TEACHER'S FATE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23057, 7 June 1938, Page 16

TEACHER'S FATE

RUN OYER BY TRAIN NEW SOUTH WALES TRAGEDY THEORY OF BRAIN STORM f FROM OUR OWS CORRESPONDENT] SYDNEY, June 3 On tho cvo of taking over the headmastership of Tudor House Grammar School, Moss Vale, Mr. Martin Smith, 45, was killed by a train. According to an eye-witness, Mr. Smith' fell in front of a train which was running through Stanmore Station at 40 miles an hour. Formerly in charge of the preparatory school at 'Newington College, Mr. Smith resigned last term to take over tho new position, which became vacant when Mr. J. D. G. Medley, of Tudor House, accepted tho Vice-Chancellor-ship of the Melbourne University. Mr. Smith had completed packing his luggage in preparation for his departure for Moss Vale on the following day. He left his home in old clothes, in the morning, to go to tho bank, and attend other business locally. He was standing near the end of a platform watching the approach of a through train. Suddenly he hurried down the ramp loading from the platform to the permanent way, and when tho train wan only a few'yards off foil forward in its path. A railway worker who rushed forward was too late to prevent the tragedy. The driver of the train desperately applied the brakes, but the train had been travelling at about 40 miles an hour and could not be stopped in time. Several carriages passed over Mr. Smith.. Deceased's wife became alarmed when ho failed to return for luncheon and friends began a search. They heard of the railway tragedy and, communicating with tho police, learned of Mr. Smith's death. An hour before ho was killed, Mr. Smith had met with a slight accident. Doctors said tho accident might have induced a mild brain storm, causing him to lose consciousness of his actions. He was lifting a heavy trunk when he suddenly fell over it. When he rose he was ashen-coloured and weak, and perspiring freely. Later he left a friend's place to walk home, but did not arrive • A doctor said that the symptoms exhibited in Mr. Smith were consistent with his having strained his heart. Possibly a small blood-clot, carried to the brain, caused a befuddled mental condition and loss of ' memory. Tho roar of an approaching train could easily have caused him to lose his balance and fall forward, said the doctor. Mr. Smith was a man of exceptional scholastic attainments. He secured his M.A. degree at Oxford, had a distinguished military career in the Great War, and came to Sydney to take up his position as master at Newington College He possessed an outstanding personality, and was held in high esteem by a wide circle of friends.