RAILWAY ACCIDENT.
[Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, July 25.
David Scott, a shunter, had a leg and arm broken by a waggon going over him at the Dunedin Railway station. -Star, 25/7/1891.
INQUEST.
An inquest was held at the hospital this afternoon before Mr Coroner Carew and a jury of six (Mr George Drew, foreman) on the body of David Scott, who died in the institution yesterday from injuries received on Saturday on the railway line, near the overbridge.
Jessie Scott deposed that the deceased was her husband. He was born in County Derry (Ireland), and had been about twenty-six years in the colony. He was about forty-five or forty-six years of age. Witness saw him yesterday in the hospital, when he asked her if Mr Grant had spoken to her. He said nothing as to how the accident happened.
James Knox, contractor for cleaning the trucks at the Dunedin railway station, said he knew the deceased by sight. Witness saw him at the cattle trucks station, south of the overbridge, about twenty minutes past one on Saturday. An engine brought down a single cattle truck for cleaning, the truck being in front of the engine; and when the two were disconnected the truck went along by itself. Deceased wished to prevent the truck from going ahead at a fast rate, and ran along the east side of the rails, headed the truck, and attempted to cross over to the west side to put down the brake. The truck was then going at the rate of a mile and a-half an hour. As deceased was crossing the line his boot caught one of the rails, and he fell heavily - with sufficient force to stupify him - just as the truck came along - in fact, it was only three feet behind him. Deceased made no attempt to get up, and the truck passed over his two legs and right arm, and stopped about ten yards further on. Witness was the nearest person to deceased when the accident happened. Moffitt, deceased's mate, came up, and with witness was going to help deceased, but deceased asked them not to touch him. As far as witness could judge, there was no necessity to use the brake. It was not the usual practice to cross in front of a truck when it was running.
Daniel Moffitt, railway shunter, said that about half-past one on Saturday afternoon he was working in the goods yard in charge of the shunting operations. A cattle waggon was shunted into its proper place, and just as it passed a certain point witness saw it oscillate, the cause of which he did not at first understand; but when it had gone on a short distance he saw deceased lying on the ground. Witness went up to deceased and asked him if he was much hurt. Deceased replied that he was, and that he thought his legs and arms were broken. In reply to witness, he said that in crossing the rails the ball of his foot caught on a rail and tripped him. He told witness not to touch him. Witness telephoned for a doctor and the ambulance corps, and deceased was afterwards removed by the latter. Witness did not think the truck was going too fast. There was no necessity for deceased to have tried to put down the brake: it was a mistake for him to attempt it. If it had been necessary to cross the line deceased should have done so at the rear of the truck. [Left sitting.] -Evening Star, 27/7/1891.
A rather remarkable circumstance occurred in connection with the death of David Scott, who died in the hospital on Sunday from injuries received on the railway on the previous day. On the night before his demise he said to the doctor who was in attendance upon him that it was a strange thing he should got hurt, because his wife had specially warned him to be careful that morning, as she had had a vivid dream that a serious accident would happen to him. This statement was subsequently confirmed by the deceased's wife. -Otago Daily Times, 28/7/1891.
FUNERAL NOTICE.
Friends of the late Mr David Scott are respectfully Invited to attend his Funeral, which will leave his late residence, Victoria terrace, near the Gasworks, Anderson Bay road, for the Southern Cemetery, TO-MORROW the 29th inst., at 2 p m.
HUGH GOURLEY, Undertaker, Clarke and Maclaggan streets. -Evening Star, 28/7/1891.
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