Driver Of Car Arrested As Sequel To Fatal Smash On Yaldhurst Rd.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17998, 8 November 1926, Page 1

Driver Of Car Arrested As Sequel To Fatal Smash On Yaldhurst Rd.

POLICE STRONGLY OBJECT TO BAIL, ALLEGING ACCUSED WAS NOT LICENSED TO DRIVE. Through the car in which they were travelling smashing into a telegraph post on the Yaldhurst Road on Saturday evening, two people were killed. They were:— DAVID FORSYTH, single, aged 51, residing at Belfast. A woman, aged about 35, unidentified. The driver of the car was Henry Denham, of 190, Lichfield Street, who was arrested on a charge of manslaughter, and who appeared before the Court this morning. He was remanded until November 15, bail being refused. There were six people in the car at the time of the accident, and the remaining four had a very lucky escape from death. The car was smashed badly, the whole of the right side being battered out of shape.

It appears that at about 6.30 p.m. on Saturday, Ilenry Denham, of 190 Lichfield Street, was returning from the races in his car, a big Oldsmobile When leaving the racecourse, he picked up two men, two women and a child, who was with one of the women. Just after passing Coach Corner the car swerved on to the wrong side of the stream of traffic and smashed into a telegraph pole. The pole struck the right-hand side of the car in front of the rear wheel, and drove in the door and the side, smashing the wheel and the mudguard. Forsyth and the woman who was killed were seated on that side of the car, the woman, it is believed, on the back seat, and Forsyth on a small chair-seat immediately in front of her Both the victims w’ere killed outright. The car was badly damaged, the hood being torn off, wind-screens shattered, and the entire right side battered, the wheels being smashed and the mud guard crumpled. Woman Not Known. N The identity of the woman was not known this morning. All police stations were given her description, and every effort is being made to find her relatives. She is described as being about thirty-five years of age. She wore a wedding ring. A little boy, aged about three, who was with her, is at present lying in the Christchurch Public Hospital suffering from shock, but it is hoped that he will shortly be recovered enough to assist the% police in their search for the dead woman’s relatives. The woman was about sft 4in in height, of medium build, with black buster-cut hair and a fresh complexion, and with grey eyes. At the time of the tragedy she was wearing a black mus lin diess, a jazz silk scarf, a light grey coat, woollen jersey, fawn silk stock ings and black shoes. Forsyth w'as a veteran soldier and his relatives are not Known. He had been employed at Stonyhurst, but left there recently for Belfast, where he stayed at Colbert’s boarding-house. On Saturday morning he left to do some work for Burke and Co. at Riccarton racecourse, and was returning after the day when he accepted the fatal ride from Denham. Yesterday morning (anxiety was felt at .Forsyth’s boardinghouse over his failure to return, and it was an inquiry made from the board-

ing-house to the police station that resulted in the man’s identification. Last night, for the first time in New Zealand, wireless was used for the pur pose of assisting identification, a description of the woman being broadcast from 3YA. Driver Charged. ‘I have nothing to say,” said Henry Denham when charged at the Police Station this mcming. before Mr H P. La wry, S.M., with causing the death, by an illegal act, of David Forsyth, at Riccaiton on November 6. Chief-Detective Gibson said that accused had nine previous convictions against him. He had a car, which he was paying for on the instalment system, and with it he plied for hire on the Riccarton Road last Saturday, though he was not licensed to do so. He strongly objected to any bail being allowed. Accused was remanded in custody until November 15. Inquest Opened. An inquest was opened at the Hospital touching on the death of David Forsyth. Mr 11. P. Lawry was Coroner. Detective-Sergeant Bickerdike conducted the inquiry for the police, and Mr Cuthbert represented Denham, who was present. Michael Colbert, a boardinghouse, keeper of Belfast, gave evidence of identification of Forsyth. He last saw Forsyth on Saturday morning about 8.45, when wntness gave him his breakfast. Forsyth left to go to work in the bar at the races. It was generally understood that Forsyth was single. The inquest was adjourned sine die, there being no evidence of identification of the woman. Deane Inge has been left a legacy by a cousin. “Gloomy” was a cynic’s characterisation of the Dean, and it has stuck. But Dr Inge is far from gloomy, especially in sociable company. He is a capital story-teller. “A brother cleric,” said he at a dinner, “was offered preferment—a deanery. ‘Has your father accepted the offer?’ a young daughter of the house was asked. ‘Father,’ was the reply, ‘is still praying for guidance, but mother is packing up.’ ”