KILLED BY A TRAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15639, 19 June 1914, Page 8

KILLED BY A TRAIN.

\,. VETERAN'S TRAGIC END. DEATH. FATALITY AT RANGIRIRI. [BY TELEGRAPH.--OWN CO»IIS9rONT)E?rr.] Huntiy, Thursday. A fatal accident occurred this forenoon on the little railway bridge north of the Eangiriri railway station, whereby a Maori War veteran named Sydney Thome, 86 years of ago, was killed. It appears that the deceased was walking along the lino, and had nearly crossed the bridge when the southward-bound Thames express came round thevcurve.

The driver saw him on the line, blew tho engine whistle., but as no notice was taken, he applied the brakes and pulled up the train within a third of its length, but not in time to prevent an accident.

The beam of tho engino struck tho deceased full on the forehead, inflicting a great gaping wound above tho right eye, and evidently dashing him against the stringer with such violonco that another horrible wound was inflicted on tho back of tho head.

I When the train stopped, the inanimate body was placed in tho van and brought to Huntiy, and taken to tho morgue. An examination by Dr. Low revealed a compound fracture of the skull, tho injuries —in the doctor's opinion— sufficient to cause instantaneous death.

The deceased, who was an Imperial pensioner, has lived for some time with a married daughter, Mrs. J. Spilsbury, at Rangiriri. Ho had been paying a short visit to another married daughter at Pukekohe, and, mistaking his station, got out at To Kauwhata, and proceeded to walk to Rangiriri, and it was in the courso of this walk that tho fatal accident occurred.