1 e. the Foreman : The horses were not bein ed driven too fast. To Mr. Rigby : There wei ce no lights in the brake, but the streets wei 5, well lighted from the shops and street lamp is He thought the driver acted well, and mai ro fully. He thought it was an accident, pui vo and simple. fie had often been driving i tie Queen-street himself, and had frequently 1 id pull up suddenly to prevent children bein i'b run over. 3. Rollo Duncan, the driver, clerk in tl ad employ of Dignan and Co., livery atabli h. keepers, Albert-street, deposed that he wi ed accustomed to drive "four-in-hands." C ad Monday evening he was returning from tl iot Ellerslie races, driving a four-horse dra a'« with about 14 people in it. He had i tor lights,'and came down Queen-street at is, slow trot. When within about 50 yan of the Volunteer Band he called out to war d, people, and steadied his horses. A passag an was made through the volunteers and tl up crowd for him. Just when he got to th iV. band deceased rushed out from the crow ian and ran in a slanting direction into his leat ;he ing horses and was immediately knock* xm down. Witness at once puiled up tl ion horses, and waited for about five minute to and then when told that the lad was take -0 away he went home to the ttables. It was ioh common practice for children to run out i ian front of horses, and even if he had bet 3 re walkiDg he oouid hardly have avoided runnir irr over deceased. all Ann Jane Petersen, the mother of "tl to boy killed, and wife of Peter Petersei by mariner, Chapel-atreet, deposed that her sc en was seven years old. He had gone out ' ith hear the baud along with an elder brothe 6. When she heard of the accident, she wei ick up to Dr. Hooper's, and found the be 4, seriously injured. Witness brought hi ils, home herself, and put him to bed. He w E. quite sensible to the last, but could give l ,nd account of the accident. He died at hal rns past twelve" on Tuesday morning. H wo other son told her that deceased and I ote were trying to cross the road. Deceased g the confused, and was knocked down before J the had time to get out of the way. red The jury returned a verdict that dea 3— was purely accidental, and that they cou ian find no fault with the driver but th up thought that in such oarriages or drags, aod such a time of the night, there ought to ean lights carried, and they were of opinion th 7— j the city should have a regulation to tl md effect.