FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT
A sad accident, which resulted in the death of Mr Ernest W. Venn, fireman on the railways, occurred between Lovell's Flat and Benhar yesterday. Mr Venn was fireman on the 9.50 a.m. goods train from Dunedin to Balclutha, and it appears that he was standing up on the tender when the train reached an overhead bridge, between Lovell's Flat and Benhar. He was struck on the head with considerable violence, the force of the impact being sufficient to throw him off the engine. When picked up he was quite dead, and, as the body was badly mutilated, it is more than likely that death was instantaneous. The body was brought into Dunedin by the evening train, and conveyed to the Morgue, where an inquest will be held this afternoon. The deceased, who was about 26 years of age, was a son of Mr Venn, stationmaster at Dunback, and one of his brothers is employed as in the Railway Department. Mr Venn was married only about two months ago, and the sympathy of the public will go out to his young widow, who has lost her helpmeet under such saddening circumstances. -Otago Daily Times, 21/10/1903.
INQUEST.
An inquest in connection with the circimistances surrounding the death of Ernest William Venn, fireman, who was killed when travelling on the morning goods train from Dunedin to Balclutha on Tuesday, was held yesterday afternoon before Mr C. C. Graham, coroner.
Sub-inspector Green represented the police, and Mr J. Millar was foreman of the jury.
Walter Venn, railway guard, staled he was a brother of deceased, and identified the body. Deceased was a steady man in his habits, and not subject to fits of any kind. He was a married man, residing at Kensington, and was in good health when witness last saw him on Sunday evening.
John Major, driver of the engine of the goods train, staled that deceased was fireman on the engine. Shortly before approaching the overbridge at 280 peg, north of Benhar, witness was speaking to deceased, who was then in the cab, and just after passing the bridge witness again turned to speak to deceased, but could not see him. Witness then went to look if he was on the outside of the engine, and as he could not find him he shut off steam. Witness noticed deceased's hat on the top of the coal, and at the same time the brakesman on the guard's van gave witness the stop signal. Witness obeyed a signal to push the train back about 300 yards, till he came to the overhead bridge, where he found the guard with the body of the deceased Venn. The body was removed into a covered van and carried on to Stirling. An examination of the bridge revealed no marks of deceased having struck it, but there were several blood spots on the tender and on the van next to the engine, and on the buffer beam of the engine there were marks indicating that deceased's boot had struck it when falling. It was part of deceased's duty to go up on the tender and trim the coal down when necessary. Venn had been fireman with witness for nearly three years, and would be aware of the position of the overhead bridge. Deceased was not instructed by witness to go on the tender when the accident occurred, the train was travelling at the rate of 10 to 12 miles an hour. The height of the bridge from the top of the coals on the tender would be about 6ft clear. Deceased was about 5ft 8in. He was quite dead when witness came up to him. His neck and one arm were broken, and there was an injury to the jaw.
In answer to Sub-inspector Green, Witness said another fatal accident had occurred at this bridge, a man standing on the top of a carriage being killed.
In reply to a question by Mr Graham, it was stated that there were 18 similar bridges between Clinton and Waitaki.
Robert Burke, railway guard, in charge of the 9.50 a.m. goods train to Balclutha. on the 20th inst., said deceased was fireman on the engine, and when passing Benhar bridge he noticed his body lying in the water table. He gave instructions to the brakesman to put on the brake, and signalled to the driver to stop. When witness ran back to the body deceased was quite dead, and blood was issuing freely from a deep scalp wound on the back of the head. The body was lying about 10 yards south of the bridge. There was no jerk of the train to indicate that anything unusual had happened.
To the Police: It was not usual for the driver to whistle when the train was passing under an overhead bridge. There were blood marks on the back of the tender, as though deceased had fallen behind it.
The Coroner said the accident seemed to be one caused, as was sometimes the case, by those who were accustomed to be in dangerous positions becoming less careful than ordinarily. It seemed that deceased had overlooked the presence of the bridge, and there could be no hesitation in coming to a conclusion that death was the result of pure accident, and that there was no blame attachable to anyone.
A Juryman suggested that some warning should be given by the driver when coming to such bridges, and Sub-inspector Green said a more necessary precaution would perhaps be the raising of the height of the bridges.
The Coroner, on consulting a map prepared by the department, said he observed that the particular bridge where the accident happened was a foot higher than the roof of the railway tunnels.
A verdict was returned to the effect that deceased met his death through coming into contact with a railway overbridge, he being knocked off a train while in motion. The jury further found that no blame was attachable to anyone. -Otago Daily Times, 22/10/1903.
Late Advertisements
MRS E. W. VENN AND RELATIVES wish to THANK the Fellow-citizens of the late Ernest W. Venn for their kind Sympathy in their recent bereavement. -Evening Star, 31/10/1903.
Bitrhs Deaths and Marriages
VENN. -On the 20th of October (accidentally killed on the railway), Ernest William, the beloved husband of Annie Venn, of Wilkie road, Caversham, and third son of W. J. and Martha Venn, of Dunback; aged 24 years. Deeply regretted. -Otago Daily Times, 6/11/1903.
Palmerston Cemetery.
The driver of the train from which Ernest Venn fell in 1903 died a few years later, in 1908.
AN ENGINE-DRIVER'S SUICIDE.
CAUSE ATTRIBUTED TO DOMESTIC TROUBLES.
(By Telearavh — Press Association.)
DUNEDIN, Yesterday
At an inquest held on the body of John Major, engine-driver, who committed suicide at Mosgiel railway station on Saturday, the evidence showed that deceased suffered keenly from domestic troubles. On a piece of paper found in deceased's pocket was written: "Good-bye, Ellen. I hope God will forgive you as I have forgiven you. I still love you with all your faults. I will end this life on arrival at Mosgiel to-day. I am quite sane." Letters setting forth deceased's troubles were addressed to Mr Widdowson, S.M. The jury returned a verdict of "Death from buliet wound, inflicted during temporary insanity." -Wairarapa Daily Times, 8/12/1908.
A SAD SUICIDE.
THE MADNESS OF JOHN MAJOR.
Domestic troubles Preyed on His Mind.
A Bullet Ends it All.
"December 5; 1.15 pm, train to Mosgiel: — Good-bye Ellen. I hope God will forgive you as I have forgiven you. I still love you, with all your faults. I will end this life on arrival at Mosgiel today, I am quite sane."
After writing this tragic good-bye, to his wife, John Major, engine-driver, drove his train as usual on Saturday afternoon to Mosgiel. There was nothing remarkable in his manner as the train rattled along. He was very quiet, not speaking to his fireman unless spoken to, but he had been like that all the week. It was known that he suffered from insomnia, and his taciturnity excited no suspicion. His mate never for a moment imagined that the heart-weary man beside him had determined to set out on that last awful journey that knows no return. But the unhappy man's mind was made up irrevocably. Before starting from Dunedin he had asked the guard, Alexander Waugh, what time the train would arrive at Mosgiel and what time it would leave there. On being told, the driver remarked, "Oh, there will be plenty of time then." As soon as the train pulled up at Mosgiel, Driver Major left the engine without speaking and went straight to the station lavatory. He was never again seen alive. A shot was heard, and when William Jones, Acting-Stationmaster, went to the lavatory he found the dead body of the driver huddled up on the floor. There was
A GAPING BULLET HOLE IN THE HEAD
behind the right ear, and a revolver lay beside deceased's right hand.
At the inqjuest, held at Mosgiel on Sunday, before Mr J. F. Leary, J. P., and a jury, it was made pitifully plain that the unhappy driver had for some time past been tortured by terrible mental agony on account of domestic affairs. Whether there was any real ground for this mental storm and anguish this paper cannot say, but the letters written by the driver and found on his dead body proved beyond doubt that his troubles were only too terribly true in his own mind. In addition to the note quoted above, Constable Walton found a letter on the body addressed to Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M. In this deceased had set out his troubles in detail, concluding with an appeal to the magistrate to take care of his daughter Nora. Other letters, all detailing deceased's domestic sorrows, were found addressed to Mr Widdowson, and they clearly showed that the unhappy man was in a state of mind that would quite account for the dread insomnia and despair. The jury, without retiring, returned a verdict that death was due to a bullet wound, inflicted whilst deceased was temporarily insane.
The dead driver, John Martin Major, was 52 years of age and came of good family. He was the only son of James Major, C.E., and grandson of the late James Major, Queen's Counsellor, Londonderry, Ireland. -NZ "Truth," 12/12/1908.
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