FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2983, 17 May 1911, Page 37

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

A shocking railway fatality occurred oil the 13th hist, on the line below Lower Hutt and Melling's Bridge, resulting in the death of a man named George Dennis Cronin, a master coachbuilder, of Petono. The train left Upper Hutt at 6.30 a.m., and when passing between the points mentioned th© driver of the engine noticed that the engine had struck something, but he saw nothing unusual. When the train reached Lower Hutt a boy named William Howl and, who was standing on a platform at the rear of the train, informed the passengers that 4'he train had passed over the body of a man. On the front of the engine odd pieces of clothing and splashes of blood were discovered, and after a search the mutilated body of the deceased was found lying between the rails. It is stated that the body was dragged quite 100 yards before it got under the wheels. Mr Cronin was a widower, about 48 years old. He had resided at Petone for 00ms time. He was a partner in the coachbuilding firm of Cronin and O'Leary, late Hurj veil and Cronin. At the inquest, Harry J. Palmer, hotelkeeper at Betone, said the deceased had been staying at witness'* hotel for some four or five years. He left last Wednesday morning to catch the train for Dannevirke, proposing to return on I Thursday night or Friday morning, but j witness had not seen him alive, since Wed. nesday. During the last two weeks deceased had complained of pains in the head, which were attributed to neuralgia. Witness had noticed that deceased was very peculiar- in his manner during th<» past two weeks. Generally he was very regular in his habits, and he was not adI dieted to drink. Daniel C. O'Leary,! ccachbuilder at Petone, raid deceased had absolutely no business worries that witness was aware of, but he had complained or pains in the head. Deceased wars naturally a cheerful man. At the inquest be-t fore the coroner (Dr MArthur). Mr Craoroft Wilson appeared for the relatives of the deceased in consequence of an article describing the accident which had appeared in a local paper. Dr M'Arthu* said he would take no notice of th« article, which did not, he thought, rev fleet on the deceased's character. Jacob Hall Baumfoesf; employed in the railway wdrkships, stated that he passed the deceased on the morning of the accident, but the deceased did not epsak to hint as usual. Otherwise witness noticed nothing peculiar. Petheric H. Kane f engine driver of the train which raa oveir the deceased., ea:d he noticed a> slight scattering of ithe ballast when travelling between Melling and Lower Hutt. At the time he attached no importance to the occurrence, as he knew nothing of the -accident until he reached the Lower Hutt station, when it was said that the train had run over a man. Wit-' ness examined the front of the engine, and saw slight traces of blood on th« bogie wheel. He saw no stains othei than those until he reached Wellington. When the accident happened he had not commenced to slow down before enter-; ing the Hutt station. He could have seen anybody on the line less than 50 yards ahead, but the usual range of vision was between 100 yards and 200 yards. - At this, stage Constable M'Kenzie proceeded to give evidence, and the magistrate asked if there were any more witnesses. The constable replied in the negative, and the Coroner said there appeared to be more known about the accident than had been given in evidence. There was, for instance, the evidence of a boy who saw the body and who hud told his story to a newspaper reporter. That boy should be called, also the reporter, and to enable this to be done the inquest waa adjourned until Friday.