By telegram from Wellington we are informed of the death of Constable Henry Vernon, who was found yesterday in the Caversham railway tunnel, his mangled body bearing evidence of the fact of his having been run over by the train. He had during Saturday been on duty at the races. It has not transpired whether he fell out of the train, or was performing the dangerous feat of walking through the tunnel and was overtaken by the train. If the latter it will be a serious warning to those who do the same thing on the Auckland line. -Auckland Star, 27/3/1876.
Shocking Death in the Caversham Tunnel.
Constable Henry Vernon, a valuable member of the Police force, who, for the last twelve months has been stationed at Green island (says the 'Times,') met with a shocking death on Saturday night. Three young men named Thomas Brian, John W. Bates, and Joseph Bates, called at the Caversham depot yesterday morning, about a quarter past eleven, and reported that when passing through the Green Island Railway tunnel their attention was attracted by a little dog which accompanied them barking at something, and on striking a match they were horrified to see the body of a man covered with blood, lying alongside the rails. Being frightened, they hastened back and gave information to Constable McKilney, stationed at Caversham, who, with Dr Batchelor, proceeded to the place. Four hundred yards from the mouth of the tunnel, on the right hand side they came upon Vernon's body, which was shockingly mutilated. The head was flattened to a sleeper, the body lying obliquely clear of the rail. All the limbs were broken, the left leg being twisted across the abdomen. His collar and tie were lying alongside, and his watch and chain behind the body. A pair of handcuffs in the coat pocket of deceased, were broken in pieces. The body was afterwards removed to the morgue of the Dunedin Hospital. From enquiries made at the railway station, we learn that the last train to pass through the tunnel on Saturday night was the late train which would pass through about 8.45 p.m. from Balclutha. After the tragical occurrence was discovered, the engine was examined, and in front of the guard there were marks of blood, and some human hair. Constable Vernon leaves a wife and child. He was three years and eight months in the Police force. -Bruce Herald, 28/3/1876.
THE CAVERSHAM TUNNEL ACCIDENT.
An inquest ws held at the Hospital at noon today before Mr District Coroner Hocken and a jury of twelve, of whom Mr John Curle was chose foreman, on the body the late Constable Henry Vernon.
The Coroner explained that the inquest was on the body of Constable Henry Vernon, of Green Island, who was supposed to have been killed on Saturday night last in the Caversham tunnel by the Clutha train knocking him down and going over him. There was not much evidence to lay before the jury, and it was highly probable that death was caused in the manner he had indicated. However, so as to have every scrap of evidence brought before them, he had Instructed Dr Yates to make a post mortem examination so as to ascertain the extent of the injuries, and also to see whether deceased suffered from disease of the heart.
Inspector Mallard deposed that deceased was a constable in the Otago Police Force. He joined the service on the 21st June, 1872, and was stationed at Green Island. He would now be thirty-three years of age. Was a native of Scotland, married, had one child, and was a member of the Church of England. Witness last saw him alive from 6.30 to 6.45 o'clock on the evening of Saturday last. He was seen on the Forbury race-course, and received instructions to return to his station. He then appeared to be in his usual state of health, and was perfectly sober. He was a very temperate man — almost a total abstainer. He was to patrol home if he could not catch the special train leaving Caversham about five minutes to seven. Deceased would hardly have had time to catch the special train. He was aware of the time it left Caversham, having returned to Green Island by the corresponding train the previous day.
The Coroner: Do you know whether he was in the habit of going home through the tunnel?
Witness: He had gone through it, because he has told me so. He used to patrol the line to see if it was clear. It would be no trespass on a constable's part to be on the railway line. It wonld be the duty of the police to go through the tnnnel if they thought anything was wrong.
The Coroner: They are not debarred from passing through it.
Patrick Fletcher, bachelor of medicine, living at Fairfield, Green Island, saw deceased walking south towards Green Island on Saturday night. He was on the Main road, between Porter’s Hotel and Mr Fulton's house, and appeared to be going to the railway, station. — By Commissioner Weldon: Witness had known deceased for six weeks. He was a respectable man, well disposed towards the inhabitants.
Thomas Brinn, apprentice to Messrs Reid and Gray, Dunedin, was going through the Caversham tunnel for a walk with two friends, about eleven o'clock on Sunday morning. They had a little dog with them, and when nearly half way through the dog began to bark. Witness saw something of a light colour lying on the right hand side of the tunnel between the rails and the wall. He put his foot on it and, finding it was soft, struck a match. It looked like a bundle of torn clothes. He then struck another match and found it was a man's body lying between the rails and the wall of the tunnel. By the jury: Witness had been through the tunnel. There was no board warning them not to go through the tunnel, though further down the line a notice was posted warning them not to pass along the line.
Constable McKelvie, stationed at Caversham, deposed that in conseqence of information received, he accompanied Dr Batchelor on Sunday morning into the Caversham tunnel. There they found deceased's body. The head was lying in an oblique direction towards the rail, and at about six inches from the rail. It was flattened to one of the sleepers. His left brow was smashed in; his arms and legs were broken. The clothes were torn, and the coat turned up. Witness saw him about half-past six, when he appeared bright and in his usual state of health.
John Sparrow, engine-driver, was driving the engine of the late Clutha train, on Saturday last. They left Abbotsford, Green Island, about 8.36p.m., and passed through the Caversham tunnel about, 8.44. He saw nothing, and was satisfied no one could have been standing in the tunnel without his seeing him. He did not think there was sufficient room for a man to stand clear of the train. — By the Commissioner of Police: We had a good, bright light burning. I am confident no one standing in the tunnel, either before or at the side, could have escaped my notice. The prior train to pass through was a special, at 6.45 from Dunedin.
John C. Douglas, clerk in the Provincial Government employ, was a passenger by the late train from Balclutha on Saturday. When passing through the Caversham tunnel the long carriage in which he was in was thrown right up, and other persons in the carriage remarked it. Witness got a fright, as the shock was severe; and from the feeling, he took it to be a soft substance the train had passed over.
John Mathewson, Inspector of Permanent Ways, in accordance with instructions, had made an examination of the Caversham tunnel on Monday morning. He found finger marks on the wall, as though someone had been groping his way through. The marks continued on for about 120 yards, and apparently about 20 yards from where the body was found. In two places were were marks as though someone had slipped down, leaving his finger marks down the wall, and also in another place the appearance of a man having been standing with his back against the wall. Witness saw signs as though a man had been retracing his steps. In both places where there were marks of a fall, a hole between the sleepers, through a deficiency of ballast appears to have caused a stumble. Witness had heard deceased remark that there was plenty of room for a man to stand steady when a small engine was passing through, but not with the large engines. There were small spattering of blood and brain fully twenty yards round the body. Trespassing was a daily occurrence on the line, though notices were posted forbidding it.
William Butchart, station-master, deposed that deceased had told him how he could save himself in the tunnel in the event of a train passing through.
Dr Yates gave evidence as to the post mortem examination he had made. Having described the injuries, witness stated that he attributed deceased's death to his being struck on the head by the engine and thrown down, and those to the lower extremities inflicted afterwards probably by the wheels. The injuries were too severe to admit of their being caused by the act of a man — a train must have inflicted them.
In answer to the Coroner, Mr Conyer, manager of the Otago Railways, said that an Act had been passed last session making trespass on the railway a punishable offence; and instructions had now been given to prosecute in all cases. He inspected the Clutha railway train yesterday morning, but found no marks of blood on the engine. On the carriages there were marks; one of them was very much bespattered. The engine was a great deal narrower than the carriage, and witness was confident that it was not the engine that struck deceased. Even with the broadest carriages there was room for a man to stand clear of them, provided he stood upright at the side of the tunnel-wall. In the tunnel there were three man-holes or recesses, where one could find shelter. These were on the opposite side to the finger-marks described by Mr Matheson. There had been four deaths on the Otago railways — all from trespass. By the Commissioner: I should be very glad to see a constable walking along the line daily, it would be a great help to us, and be no trespass. Deceased had helped us greatly by patrolling the line.
This concluded the evidence, and
The Conmer said there could be no doubt that deceased had been killed by the injuries received in the tunnel. That he could not have been in a fit when the train passed through the tunnel was apparent from the fact mentioned by Mr. Conyers that the injuries were not inflicted by the engine but by the carriages behind it. If he had had a fit and had fallen across the line the engine must have passed over him. There was no suspicion of foul-play, and nothing to induce the Jury to believe that deoeased had commited suicide in the way mentioned.
“Accidental death" was the verdict returned. -Evening Star, 28/3/1876.
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