THE MOUNT EDEN RAILWAY FATALITY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11987, 9 June 1902, Page 3

THE MOUNT EDEN RAILWAY FATALITY.

AN" OPEN VERDICT RETURNED. An inquest .... the body of the late Patrick Ban icy, who was found dead on the Aw. laml Kuipara line. near the Mount Kde« sin!ion, early oil Friday morning, was held at the Criterion Hotel on Saturday morning, before Mr. its ham. coroner. Sergeant Hendry represented the police. Dr. Swale stated that on examining the fcOtly of deceased lie found the skull fractured and the cranial vault detached. The tendons of the right arm were exposed, which, with superficial injuries to the trunk indicated drawing along the railway line. The left arm and both legs were smashed. I line was nothing to indicate whether death was accidental or otherwise. Margaret Green, a married daughter of d-ceased. residing at Parnell, stated that it was recently proposed to pur deceased in the asylum, but the two doctors .ailed in did not agree as to his mental condition. Dr. (Mom. who had . nnsidered eased a fit subject tor the asylum, informed witness on. .May .v) that he would again move in that, direction. Deceased had" never threatened <" '-'c his lit.-. He was in the habit of wandering about, and since Wednesday afternoon List- his whereabouts hail not been known to his family. This but was communicated to the police. When last seen oil Wednesday, deceased was in his usual condition. About live weeks ago be left the Cost ley Home, and was missing for about three day--. Deceased's age was about 63 years. Edwin Iledley. grocer, identified the body' of deceased as that of a man whom he saw in Boston Road about, half past, nine on Thursday evening. Deceased was on his hands and knees, pulling up docks. Witness asked him what lie was doing. and ho replied that a lady had asked him to pick the docks. Witness and a man named Moore tiled to get deceased to go home. but lie would not go. When witness last saw him deceased said he was going home to his mother. He was then near the railway line, and about 300 yards from th« Kiivboi- Bass bridge. Deceased spoke sensibly, but seemed weak-minded. Alexander Marshall Sneddon, carter, said that as lie was crossing the railway line at about, Half-past six o'clock on Friday morning, lie found the body of deceased" on the line. Whilst- lie was having his breakfast he heard the early goods train passing. He had passed over the line (nice previously that morning, but. the line was then clear.. He reported the matter to Constable Carroll! Constable Carroll said that on going to where the body was discovered, he found indications of dragging along the line from where the body was found, to about 20 yards beyond the Khyber Bass bridge, where he. found deceased's hat and pipe. The bodywas then unite warm. James Donaldson, engine-driver on the goods: (rain which left Newmarket about thirteen minutes past six on Friday morning, stated that a good lookout was kept between the bridge and the gaol by the fireman and himself, but, nothing was noticed on the line. The train travelled at the rata of about If/or 12 miles an hour on that portion of the line. The engine was well lighted, and he blew the whistle on approaching the gaol crossing. On examining the engine, van, and tracks, after hearing of Hartley's death, he found no signs of anything unusual. It was possible that deceased had dropped over the bridge amongst the trucks as the train passed. G. Bowles, locomotive foreman, put in a plan of the line between the bridge, and the: gaol. He pointed out that it would be impossible for a man to get under the cowcatcher, which was only 2£in above the rails, and as the cow-catcher extended over the vails a man, if he were at the side of the line, would be thrown clear. It could only ba supposed that deceased got under the train by some means after the engine passed. Dr. Coom, who volunteered bis evidence, said that, he had attended deceased for over 1/2 months, and about five months ago he advised his removal to the asylum. Deceased was taken before the magistrate, but it was held that he was not a lit subject for the asylum. He was sent to the Costley Home," but he would not stay there. Witness recently again advised that the man should be sent to the asylum, but the two medical men who examined him stated that they did not consider him of unsound mind. Witness considered, hoWever, from his personal knowledge of deceased,, that ho was not right in his mind, and that he was suffering from softening of the brain. On one occasion deceased was wandering about in the early hours of the morning, with two lighted candles, with which lie set lire to a fence. On one evening quite recently ho had seen Hartley wandering about, and on witness asking him where he was going he replied that he was going to get four quarts of beer. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased was killed by the train, but .that there was not sufficient evidence to show by what means he got on the line.