ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13654, 24 July 1908, Page 5

ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

Per Press Association.

AUCKLAND, July 23. Captain Adamison, Assistant Supennteiideiit for Marine, after adjusting .thecompasses of the, new steamer Mahurangi, was stepping ashore, when he. and fell between two steamers, and suffered severe, injuries to.his head and face. He. was promptly rescued by the crews ot the. two steamers, and after Iwing attended to on the. Daphne, was taken to his home. George Webster, seventeen years of ag«r apprenticed to l'\ Macmanemin'-s racing stables, was knocked down by a tramcar when crossing Karangahapp road. Ho expired five hours later. Webster was a most, promising jockey.

THE LATE RAILWAY FATALITY.. THE INQUEST. An inquest touching the death of Taura Agb.es : Goodwin; of Richmond, Christchurch, the young woman who was killed on the railway near Templetoh on Tuesday, was held in the Courthouse. Timaru, yesterday morning. The Coroner, Mr C. A. Wray, presided. Mr Gray, a railway -inspector, watched the proceedings on Lehalf of the Railway Department. The'following jury, were empanelled— Messrs G. P. Orrie. (foreman), J. South, W. A. Pearcon, W. Bumiesler, A. Fraser, L. B. James.

The first witness called was Leonard Goodwin, of Orari, a brother of deceased, who deposed that his s'ster had formally resided at Orari, but for the past three months had been living with her mother at /Christchurch She was evidently on her way back to Orari on Tuesday, but her family had nob known of this. All they knew*- wa.s that the girl was going to the Square, bub they could not- assign any reason for her taking the -train that- day. She had intended going back to Orari on the following day, where most, of lier clothing was, and" where she had formerly lived with Mr A. Stewart. Witness was in Christchurch on Tuesday, and lasb-saw his sister on the Richmond car going towards : the Square, when she waved her, hand to him.'. He had since identified the body. His s'ster had .riot been in the best" of health lately, perhaps for about six months, and it was owirig" to this thatshe went to Christchurch. She was not, however, in low spirits.. ''"Shi had ' apparently changed her mind ' about coming down oh Wednesday and had came on Tuesdav instead. She was a little over 20 years of age. Witness lvad'not noticed anything peculiar about 'his sister; she was not so well as to cause sickness, nor was she subject to fainting fits. He had travelled on the railway with her' before, but the travelling had never affected her. She-was happy at. home. " Arthur Eden, of Timaru, ' stated that on Tuesday last he came down from Christchurch on ' the second express, in the eame carriage in which deceased travelled. -He ' noticed that, "the girl sat for the most part on the edge of the seat, as though she was unsettled, with 'her face towards ! a door. Her attitude struck witness as being rather strange, but he put it down more to Shyness than, anything 'else. When near . Temple'-on the'girl arcce and went outside the ear--riage on to the front platform.: He followed he'r with his eyes, because he wondered why ' she was ' goihg : out, and he surmised that possibly, the carriage' being full,' she -was changing to "another carriage. When outside, she walked to the side gate,- then came ■ back ' towards the gangway, on which she stepped, "but did not cross' to' the next, 'ear! for she suddenly disappeared, -bub whether >he fell in a faint or not -witness could not tell. Witness knew at once thiiti she had fallen, for he iriimtediately felt the shock of the carriage passing over her. ■' 'He-thought .that- she had fallen accidentally. ' Others felt-the 5 shock: Witness rushed out to the platform, than,' went back' along the train to inform- the, guard, bub' found' Constable Hammond there before' him., , The train was stopped" immediately, bub-not before it had travelled some " distance. He afterwards saw -the body along the line, when the' train • had backed up to it: The ?; body was lying - between, the rails and was a good deal mutilated, two carriage's and two vans having gone over her. The remains were picked -up and brought on to Timaru, ■ '•'■ P. H. Austin, another-passenger who travelled in the same carriagVas deceased, stated that he thought she was not- well when in the train; she was white in the face arid appeared -uneasy and'uncomfortable. He did not see her leave the car, but-missed her just after hearing the-door shut and surmised that she -was--sick: - He felt 'the jolt, of the trait) and; ;; wehb outside to; see "what it'was. He looked 'ovfcr the I side - and!i saw ; the body lying- o'ft the l rails. Both gates on the platform were ; closed and the bars at .tlie" gangway were in position. Witness thought de- •! ceased: must have fallen"■uiidiir a bar at the side of the "gangway, but did - not j himself see this. There was no jolting to cause her ;tb fall. •"'""'

Constable Hammond, of Timaru, stated that on Tuesday, last he travelled by the second -express from Christcliurch to Ti'maru, in the compartment next : in the rear to /the one in which: was; After passing Templeto'nvhe'heard l ' what he : thought was shingle ! . splashing up against the carriage, but felt: no jolt, and just afterwards heard someone" say that a woman had fallen off the train." He immediately went and informed the, guard, who applied the air-brakes find slopped the train. He saw the body about 3t>o yards back from' where the train stopped, and when the train went, back" Dr. Bainett, of Dunedin, who -was a passenger, pronounced life to be extinct. Witness had the body." placed'in the van. " A secondclass single ticket for Orari, with Tuesday's date upon it, was picked up close to the body, which had evidently bteh dragged about. 40 yards. If the girl had fainted she might easily ■ have fallen beneath the handrails. •■'"•:

' This was all (he evidence. •. The Coroner said there seemed-to be no doubt that deceased fell beneath, the rails, but how it was difficult to say. He thought no blame could bo ■ attached to the railway officials. '->• • Tha jury wiiihoufc retiring brought) in a verdict, of accidental death;- '

At the conclusion of the inquest, Mr Gray, District Traffic Inspector, informed the "Herald" reporter that isince the accident the railway surfacemen had found the .sum'of 10s 7d and four ; penny stamps on the track. Th' 6 money and stamps had evidently fallen from i "' t! mutilated purse.

It was elated' in these columns on Wednesday that, just' after th'o accident on the'; railway at fenipleton >v here by a young woman, lost her life, a man was seen •to pick up a £1 note which apparently had dropped from the woman's mutilated purse. Since then Mr' Gray, traffic, inspector,...lias received the note from a •''person signing himself "A Passenger," who hi.a,, cevering letter, stated that ne left the train"betoiv lie, had a chance to hand the money to the.guard, to do which had been his intention.. •-■..,.

Per Press Association. • Juiy 27.. The young woman who fell off thfe express between Christchurch and. Ashbur l ton on Tuesday, was the daughter'6F Mr H Goodwin, lieeneee of the Cambridge Hotel, Wellington. v: :