"

SATURDAY NIGHT'S RAILWAY FATALITY. Yesterday, Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M. (Coroner), held an inquest concerning the death of Private Frederick William Black, a member of the Reinforcements now undergoing training at Trentham. Black, who comes from Dunedin, was killed by a railway train at Lambton Station on Saturday night. Senior-Sergeant Mullany represented the police, Mr. A. W. Hutchings the Railway Department, and Lieutenant L. M. Liardet the Defence Department. The first witness was Dr. Henry, who outlined the injuries received by deceased. * These included a fractured skull, while the left thigh and right foot were badly crushed. Death was due to haemorrage of the brain, accelerated by shock. An important witness was Charles Henry Burridge, train examiner, who stated that on Saturday evening, just before the accident, he was testing the Westinghouse brakes on the troop train bound for Trentham. There was a train due from the Hutt about the same time. As this train was arriving on the inner set of rails witness saw several troopers standing near the troop train, when another trooper dropped off the stationary train and ran on in front of the incoming engine. Witness closed his eyes. When the deceased was again seen he Was lying on the side of one rail clear of the line. Witness did not see the train strike deceased. The incoming train had passed right on from where he was lying. To Mr. Hutchings: The driver of the incoming train kept the whistle blowing all the time while passing the stationary troop train, and it was sounding when deceased was struck by the engine. Deceased dropped off the end of the troop [ train, and, running, collided with the incoming train. James Boyle, the driver of the incoming train, said that -as he came into the station he saw three or four troopers standing between the two sets of rails. There was a space of about six feet between the two trains. Witness did not see anyone struck by the engine, and knew nothing about the accident until some time later. After hearing formal evidence by Alfred Henry Halt (coaching foreman), Private David Matthews, and Constable Mc Crae, the Coroner returned a verdict that deceased died from haemorrage of the brain, the result of an accident at the Lambton Railway Station. "No blame is attachable to anybody," commented Mr. Cooper. "It was, a pure accident." "

EVENING POST, VOLUME LXXXIX, ISSUE 33, 9 FEBRUARY 1915, PAGE 10