TRAM FATALITY.
DUNEDIN, June 9. William Robert Cox, porter at the Public Hospital, was knocked over by a down Roslyn car at Scoullar and Chisholm's factory in Rattray Street at 6.20 p.m. on Saturday evening, and died in the hospital at 11.30 p.m. He was a married man with a family, living at 52 Shetland Street, Roslyn. -Ashburton Guardian, 10/6/1918.
FATAL TRAM ACCIDENT
ROSLYN RESIDENT'S DEATH.
A fatal accident happened in Rattray street, beside Messrs Scoullar and Chisholm's furniture factory, on Saturday evening at 6.20 o'clock, resulting in the death of William Robert Cox, a married man, who lived at No. 67 Shetland street, Roslyn, and who was employed as a porter at the Dunedin Hospital. As two trains were approaching, the passengers on the upward one noticed a man, who appeared to be on his hands and knees over the rails, and they called out to warn the gripman on the down car. The cars were then close together, the blaze of lights from the two head lamps obscuring the gripmen's vision. Before the down car could be pulled up it struck the man, who fell underneath, and suffered severe injuries, to which he succumbed in the Hospital about 11.20 the same night. Deceased was 43 years of age.
THE CORONER'S INQUIRY.
Mr J. R. Bartholomew (coroner) conducted an inquest on Monday afternoon into the circumstances of the death of Willuiam Robert Cox, who was struck by a Roslyn tram car early on Saturday evening. Mr C. J. Payne appeared for the Dunedin and Roslyn Tramway Company, and Mr Hanlon for the relatives of the deceased. Senior Sergeant Murray conducted the case for the police.
William E. J. Cox, of 67 Shetland street, Roslyn, identified the body as that of his father. Deceased was a porter at the Dunedin Hospital. Witness last saw him about 6.30 on Saturday morning, when he was in good health and spirits. On Friday night deceased stated that something went wrong with him internally, and he fell down and lost consciousness.
Dr Bowie (assistant superintendent of the Hospital) said the cause of death was shock and direct injury to vital tissues.
Joseph McNeill (second cook at the Hospital) said he had gone out with the deceased about 3 o'clock on Saturday afternoon. They had three or four drinks at an hotel in Princes street, and witness left him in High street about 6.15. Deceased had had four drinks, but was quite capable of looking after himself. Deceased had a bottle of beer in a bag when they parted. He had made no complaint of illness to witness.
To Mr Hanlon: Deceased had four medium beers between half-past 3 and 6 o'clock.
Hugh Reid (fellmonger, Kaikorai) said he was a passenger by the 6.18 car to Roslyn on Saturday night. He was on the front of the outside seat on the north side of the car. Directly behind the Girl's High School Conductor Garrick called out "Man on the line." Witness saw a man on the down line next to the gutter, apparently in a kneeling position. The front of the down car was parallel with the front of the up car at this time, and about two car lengths from the man, when the first call was given. A moment or two later the man was caught between the wheel and the gripper. The car did not travel more than two lengths after striking him. Witness assisted in releasing the man, who was facing up the hill. The wheels had not passed over him. He might have been pushed a few feet along the ground, but not very far. In his opinion nothing more could have been done to avert the accident.
To Mr Hanlon: When witness first saw deceased he was about opposite the rear cabin of the up car. The conductor was in the door of the cabin. He did not jump off, as it would have been suicide for him to do so. The double glares of the lights of both cars would prevent the driver from seeing the road in front of him. The driver had to watch the up car as well as the track.
To the Coroner: There was plenty of room on the up car, and the down car was almost empty.
James Fogarty (station hand, Roslyn) said he was a passenger on the same car as the previous witness. He saw a man walking on the footpath between Scoullar and Chisholm's and Speight's Brewery. He did not seem to be walking straight, but did not give witness the impression of being intoxicated. As the up car approached the man was on his hands in the middle of the up line, looking up-hill. Witness said to the conductor and gripman "There's a man on the line." The conductor whistled, and they shouted for the down car to stop. The down car pulled up straight away, and the conductor and passengers asked what was the matter. Witness and others said "There's a man under your car." By the time, witness got round to the front of the car the gripman had the car jacked up. The man on the line did not call out. He seemed to have stooped down to pick up something.
To Mr Hanlon: The down car would be about two lengths away when witness first saw the man on the rails. He agreed that it would have been suicide to jump off and try to save the man.
Donald Livingston (butcher, Roslyn), a passenger on the down car which struck the deceased, said he had been standing on the outside at the rear of the car. The shouting from the up car when the two cars were abreast first attracted his attention. He thought someone had been brushed off the up car, and went up to see when the car stopped, but soon found the trouble was at the down car. Coming round the cathedral corner he saw the glare of the up car, which somewhat dazzled him. He considered everything possible had been done to prevent the accident.
To Mr Hanlon: He would not say that if a driver kept his eyes on the track the light of the other car would prevent him from seeing a man.
The police proceeded to call James Ramage (gripman of the down car), but Ramage stated that though he was quite willing to give evidence, Mr Payne had advised him to plead privilege and refuse to do so.
Mr Payne said that Ramage could not throw any further light on the inquiry.
The coroner said that in the circumstances he would not force Ramage to give evidence, though technically he had not brought himself within the provisions entitling him to refuse.
Constable Kelly said he had taken statements from several witnesses, including one from Ramage.
Counsel successfully objected to this statement being put in.
Witness said he visited the scene of the accident with Ramage and the witnesses Fogarty and Livingston. There was a distinct mark of something being dragged down the lines for a distance of 39ft.
Arthur F. Knowles (manager of Roslyn Tram Company) said the Public Works Department had been promptly notified of the accident, and the brakes and gripper were found to be in perfect order. The car was taken down the line and tested with quite satisfactory results. The grade at the place of the accident was one in 7.54. The speed of the cars was always between seen and eight miles an hour.
To Mr Hanlon: A man in the position described would not be seen by the gripman at his gripper when within 10ft or 12ft of the car. The car could be stopped in 11ft on the down grade in a test. He could not offer any explanation why, if a man was seen two car lengths away, the car should not be pulled up in time to prevent a collision. The only explanation of a man being carried 39ft under the. car was that he got under the car without the knowledge of the gripman. He had never heard any complaint of gripmen being blinded by the lights of approaching cars during the past 16 years. Ramage had been employed by the company as gripman for nine years, and no accident had ever been reported in which he was concerned.
The Coroner said that on the evidence before him he was not in a position to express any opinion whether there was any culpability or not on the part of the gripman. The gripman, under legal advice —very proper advice — had availed himself of his privilege, and had not given evidence. They had it from the evidence of Constable Kelly that the body had apparently been dragged some 39ft, which would seem to show that the car had not been stopped in anything like so prompt a manner as it should have been. The passengers on the car who gave evidence would attribute the accident to the inability of the gripman to see anyone on the line through his vision being blinded or considerably interfered with by the light of the up car. That evidence was discounted by the evidence of the manager, who stated that the present system of lighting had been in operation all along and no complaints had been made. He did not express any opinion at that point, but he recommended the management to give attention to the matter and satisfy themselves on the point, seeing it had been mooted. He would return an open verdict — that the man died of injuries in consequence of being knocked down and dragged by the Roslyn cable car. -Otago Witness, 12/6/1918.
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