INQUEST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17328, 30 May 1918, Page 9

INQUEST

JOHN CHRISTIE'S DEATH. Aii inquest \va« held at tho Hospital yesicrc'.\" moiM la-imi''. Air Yomiij, (I'oninci) into the atU-iuiin:; lliu death ol John Christie, who was uiiinittod lo the institution on evi'inng siiiVeriiit, injuries to his lu-itd. Mr \V. C. \h\o(irotror. K.C., appeared for thu City Corporation. .-uul Sl M'Kenzio eonditcted the inquiry on heinlf of the police. L)r Ik)-,vie (assistant inedieal siijuH'inu-nd-cnl) said th<> deceased was admitted to ilie Hospitn! almut 7 o'clock on Monday night in a dazed condition, liut '.'onseious. He soon became drowsy. On examination a small superficial wound \v;is found on the back of the head. At 9.45 a.m. a trephinJn n operation was performed to relieve the pr< ssnxe. A blood clot \va.s found between the brain covering and the skull. The man's temperature rose, and the patient did not rally, and died on Tuesday at 1.15 p.m. The cause of death was duo to injury to the brain and hemorrhage. Hesketh Hughes, miner and labourer, said be had known the deceased for over 20 years. Ho was. a single man, 48 years of age. Witness and deceased came to Dunedin a fortnight ago from Gore. They had Jived there together, and had worked together. Deceased was a teetotaller, Some time ago the deceased was in a motor-car accident, when he was oil his bicycle. John Smith (butcher) said that on Monday night ho was on a tramcar, travelling south, about 6 o'clock. At the Octagon, as tho car started to slow down, a man jumped off and slipped and fell on his head. The car was going- slowly, and did not ran more than half ita length after tho man had jumped off. It was an open car, and the man was near tho front of it. He seemed to trip as he was leaving the ear. To Mr MacGregor: None of the tramway men had anything to do with the accident. If tho man h;id waited a second tho tram would have stopped. To tho Coroner (at the request of Mr Hughes): The car had passed the stoppingplace at the north end of the Octagon by a few yards. Mr MacGregor: It is evident the man was carried past lus stopping-place, and • wonted to get out. Mr Hughes: But he should not have been there. 110 wanted to get out at Morav place. Harry Lawrenco Holly (motorman) said he was in charge of' the car. He got a bell just after passing the stopping-place at the north end of tho Octagon. He got no bell at Moray place. When ho pulled up ho would be two car-lengths past the stop-ping-place. He saw a man ring the bell and get np to leave tho car, but saw no more. _ When ho got tho bell tho car was travelling four or five miles an hour. To Mr MacGregor: Moray place was not a compulsory stopping-place. Charles Wilson Bills (wire-worker) said he was a passenger on the ca.r. Ho was in the front with the driver. The car stopped 30 or 40 yards past the stopping-place at the north end of the Octagon. It was travelling very slowly at tho time of tiii accident. Sergeant M'Kenzie said it was not aecosBary to call tho conductor, who was in tho car taking fares at the time. _ Tho Coroner said tho evidence showed that the man, before waiting for the car to stop, proceeded to alicrht, or to get road} to alight, and stumbled and fell on his head The tramcar was going slowly at the time, and the motorman pulled up as quickly as possible on getting the signal. No blame whatever was attachable to the tramway officials. Death was due to injuries accidentally received- b-v the man when alight ing from a moving tramcar.