ACCIDENTS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1748, 6 September 1905, Page 51

ACCIDENTS

A FATAL FALL. INQUEST ON JAMES ALBERT REID. An inquest was held at the hospital on (Saturday afternoon before the Coroner (Mr J. Ashcroft) concerning the death of James Albert Reid, carpenter, who fell from the verandah of a house being erected in Coromandel street, on Wednesday last, and died from his injuries on Friday morning. Mr Charles Edward Luxford was foreman of the jury. Constable Abbott represented the police. After hearing evidence the jury_ returned a verdict of “accidental death.” DEATH OF MRS THOMPSON. THE INQUEST. An inquiry was held at the Brunswick Hotel, Willis street, last Wednesday, into the death of Mrs Ellen Thompson, who was killed at the Wellington (Thorndon) railway station on Tuesday evening, having fallen between the station platform and a moving train coming from the Hutt. Mr Myers watched proceedings on behalf of the Crown. Frances Brown, married, who was in the train with deceased, said she did not actually see deceased fall. Witness was of opinion that deceased, who was standing on the carriage platform when the train was drawing into the station, waa overbalanced through the “jerking” motion of the train. She did not think deceased would have attempted to alight while the train was in motion. Dr Logan said he attended deceased at the Wellington Railway Station between. •9 and 10 p.m. He made a.rough examination and found deceased had broken her back. She also showed signs of internal bleeding. The lower part, of the 'trunk was badly crushed. The ascertained -injuries were quite sufficient to account for death; but the shock alone was enough to have killed her. He was with deceased for. about half an hour. She was conscious when witness arrived; but soon afterwards she sank and died in his presence in about half an hour's time. R. J. Thompson, land agent, Hutt, said deceased was his mother. She had been to the Hutt on the day the accident occurred. She was always very careful about alighting from trains, and she usually sat in the carriage until the train stopped. G. Cornfoot, parcels porter at the Wellington Railway Station, said deceased stepped from "the train while it was in motion. When deceased stepped out, she stumbled and grasped the stanchion of the next carriage. Witness took hold of her, and managed to lift her on to the station platform. The step of the following carriage, however, caught deceased, and she was dragged under the train, witness also going beneath the train in his endeavours to keep deceased clear, of the wheels.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, and a rider was added to the effect that the plucky efforts of Cornfoot to save Mrs Thompson were appreciated; and that Christensen (another porter) did all he could to assist. ■

KILLED AT RUGBY. JOHN BAILEY'S DEATH. DUNEDIN, August 30. An inquest on William John Bailey e aged twenty-four years, who died from! the effects of injury received in the South-land-Otago football match on Saturday., was held to-day. Dr Marks, house surgeon - at the hospital, said the operation performed on deceased was for dislocation of the sixth! vertebra of the neck. The spinal cord was flattened, but so far as could be judged otherwise uninjured. Dislocation was reduced a© far as possible:. The depositions of the deceased were read to. the effect that he (deceased) took the ball on a line out, and while trying to put it on the ground fell forward, turned a somersault and came down on his head. It was then he was hurt. No one pushed him, and he could not say anyone threw him. There was no one to blame, and no rough play. He thought more than one man fell, and that someone fell on top of him, but he could not say who it was. J. Williams, referee, gave evidence that there had been no rough play. V. G. Cavanagh. a member of the Rugby Union and secretary of the Caversham Club to which deceased belonged, gave evidence as to the game being friendly and played in the true spirit without roughness. Constable Marshall said the game was one of the friendliest he had seen this season. . The jury returned a verdict that death, was due to injuries accidentally received, no blame being attachable to anyone. The friends of deceased have fixed the funeral for Saturday. DUNEDIN, September 3. The funeral of W. Bailey, who died from injuries received in the SouthlandOtago football match, was very largely attended, despite rain and very sloppy streets. The Navals' Band, of which he was a member, played the '‘Dead March." Wreaths were sent by the principal Rugby Unions, also from all the local Rugby clubs, and from Mr A. E. G. Rhodes, president of the Canterbury Club.