DEATHS & CASUALTIES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8185, 29 July 1912, Page 8

DEATHS & CASUALTIES

SERIOUS FALL FROM BICYCLE. YOUNG MAN INJURED. About 5 o’clock on Saturday night, Joseph Dixon, a single man. thirty-two years of age, a brass moulder, residing in Oriental parade, fell off a bicycle at the corner of Charlotte and Molesworth streets. He was picked up unconscious and was found to be suffering from concussion of the brain. Dixon was removed to the hospital, and at a late hour last evening had not regained consciousness. FALL OFF CAR. THE DEATH OF CONDUCTOR McKAY. CORONER’S INQUIRY OPENED. An inquest was opened by Dr A. McArthur, S.M., Coroner, on Saturday afternoon, touching the death of Ambroee McKay, tram conductor, who died at the hospital on Friday evening from injuries received through falling' off the footboard of a combination car in Manners street about 5 p.m. on Friday. Senior-Sergeant Mathieson appeared for the police, Mr .(. O’Shea, city solicitor. for the corporation, and Mr A. W. Blair, instructed by the Tramways Union, for relatives and the union.

Dr P. A. Woodhouse, senior house surgeon at the hospital. said deceased was admitted to the institution at 5.15 p.m. on Friday in an unconscious condition. There was an abrasion across deceased's forehead, a small abrasion on tho right collarbone, and another slight one on the right shoulder. He was bleeding from the mouth, nose, and right ear, and had the symptoms of fracture of the base of the skull. The man became steadily worse and died at 9.30 p.m. without regaining consciousness. Death was duo to compression of the brain from hemorrhage, following on a fractured base of the skull. Malcolm Howard, motorman of tho car from which deceased fell, deposed to last seeing McKay when at the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel corner. From there to tho scene of the accident tho car travelled at a speed of from four to five miles an hour. There were no carts or other vehicles in the street. Heavy rain was falling at the time, but witness could not state whether the footboard was wet or not. When near tho Opera House corner he received three bells, but took no notice of them. A second later, however, he got seven or eight bells and he thereupon stopped the car. Someone called out that the conductor had fallen off. This was about three car lengths from the place where ho received, the three bells- Nobody seemed to know how McKay fell off. Deceased we.s a capable and active young man. Ho had been in the service only about a month. To Mr O’Shea; The car was not running irregularly. Witness travelled slowly in order to give deceased an opportunity of collecting his fares. There was nothing in the street to throw deceased off. In. answer to Mr Blair, Howard said that McKay was lying on the roadway for perhaps five or six minutes. Tho car was futl of passengers. John Hall Flockton, second-hand dealer, of Manners street, saw the deceased immediately previous to his striking the blocks. The man was doubled up and heat very much forward. ’ Deceased struck the roadway with £iis face. Witness could not say how deceased fell off, but thought he must have been stooping to be in the position in which ho was. Deceased could not have been harmed when lying on the ground, for he was covered by three coats. To Mr O’Shea; There was absolutely no ground for complaints in the press regarding the accident. At this stage the inquiry was adjourned until 10 a.m. to-day in order that the police might he enabled to call an eye-witness of the accident. FIREMAN’S BODY FOUND. PRESS ASSOCIATION. ' WESTPORT, July 23. The body of Lionel Dorney, a fireman from tho Taviuni, who was drowned in the Buller river about three weeks ago, was found near the cattle wharf this afternoon.