WAINGAWA FATALITY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 11882, 19 January 1914, Page 4

WAINGAWA FATALITY.

THE INQUEST.

An inquest on the body of Thomas Bailey, who was killed by a train at Waingawa on Saturday morning,* was held at Carterton on Saturday afternoon, before Mr J. T. M. Hornsby, District Coroner. Mr M. D. Hornsby represented the relations of the deceased.-

Dr. Johnston, of Carterton, said that.' he examined the body of deceased at Carterton railway station on Saturday morning. The back of the skull wa's smashed. Death must have been instantaneous'as thei result of the skull wound. •

James.Baily, employed in the freezing chambers at Waiiigawa, stated that he was going to work on Saturday morning at a quarter to eight. He saw deceased, Tom Bailey (known as Tom Johnston) 100 yards ahead-of him g."--ing in the direction.of the works. Wit-ness-.saw the deceased in front of. him just before the" train from Mo3terton whistled before coming to the eroding. At the sound of the whistle, commenced to run across the line. He crossed the first rail,- when the train appeared. He lost sight of deceased, whom he next saw lying about a chain •away from where he crossed the line.

Leonard John Rountree, a drover em* ployed at tho Wairigawa works, gave : . similar evidence to the previous wit- ! ness. '

Thomas Welsh, engine-driver on the train, stated that as the engine ; approached the crossing where the accident occurred, the engine whistle was. sounded, a good long warning sound being made. Deceased appeared to be standing still just before the train; approached, and he (witness) thought he' was waiting till the train passed. He saw nothing further.:of the accident till told of it by the fireman, and on looking back-he saw deceased lying alongside the line. . . •.

After hearing further evidence, tbj Coroner returned the following verdict: —".That the deceased, Tom -Bailey, known in his employment at the Wellington Meat Company's.works at Wa*» ngawa as Toni'Johnston, was accidentally killed about; 7.45 on Saturday, January 17th, 1914, as a result of endeavouring to cross the railway line at the crossing near the said company 'a works in front of the morning train from 1 Masterton to Wellington, knowii as the morning mail train; that the engineman of the train gave due and full warning with the engine whistle, and that deceased, in attempting to cross the line in front of the engine, was overtaken and killed, no blame being attachable to anyone.