KILLED BY A TRACTION ENGINE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2430, 10 October 1900, Page 17

KILLED BY A TR ACTION ENGINE.

Mr C. G. Graham, coroner, and a jury of six, of whom Mr J. Todd was chosen foreman, held an inquest at the hospital on Saturday, 29th tilt., concerning the death of William Williamson, who was run over by a tiaction engine at Macraes on the 27th ult.

The Coroner said that owing to circumstances over which he had no control it would only be a. preliminary investigation, as the witnesses of the accident could not possibly get down from Macraes before Tuesday evening, so that they would have to adjourn after taking the doctor's evidence till Wednesday morning at 9 o'clock.

Di O'Neill, house surgeon pt the hospital, stated that deceased was admitted to the hospital on the 27th nit., suffering from multiple injuries, consisting of a large scalp wound about Bin long on the left side of the head, a fracture of both bones of the right leg, a lacerated wound of the right hand, and a crushing in of the chest on the left side, the ribs from the third to the seventh being broken. This latter injury had evidently caused serious damage to the king. He was admitted at a quarter to 2 o'clock m the afternoon, and was then in a moribund condition. Every effort was made to combat the intense shock, but he died at a, quarter past 3 o'clock, the cause o£ death being shock from injuries received. First aid had been administered by Dr Hislop, of Palmerston. Deceased was scarcely conscious all the time, but managed to say that he was in no pain. He could not give his name.

The inquest was then adjourned to Wednesday morning at 9 o'clock.

Mr C. C. Graham, coroner, resumed the adjourned inquest on the body of William Williamson filled fc>£ being run over by a traction.

engine at Macraes) at the hospital on "Wednesday inoj.iiirig.

A. J. Mulfred, who was the only person to witness the accident, gave evidence to the effect tha-t he had known deceased ior come 6 months past. He was a single man, but witness did not know his nationality, age, or religion. He la=t saw deceased alive on Wednesday, on the road coining up to G-oddes's threshing mill. The mill was being propelled along the road by a traction engine. Hs w^s sitting on a tiolly, vhich was attached to the thicshmg mill. The deceased when he came up tiled to jueip on to the trolly, a id, seizing hold of a swag which happered to be icicle the vehicle, attempted to haul himself on board m front of the hinc\_ wheel. The swag was not spcuied, and lie slipped and fell to the ground. Witness immediately called out to the engine-driver to stop, and jumping off ran foiward to see the driver. The latter stopped at once, but the hind wheel had passed over deceased before the motion of the engine ceased. When he next saw him deceased was lying about syds behind the trolly. He was conscious, but he rftervards went off They sent for a spring cart, which ai rived about a. qupiter of an hour after, and sent him down to Palm.ersi.on, and thence to the Dunedin Hospital. No one else on the trolly sew the accident but witness, though there were some men with their backs to witness. The engine-driver could not ccc deceased. The off-side rear wheel went over him, and as tho axle was not high enough to pass over the man he got crushed to the ground by the long bolts sticking out. The axle was only 10m off the ground. The place of the accident was Moonlight, about seven miles from Macraes, and the mill was travelling to Hanlon's farm, deceased being employed on the mill. Tho engine was going at a slow rate of specd — that of a man walking". It was the man's graspijig at the swag, which was imspcuredT that caused the accident. There was no doctor at Maciaes. Mr "Dodds took deceased to Macraes, aitd Mr Griffsn accompanied him to Pa'mei&ton.

Mr G-iaharn said that from the evidence it was a very simple affair, and the accident must have been "unavoidable in any way. It was evident that the cause of the accident was the unsecured swug.

The jmy, without retiring, returned a verdict to the effect tli£>t the deceased iiacT met his death by being crushed under a trolly under vhich he had accidentally fallen, there being no blame attachable to anyone. It was stated that when deceased arrived i;t the hospital he had £5 upon him, and this c,um had been paid to the Public Tiustee. He had 1 not been buried at the time of the inquest, his denomination, being unknown and no information at all obtainable ps to the man's iclations.