DEATH OF WOMAN

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 309, 20 July 1933, Page 5

DEATH OF WOMAN

Evidence of Inquest UNEXPECTED TURN Witness Recalled Press Association. —Copyright. Auckland, July 19. There was an unexpected turn at the inquest to-day into the death of Mrs. Yvonne Wheadon, aged 32, who resided at Point Chevalier Road and died in hospital on June 12 following injuries received when she was struck by a centre pole while leaning from a tramcar. After hearing a number of witnesses the coroner (Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M.) recalled a man and asked him several questions concerning his actions on that evening. Albert M. Schofield, tram conductor,' said Mrs. Wheadon boarded his car. Schofield saw the woman, who sat in the rear compartment, looking to the back of the car. She said to him: "That car is following me." Schofield looked back and saw a motor-car at the rear of the tram.

"The woman was very excited when the car stopped at the Western Springs stop;" said Schofield. "I noticed the motor-car stop close to the rear steps. This motor-car had plenty of chances of passing my tram, but it did not do so. "When, the tram was near the clock en Great North Road the woman shifted her' seat to the front, and she said to me: 'Do you think he will see me frcm this side?'

"She later went on to the front platform and leaned out. I told her to come back and sit down, but she then got under the chain and stood on the lower step. I made a grab at her, but before I could get hold of her she was struck on the head by the centre pole." Alfred Grbnville Bertram, proprietor of the motor-vessel Heda running cargo to Hsuraki Plains, said he had known Mrs. Wheadon for the past 18 month and visited her house on several occasions. On June 12 about 6.45 p.m. he went to her place hi his motor-car. As he stopped at the gate Mrs, Wheadon came out and told him her 13-year-old son had hurt his leg and on that account she was not going out. Mrs. Wheadon did not invite him inside. Bertram left at 7 p.m. and drove to the Point Chevalier hall, where he went into a telephone box. As he was there he noticed a city-bound tram passing. He afterwards drove towards the city, stopping at some of the tram stops as he was not able to pass the stationary tram.

Bertram said that when he reached Pitt Street he again left his car and went into another telephone cabinet, but could not get the number he wanted. As he came out he noticed a Point Chevalier tram passing and saw Mrs. Wheadon sitting in the tram. He did not know whether she saw him, or not. She had been in his car on a number of occasions. He followed the tram down Pitt Street, and when 50 yards away from it he observed it pulled up sharply. He saw a crowd of people around the woman. "Mrs. Wheadon had no reason to be afraid of me seeing her on the tram that night," added Bertram. "When I saw her on the tram 1 had no intention of meeting her or watching where she was going. I thought she was going to the French warship as 1 visited the ship with her and her husband." After two other witnesses had been called the coroner recalled Bertram. "What were you following this woman for?" he asked Bertram.

Bertram: "i wasn't following her intentionally."

Mr. Hunt: "I have driven along the road from Point Chevalier to town many times, and you could have passed the tramear half a dozen times. You could easily have overtaken the car. Why didn't you?" "1 was not following the tram, as I say, intentionally." "You followed the car right from Point Chevalier to Pitt Street? Why?" "I did not know she was in the tram until 1 got to Pitt Street. I arrived at Pitt Street before the tram and went into the telephone cabinet." "Well, the woman apparently did not want to see you that night?" "I did not know she was in the car until Pitt Street." "That will do. Step down!"

Mr. Hunt continued: "It seems to be quite clear that this unfortunate woman was concerned about a man who was following her. However, all I can find as that she died as a result of a fracture of the skull accidentally caused by striking a centre pole when she was leaning out of the car."