INQUEST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8650, 13 November 1889, Page 2

INQUEST.

An iuqniry iuto tho circumstances attending Hie death of John Somerfield, whodied on Mondaynight from injuries received through being run over by a tramcar, was held at tho hospital yeslerday before Mr Coroner Carew and a jury of six, of whom M r Timothy Keats wia chosen foreman. Joseph Early, a fellmonger, residing at the Halfway Bush, deposed that lie identified the body shown to the jury as that of John Somerfield. The deceased was a wool sorter in the employ of witness. He was born in Leicester, and had been about 12 years in tho colony, He was a single man. He had no relations here. Witness had known him for about 18 years, and last saw him on Monday morning about 6 o'clock. He then came to the fellmongery, where ho worked for about an hour, and then lelt the day being a holiday. . He lived at Maori Hill by himself. He was a Bober man as a rule, but occasionally got drunk when he had an outing. He could not staud much drink. Witness never knew the deceased to have tits.

George Viusen, licensee of the Normanby Hotel, stated that he knew the deceased for about three years. He came to witness' house about 6 o'clock on Monday evening, and remained there till half-paßt 9. Witness Baw him in the tramcar at Normanby at 20 minutes to 10. That was the last car leaving for town that night. The deceased seemed in good health, and all right as regards sobriety. He only had three small glasses of porter at witness' house, and he did not appear to have been drinking when he arrived there. He said he had been to the Ocean Beach. He came alone to the house, and when he left hesaidhewa» going home. He wanted to get back on account of hia work in the morning. Joseph Wareham, tramcar driver, in the employ of M'liwen, Smith, and Emery, deposed that he left the Botanical Garden 3 for Dunedin at 5 minutes past 10 o'clock on Monday night. When the car started there were three passengers in it, including a man witness after left in the charge of the police. He got on the front platform, and as soon as the car started he went inside. Just before the car got to tho Leitli bridge he came out on to the front platform again. He had then a pipe in his mouth. Immediately he came out it seemed as if he were going to step off the car, and caught hold of the hand rail at the right-hand corner. He fell, and the front wheel passed over his two legs. When the car was pulled up, the near hind wheel hat! just reached his legs. When he caught hold of the hand rail he appeared to do so to save hinuelf from falling. Witness did Dot notice anything wrong with tho man as regards sobriety. He did not think lie intended going off the car, but v hen he fell he hung to the car until it pulled him down. He seemed to witness to fall on to hiß left sido. It was pretty dark, and witness' attention was taken up in stopping the horses and Bceing to the brake. The ear was going at the rate of about five miles an hour when the accident happened. It did not travel 2ft after the man let go the hand rail. Witness did not know the man. There was no one else on the platform beside witness at the time of tho accident. After the car was Btopped the guard came rushing round and Baid the man was under it. Witness got off and helped to lift the car clear of the man, who waa put in the ear. The man appeared to be senseless, and witness could see he was injured. He was taken to the Albany street corner, and there handed over to the police. Witness was sober at the timo. He drank nothing on Monday, and very seldom did. Thomas Gibson, tram conductor, in the employ of the City and Suburban Tramway Company, stated that he was guard on the car driven by the last witness on Monday ni^hc. He joined the car just before leaving the terminus, aud as he passed through it he saw a man lighting his pipe inside. He did not see him leave the ear, but a3 it came to a standstill he noticed that there were only two inside. He felt a slight Bhock and the car lifted lightly, and then came to a stop without any signal from witness. He then heard a man groaning alongside the car. Witness got off and went round and found a man on the near side of the car, and between it and the pavement, lying with his legs close up against the hiud wheel. Ha returned to the car and called

for help, when the driver and the two men inside came to his assistance. The man was removed from his position, placed inside the car, and subsequently handid over to the care of the police. Witness knew the driver of the car to be a very steady man. George Barnett. in the employ of the 00-operative Meat Company, stated that he was a passenger in the car on Monday night. He saw the deceased standing on the front platform when he went into the car. He immediately afterwards followed witneßS insido, aiid then lit hiß pipe. Another passenger told him that he ought not to smoke there, as he would get into trouble. Deceased 6aid he was only going to light his pipe. He eat a very short time, and then went outside. When he was going out of the door, witness made the remark to the other passenger that lie would fall out. His reason for saying so was that he staggered up against the door Witness thought he whs not sober, but he did notapptac to bo very drunk. After he got out ho closed the door after him and pulled it a little bit open again. In doing this lie turned round to the door and shoved it with his right hand. Just a moment after that witness felt a jerk of the oar. The deceased must have fallen immediately after ho closed the door. When the car stopped, witness heard conio moaning. He rushed out, and helped to remove the deceased from underneath the car. Thomas Turnbull, draper's assistant, deposed that ho wbb passing the car at the time of the accident. Ho heard groans, and on rushing over to the car he 6RW a man lying with his legs underneath it. He did not know how he got into that position. He noticed the car before it ctopped. a here was nothing unusual in the pace at which it was travelling. Sergeant O'Neill gave evidence as to removing the deceased from the car to the hospital and handing him over to the care of Dr Copland. He also stated that deceased was quite unconscious when he took him to the hospital. Dr Copland stated that the deceased was brought to the hospital at about 25 miilutes to 11 on Monday night. Ho was then quite unconscious and in a state of collapse. The left leg was shattered from the knee downwards, and tho right leg broken, having received a compound fracture. Dr CoughtreyandDr Gordon Macdonald were summoned, and were present within n few minuteß of the deceased's admission into the institutlou. They found it necessary tD amputate the left lea above the knee. On account of the man's state they only put up the right leg

temporarily. The deceased never rallied after the ] operation. He tied at about 25 minutes paßt 11, the causo of death doing shock to the system. Besides performing tho operation, b-,th afterwards and dur--1 ing the operation overv meaus was adopted to try and rally the deceased. Tho Jury returned a verdict to the effect that tho deceased was accidentally killed by the wheels of a ■ tramcar passing over him.