TRAMWAY FATALITY.
(By Telegraph. — Press Association.)
DUNEDIN, Saturday.
A boy named Gordon Hill was killed by the Kaikorai cable tram this afternoon in Albert-street. The little fellow, who was playing in the street, had his head nearly cut off. His father is a seafaring man, and only went to sea on Friday. The father of the boy Hill, killed on the tramway, is a butcher on the Te Anau. -Auckland Star, 13/5/1901.
KILLED BY A TRAMCAR.
An inquest was held at the Douglas Hotel this afternoon, before Mr Coroner Graham and a jury of six, of whom Mr K. Collier was chosen foreman, on the body of Gordon Hill, who was killed by being run over by a tramcar in Albert street on Saturday. Mr Mondy appeared to watch the proceedings on behalf of the Dunedin and Kaikorai tram Company.
George Hill, brother of deceased, residing in Dowling street, said that his brother was five years old. Witness first heard of the accident at about half-past five on Saturday evening. His mother was dead, and deceased lived with witness. His father was a butcher on the Te Anau. Six of the children were living with witness.
To Mr Mondy: His younger brother looked after the children while witness was at work. Deceased attended school. Two of his brothers were supposed to have been looking after deceased at the time the accident occurred, but they did not happen to be with him. They were in the next street.
William Hill, brother of the last witness, said that he left home with deceased at about two o'clock on Saturday afternoon for the purpose of going to the Asylum Ground. Deceased went on in front of witness and his brother Robert. He heard someone screaming, and on running to above the junction of Albert street and York place he saw deceased lying on the ground alongside the car. His brother Robert told him to keep with them and not run away. It was a lady he heard screaming. Witness and his brother were blowing up a football when deceased must have gone ahead. Witness thought, that he was at the back of them.
David Gillespie Ford, draper, said that he was in the tram which left the Octagon at a quarter-past two. Before they got to the corner of York place and Albert street the conductor called to the driver to stop to let down a passenger. Witness, who was sitting in front of the car, spoke to a lady sitting alongside of him as the car restarted. He then happened to look ahead, when he saw a boy walking coolly in front of the car. Witness called out "Stop the car!" but no sooner had he spoken than he felt the car go over the body. When he saw the boy he was so near the car that he could only see his shoulders and his head. The car was stopped almost immediately after witness called out. In fact he was surprised at its stopping so soon. Witness did not think it at all possible for the driver to see the boy, because, he was so near the car at the time. The lad was walking with his head bent forward. All the passengers in front of the car were sitting. He could not say whether the boy was in front of the car when it stopped to let down the passenger. He should say that the windows in front, of the car were about three and a-half feet from the ground. The accident occurred on the flat.
To Mr Mondy: The boy must have been about two feet from the car when witness saw him. There was practically no way on the car when witness called out. The boy went right under the car. A verdict of "Accidentally killed" was returned, no blame being attachable to anyone. -Evening Star, 13/5/1901.
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