KILLED BY A TRAIN

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1748, 6 September 1905, Page 64

KILLED BY A TRAIN

MISHAP at THE WELLINGTON STATION. An accident occurred at the Wellington Railway Station on the 29th ult. by which Mrs Ellen Thompson, who resided) at No. 240, Willis street, met with injuries which caused, her death. Mra Thompson was a passenger from Lower Hntt by the train due at Wellington at 8.29 p.m. The train drew up finally at the southern portion of the platform. Before the train stopped a lady stepped from the platform of one of the carriages, backwards, retaining her balance with difficulty. Mrs Thompson then stepped forward, off the same carriage platform, stumbled, and fell backwards between the carriage she alighted from and another carriage immediately behind. She clutched an iron stanchion of the second carriage, and was dragged about 12ft before the train came to a standstill. A parcels porter named G. Cornfoot noticed the first woman alight, and was walking along the platform with the intention of asking her why she had not waited for the train to pull up, when Mrs Thompson took her fatal stepOornfoot seized her, and saved her from getting beneath the carriage wheels. Before the train stopped she let go the stanchion, and both she and the porter were on the railway track underneath the train, but on the platform side of the rails. The train was moving very slowly at the time.

When Mrs Thompson was carried into the ladies’ waiting-room she said to one of the porters who assisted to remove her, “ I’m done.” Dr Valintine, who was a passenger by the same train, attended deceased immediately. Dr Logan was telephoned for, and was quickly on the spot. Mrs Thompson died in the waiting-room, and the body was removed to her house in Willis street.

Mrs Thompson, accompanied by a Mrs Brown; had been spending the day at the H'Utt with her son, Mr R. J. Thompson, land agent. Deceased leaves four daughters, all living at home. One daughter is employed at the D.1.C., and two are employed by the Consolidated Dental Company, Cuba street extension. Mrs Thompson was a widow. She came from Nelson some years since. Her husband died seven or eight years ago.