ACCIDENTS & DEATHS
JAMES DUTHIE’S DEATH.
The Inquest into the circumstances of the death of James Duthie, the engine cleaner who was killed at Athol on Wednesday afternoon last, was held in Invercargill on Saturday morning hy Mr G. Cruickshank, Coroner. Evidence was given by John Duthie of Enwood (father of deceased), and by Charles Gohl and Timothy Kelleher, driver and fireman, respectively, of the ballast train on which James Duthie had been riding just prior to the accident.
Duthie was 18 years 6 months old, and had been in the railway service for about nine months. At the time of his death he was employed at Athol as cleaner to the ballast engine there. The evidence showed that he had joined the ballast train from Lumsden at Eyre Creek, seven miles on this side of Athol, and obtained permission to ride on the engine because he was anxious to learn the work of firing. He told the fireman that he would jump off at Athol, but was advised not to do so until the engine stopped. He jumped off, however, before the train reached the platform, and was noticed by the fireman to be running along and holding on to the handrail of the engine. Before the train could be stopped he let go the rail, and fell just as the engine approached the raised platform, where he was caught by the projecting plough of the ballast van. Had he let go sooner the plough would have passed over him. The Coroner returned a verdict that Duthie was accidentally killed by jumping off a train. -Southland Times, 22/11/1909.
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| Invercargill Cemetery. |
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