DRINK AND DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9019, 4 April 1888, Page 5

DRINK AND DEATH.

• A TRAMCAR TRAGEDY. A MAN FOUND' KILLED ON THE LINE. About five o'clock yesterday morning, a man of middle age was found lying dead at the side of the tramway line, about eighty

yards past tha Junction Hotel, Epsom, having to all appearance been run over by one of the tramcars. The body was discovered lying near the line by a lad named William John Brigham, who was in company with a l'aan named Thomas Chad wick, and on examination they found that he was dead. They reported the matter to Constable Collis. who with Detective Tuohy proceeded to make inquiries concerning the deceased, as the body had not been identified, the only clue being a memorandum found in the pocket of deceased :—"Please give the bearer, Wm. Bradfield, my watch, and you will oblige Wm. Bell." The police soon discovered that deceased had been at the races, and that he returned from the races in one of Craig's vans, driven by a man named Thomas Prenter, in company with others. The whole party had called about six o'clock on the previous evening at the Junction Hotel, on returning from the races. It was ascertained from the licensee, Mrs. Lucy Smith, that deceased was drunk at the time, that some dispute arose over the drinks, his companions claim.ing that he called for them, while he, on his part, refused to pay. They went away to town, leaving deceased behind, and he appears to have wandered away from the hotel to the place whore he was found dead. When Constable Collis found the body of deceased it was stiff and cold, death having apparently taken place several hours previously, the face and head were badly cut and disfigured, and the right arm was broken and almost severed, as it only hung together by a bit of skin. The body was removed to the Junction Hotel to await an inquest. A small sum in silver was found on the body, and some other personal effects. From appearances, as there was a slight i bank near the line, the deceased had sat down on the bank in a drunken stupor, and then rolled over near the line, extending his arms across the tram rail. The wounds in the face and head were apparently caused by t"he brush rods of the tramcars | striking in passing, and judging from the middle of the arm being reduced to a pulp several cars in turn must have passed over* it in going to and fro. On examination yesterday morning it was found that car No. 19 • was spattered with blood, and conductor Michael Duffin reported that he passed the spot at five minutes to seven p.m., and felt a slight jolt, but could see nothing. Robert Easton, driver, stated that he passed at a quarter to eight, and went over "something soft," as also did driver O'Dogherty. Stones are so often found on the line that no notice was taken of the jolts, and nothing was seen on the line, a row of tall trees by the roadside leaving \that part of the line in deep shadow. It has transpired, however, that a leader-boy passed the spot at a later hour (quarter-past ten), and he noticed a man lying alongside the rail. He called out to him to get up and go out of that, but the man made no reply, which frightened him. On getting to the stables he informed the groom, named John Russell, about eleven o'clock, but as the groom knew that another car had yet to come in, which would notice the man on the road, he took no further heed, and went away to bed. That car came in about twenty minutes to twelve to the depot, and must also have gone over the deceased's arm, as the driver yesterday morning expressed himself as having gone over something feeling like a small stick. It does seem astounding that several tramcars should have passed to and fro, with head and side lights, without either drivers or conductors suspecting the real cause of the jerks or jolts experienced. Later in the day Detective Tuohy discovered that the deceased Joseph m. Bradfield, a bushman or gumdigger at Kelly's bush at the Wade, was a married man, leaving a wife and seven children, the eldest 19 ana the youngest not a fortnight, old. His wife resides in Montague-street, Newton, with Mrs. Kelly, having come to town to be confined. Bradfield came to town on Tuesday week, and went out to the races on Monday, where he appears to have got the worse of drink, the result being his death under the horrible circumstances

already related. The body of deceased, as above stated, lies at the Junction Hotel. An inquest will be held there at half-past two o'clock this afternoon by Dr. Philson, coroner, when the whole facts surrounding this remarkable affair will no doubt be elicited.