Railway Fatality at Stratford.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 12761, 14 January 1905, Page 6

Railway Fatality at Stratford.

THE INQUEST. The adjoiirnea inquest in connection with the fatal accident which occurred at Stratforc. on Wednesday by which Cecil Wallace Crocker,, a porter in the service of the Railway Department, lost bis life, was resumed ait the New Plymouth Courthouse on Friday afternoon, before Mr Hutchison, S.M., and a jury of six. Sergeant Haddrell appeared for the police, and Mr O'Loughlin, stationm aster, was present on behalf of the Department. Arthur Yardley, a fireman, was the iirst witness called. He stated he was about 30yds away from where the accraent occurred, being on the Strat-ford-Toko line. Deceased crossed the line in front of the engine attached to the express train about S o'clock, aiwi was struck by the cow-catclier. Witness did not see deceased attempt to get on to the engine, but it appeared to witness as if deceased die: not know of the approach of the engine. The whistle was blown, and tho train was going at a speed of from five to six miles per hour. At tho time of the occurrence it was growing dark. The cattle stop which deceased passed over was the quickest route to take to get to' the station platform from the direction from which deceased appeared to be coming. Witness detailed what was done after the deceased was struck by the engine. Witness stated it was too dark for him to see if the deceased actually put his foot on the footplate attached to the cowcatcher. When witness saw deceased running in front of the engine near the cattlestop in Fenton-street he signalled to tho engine-driver to stop, and the engine- was brought to a standbtall in about 40 yarcs. About five minutes after the accident, when deceased had been removed to the railway station, Guard Richards, coming along, said to deceased, "How are you, WallieV" and the latter replied, "Oh, all right." Guard Richards further asked deceased how lye felt, and he gave a similar reply. The deceased gave witness the same reply when he asked him how he fell. He was vomiting considerably, and commenced moving about. To a juryman : Deceased was still running when the train struck him at am angle of 45 degrees towards the head of the train. Maud Birch, barmaid at the Empire Hotel, Stratford, said the deceased visited the hotel about 7.30 on Wednesday night and had one drink. Ho was perfectly sober. Deceased remained at the hotel till he heard the express train whistle ana then he left. Jacob Mander, driver of tho express on the night of the 11th inst., said h« did not see the decea.sed or anyone at the crossing when the train approached it. He was standing on the right haiid side of the engine oab and could not see anyone on tire other side. At the crossing the fireman stated that there was a man in front of the engine and simultaneously moved on to witness' side of tJie cab to sec if tho man had cleared the rail on that side. Witness applied the brake, and brought up the train in about 45 feet. The brakes were being applied when the fireman on the Toko train sang out. The deceased was on the cowcaitcher when the fireman found him after the train was stopped, and tbis fact, together with the fact that his logs- were uninjured, would indicate that deceased either jumped to clear the track or tried to step on the cow,caitcher. The speed at which the train was travelling would bo between five and six miles. Archibald Fergusson, who was fireman on the express train on Wednesday night, said he was leaning out of tho cab on tine left hand side in approaching the cattle shops', and it was not until they were- reached that he noticed a man running across the rails at an angle of 45 degrees towards the second cattle stop. Deceased appeared to be making for a cattle stop leading into me railway yard on the Toko side, and then suddenly shot across the rails at a right angle hii front of thte engine. The remainder of witness' evidence corroborated that gWen by the driver. Guard Richards, who was on the mail train on the night of the accident, stated in his evidence th-t ck^coased died 1 under 10 minutes after being put in. tho van. Dr. Anderson, of Christchurclv, saw the deceased in the van and said nothing could bo done for him. John Stewart, stationm aster at Stratford, said it was deceased's duty to join the mail train at Stratford ana assist the guard on the trip to New Plymouth. Dr. Home, who had made a postmortem examination, said there were no external marks on the body, except an abrasion on the right elbow. Jic found diffused clotted blood amoiigst the muscles of the left side and back of the neck, one of the bones of the spinal column was loosened and cracked, and there was a slight contusion on the forehead. The doctor said tho cause of death was concussion of the spinal cord a* would be caused by a blow on the backof tho neck from tho projecting pjirt of tho engine. Tho jury brought"* in 1 a verdict of death by inisadsventure, no blame boing attachable to anyone. The jury expressed sympathy with the family in their sad bcreavoment, and the S.M. remarked that he would hav e pleasure in transmitting tho message to the parents as he desired to associate himswlf with the jury in their expression of such .sympathy.