SHUNTING FATALITY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11957, 16 March 1917, Page 3

SHUNTING FATALITY.

Till: ISLINGTON ACCIDENT. At- i;ho Morgue yesterday tho Coroner, Mr T. A. Ik Bailey, held an inquiry into tho circumstances surrounding tho death of Herbert Fuller, married, thirty-five years of ago, who was crushed in a shunting accident at Islington on tho previous evening. •lames Leslie, works manager at tho Islington Freezing Works, gsatea that Fuller was <nt employee of the Now Zealand Refrigerating Company, and had b( "i in the .service of tho company for eight years. Ho acted as labourer and i-hunter. He had had plenty of experience* in shunting. John Burnett;, engine-driver in the employ of tho New Zealand tterrigerating Company, stated that on Wednesday evening lie was engaged in shunting operations. Fuller was, helping him. "When witness wa-s pulling nut a line of Trucks the drawbar of the en,giro; broke and that maclo tho buffer tn.ek'is. Witness told Fuller what had happened, and Fuller obtained a chain with which to attach the engine to tho trucks. Having iixed tho chain to the back of the engine he gave witness tho signal to back, which he did very slowly. Fuller did not signal to stop, hut witness heard someone call out suddenly. Witness stopped immediately and found that Fuller' had been crushed between tho engine and tho trucks. John Ronntree, head shepherd, in the employ of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, gave corroborative evidence. Dr Isaac Thompson stated that ho was caled to see Fuller at S o'clock on Wednesday night. Fuller was alive, but died .about five or ton minutes later. On examination witness found that deceased wa.s suffering, as tbe result; of the accident, from internal injuries, causing internal hemorrhage which had caused death. ' A verdict was returned in accordance with tho medical evidence.