RAILWAY FATALITY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2859, 30 December 1908, Page 27

RAILWAY FATALITY.

BOY KILLED AT MUSSEL BAY. A boy named Alexander Sl'Pherson, a son of "John M'Pberson, carpenter, Port Chalmers, was killed by a train passing over him at Mussel Bay at 5.45 p.m.. on the 23rd inst.

The boy, who was employed by Mills, Dick, and Co.. printers, Dunedin, was a passenger homewards by the train from Dunedin, and when jumping off ths train before it had pulled, up at the station he fell and was drawn beneath the carriages and killed instantly. Young M'Pherson had only recently started .work in Dunedin.

THE INQUEST.

Mr D. A. De Maus, J.P.. and a jury of six held .an inquest at Port Chamers on Thursday touching the death of Alexander M'Pherson, a lad of 16 years ot age, who was killed through being run over by a train at Mussel Bay ou Wednesday evening. The coroner and jury having deemed it unnecessary to view the body. J. Robertson, guard", was' called. , He deposed that he -was in charge of the train, which arrived at Mussel Bay station at 5.44 on Wednesday, evening, from Dunedin. As the train was- drawing into the station, witness stood on the step of the van to signal when the train was far enough along the platform, and. whilst doing so, ,he saw deceased jump from the carriage platform to the station platform. Instead of jurap--ing clear of the train, deceased appeared -to retain a grip of the stanchion with one hand, and seemed to swing between, the carriages. Fearing, an. accident, witness rushed back into the van and applied the Westinghouse brakes immediately, and subsequently found that the engine-driver had also put on the brakes to stop the train in the ordinary way. Witness did not see deceased fall, but when the train stopped! he ran along to where -deceased was lying, and uncoupled the carriages in order to lift him out from the track. "Hie boy was dead when picked up, two carriages having passed over his body. The train -waa going about 10 miles an hour when deceased jumped. Had he not retained bis hold on the stanchion, witness thought deceased might have saved himself. Witness saw him swing round, and then ran to put on the air-brake. The train was the usual 5.15 p.m. train from town, and was travelling at the usual speed at that point. Witness could not possibly have acted more promptly. Vida B. Johnston, music teacher, residing at Port Chalmers, said ehe was on the Mussel JBay- platform awaiting the arrival - of a friend by the 5.15 p.m. train from Duhedin, and as the train passed by, before pulling up. she observed a lad apparently falling off the train. He appeared to slip , off the carriage platform on to the step, as though he had missed ' hie footing She rushed forward to try to catch hold of him and assist him up on to the platform, but before she could reach reach him, he fell between the carriages, and two of them passed over him. So far as she could see, deceased did not jump, — it seemed more like a fall. Deceased was on the rear end of the carriage at the time she first noticed him.

Devid C. Groves, manager of the Port Chalmers Gasworks, said he was standing at the rear of the worke when the train, drew into the station, and he saw a- ladholding on to a stanchion as though ready to ■ jump off. He appeared to jump and* then hesitate, still holding the stanchioni by one hand. His feet touched the station platform, and ha then stumbled, and waa swung backwards between the cars. Witness saw a lady rush forward as deceased! disappeared. Witness was satisfied deceased attempted to jump off ihe train. John M'Pherson, carpenter, said deceased was his son, and had only recently obtained a situation at Dunedin. He lived with his parents at Port Chalmers, and left .home that morning as usual, to go to work, andhe did riot see him again alive. The boy was healthy and did not suffer from giddiness.

The jury returned a- verdict of accidental death, no blame being attachable to anyone.

Last year the retiring Mayor of Oillinirham, Mr Simmon?, offered prizes for cix baby boys and six baby girls born in January who should be adjudged the finest? children on Mayoral Day, 1908, the object? being to encourage increased care on the part of parents. The mothers were loudly cheered on the day appointed when they took the winning babies to the platform to receive the prizes.