KILLED BY A MOTOR CAR.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8855, 4 July 1907, Page 3

KILLED BY A MOTOR CAR.

The Ueath of Rev. J. W. Gillett. Tlie death of the Rev. John 'Win. Gillett, Sydney, and formerly of Raugitikoi, •which was caused by his being knocked down by a motor car at Elwood, Melbourne recently, was the subject of an inquest by the -District Coroner, Dr. Cole. Margaret Fairwoather identified the body. Deceased was between 50 and 54 years of age. He was an active man, a keen cyclist and walker, and was in the best ox health.

John WarnerM'Outoheou, M.L.A., stated that deceased had dinner with him at his house on Sunday, and left about 8.45 p.m. to walk to St. Hilda. De ceased was in possession of all his faculties. The only liquor, he had was a glass of porter at 'dinner, Dr. iforacb P. Godfrey deposed that on - Sunday afternoon ho was walking along the tram line towards St. Kilda, when, on looking round, he' saw a motor unnrpachiug nimV ■ A man appeared to be'tfiiinbling out of TRe inau seemed to have beep Mkoii oft’ his balance and to have fallen in front of the car, which pasgad oyer him,' The driver of the car gave witness every assistance in attending to deceased.

Dr. Brett, who made the postmortem examination, said that death was duo to" shock and suffocation. The cause of the suffocation was deceased’s' inability to expand his lungs owing to the fractured ribs'. Thomas A. Archartl said the car was not going at a groat speed ’when fho accident happened. Witness did «ot hear the horn sounded. Malcolm Alexander M’lnues said that on looking out of an upstairs window at his house on Sunday afternoon he saw the motor travelling along the Swamp road at about twice the speed of the electric trams. It turned into Mitford Street and struck deceased, who appeared to be on the off side, - Vf ;

Goorge BigiieU, conductor, on tho St. Hilda to Brighton electric tramwhy, stated that tho motor car passed witness's train at a spot about half a mile distant from the scene of the accident. The motor quickly passed the tram, which was going at a speed of between 16 and 17 miles an hour. Edward James Kavauagh, acting inspector on the electric tramway, who was on the tram at the time of the accident, gaye evidence to the same effect.' 1 Frank James Fallon, who was

driving at Elwood on Sunday afternoon, estimated that, the car passed bis vehicle at a rate of between 10 and 12 miles an ho nr.

Frances Nathan deposed that tho car left Brighton about C p.m and travelled at a moderate speed. On rounding the curve into Mitford

Street the rate was considerably slackened, and the driver sounded the born throe times. A man who was in front on tho loft Side' of the road looked rennet, and jumped fur'away-' 'Ho next made a run Across the road, and tho driver swerved tho oar from the west over to the east side of the road to avoid him. Tho man, however, seemed to come right back on to live car, and the front right-hand lamp canglit him, 1 and knocked him down, the Wheel passing over him. Tho car Was going very slowly when the man ■\vas struck. The driver was careful, pud kept to tho proper side of the road,

To Mr M’Arthur : Itl wasfuot true that for some little distance before the accident the motor was travelling on the tram track. Agnes Nathan ; deposed that she was seated at the back of the car. Deceased appeared to throw himself deliberately at the motor, and to hia death. Patrick James Barklio, employed as chauffeur, deposed that ho had six or seven mouths’ experience pu driving motor cars. On entering Mitford street from Swamp road witness slackened down the speed of the car to eight miles an hoar in order to get round the curve. After turning the corner witnessed noticed a man on the extreme left of the road,

and sounded the horn as a warning. The man stopped further to tho left, back again, and then started to '"run. Witness then pulled across to fho extreme right applying the brake at tho same time. Deceased hesitated, and jumped at tho car, striking the right-hand lamp, fold, falling, his head coming in contact with tho bonnet of the motor. Witness pplled up in a little over the length, of .the Car. Witness considered that ho was driving not more than six miles ag hour, when the car struck deceased. In witness’s opinion the foot brake was not lu good condition at the time of the occurrence. The mishap, however, could not have been prevented even had the brakes been in the best condition. Deceased became confused, and the collision from that. " Deceased\s am was'tha'f of a madhuim The Coroner: You wish me to think tho deceased committed suicide?

Witness; Yes; but that is a harsh way of putting it. * ’ The Coroner: The evidence of the last fitness is, to my mind, unbelievable. u Counsel having addressed the Coroner, ■ The Coroner, in recording a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony, said the injuries were received by deceased having beep run over by a motor car, negligently and unskilfully driven by Patrick James Barklie, “J find,the Coroner continued, '‘the said Patrick James Barklie guilty of the manslaughter of the said , John Wm, Gillett. ” . , .Barklie was committed for trial.