DEATHS
SMITH. — On February 8, 1920, at Balclutha, as result of an accident, Elsie Myrtle, dearly beloved eldest daughter of James and the late Emma Smith, Barnego; Balclutha; aged 23 years. Deeply mourned. — The Funeral will leave the residence of Mr James Smith, Barnego, on Wednesday, 11th inst., at 2 p.m., for the Balclutha Cemetery. — G. and D. Middlemass, undertakers, Balclutha. -Evening Star, 9/2/1920.
INQUEST.
MOTOR ACCIDENT.
An inquest concerning the death of Elsie Myrtle Smith, who met her death as the result of a fall from a motor car on Saturday night, was heard at her father's residence, Barnego, on Tuesday forenoon before Mr G. W. Woods, acting-coroner, and a jury of four comprising Messrs W. Stewart, S. H. James, John H. Hunter, and J. Edwards. Constable W. H. Almond conducted the inquest on behalf of the police, and Mr Hunter was chosen foreman of the jury.
James Smith, father of the deceased, tanner, Barnego, said he remembered leaving Balclutha about 11p.m. on Saturday in his motor car. He was accompanied by his two daughters and John Adams Cunningham and Colin Davey. He was alone in the front and the four were in the back seat. After arriving at the north end of the traffic bridge he stopped and let Colin Davey out of the car. He just stopped long enough to let Davey out, about a minute. He then proceeded in the direction of his home, and started the ear on the down grade, and had gone about 30 yards when his daughter Molly said "Myrtle is out," and he at once stopped the car, jumped out and ran back to where his daughter was lying. He found she was unconscious and lying in a heap. He could not say how she fell out of the car. She was in the habit of stepping over the front seat and sitting beside him, and it is possible she may have been going to do so on Saturday. The door of the car does not always close well, and at times a person may think it was closed when it was not fastened. He was first out of the car and the door was open when he ran back to where his daughter was lying. Deceased always enjoyed good health. He sent for the doctor, and the doctor saw the body before it was removed. The doctor ordered her removal home.
Colin Davey, labourer, North Balclutha, said he remembered that on Saturday night he left Balclutha about 11 p.m. in Mr James Smith's motor car. He was in the back seat with deceased, her sister Molly, and John Cunningham. At the north side of the bridge the car stopped, and he got out and proceeded towards his home in North Balclutha. He looked round when he heard the car stop again. He heard someone running towards him, and he ran to meet him. He found deceased lying on the road with her father holding her. She spoke, and asked to be laid down. He did not see anything of the accident. From where the car stopped to let him out to where the deceased was lying would be about 10 or 15 yards. Previously to hearing the car stop he looked round and waved to deceased, who waved to him. The car would be travelling about 10 or 15 miles an hour. A passing rider was sent for the doctor. He had known the deceased for three years and she enjoyed good health.
John Adams Cunningham, farmer, Hillend, gave corroborative evidence. He was seated on the right hand of the back seat, deceased was on the left hand side, and her sister was in the centre. After travelling about 10 yards after Davey got out, deceased stood, up and turned to wave to Davey, and in the next instant she was on the road, having fallen out over the side of the ear. She seemed to be standing on her head the first glimpse here caught of her. Molly Smith cried out to her father that deceased was out, and her father stopped the car at once. They went back and found deceased lying unconscious on the road with her head towards the dairy factory. The catch of the door of the car is not too good. If the bolt catches properly the door remains closed, but the door was easily opened if not fastened. The night was not dark. It was moonlight, but there was a fog. If the door of the car received a good bang the catch would grip, but if not the door was liable to open with the vibration of the car. The car would be going about 15 miles an hour. Deceased did not mention whether she intended getting over to the front seat or not.
Dr A. Stenhouse stated that on Saturday night, shortly after 11 p.m., he received a call from a rider, and within a few minutes afterwards he was on the scene of the accident towards the dairy factory. He found the deceased unconscious on the ground, vomiting, in a state of deep concussion of the brain. He supervised her removal to her father's house, and stayed by her till nearly 2 a.m. next morning. She was still unconscious, but mumbled one or two words of protest in an automatic, reflex manner, while they were undressing her. He saw her again later on Sunday morning in conjunction with Dr Brown, and they decided there was evidence of increasing pressure within the skull from bleeding, and performed an operation. There was very slight improvement for a short time thereafter, but deceased became worse, and when seen at 10 p.m. the same day was moribund. He returned about midnight and found the girl dead. On Saturday night when he examined the deceased there was a vague red mark on the upper back part of the head, which might have been a bruise. The cause of death, in his opinion, was concussion of the brain with haemorrhage, the portion of the brain affected being the deeper or basal part.
The jury returned a verdict that the deceased met her death by falling from a car and thereby sustaining concussion of the brain. -Clutha Leader, 13/2/1920.
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