8/1703 Private Frederick William Black, 1880-6/2/1915. "found lying on the rails"

 ACCIDENTS & DEATHS.

(Per Press Association)

WELLINGTON. February 7. A sad accident occurred at Lambton Station on Saturday night, in which Private Frederick William Black, a Dunedin member of the fourth reinforcements, met his death. Black was found lying on the rails next to the platform at 1 p.m. He was unconscious and terribly injured, his condition showing that he had been run over by a train. No one apparently saw the occurrence, but Black was known to have been standing on the platform of a carriage in the outgoing train to Trentham. It is surmised that he fell, and was run over by that train, or that he fell in front of the incoming Hutt train, which arrives at Lambton at 10.50 p.m. 

Dr. Henry was summoned immediately Black was found by the station hands, but he died in the waiting room just before the doctor arrived. Besides severe internal injuries and wounds on his head, he had an arm and a leg broken. 

It is understood that Black was the son of Mrs Janet Black, a widow, residing in Mornington, Dunedin.   -Evening Post, 9/2/1915.

ACCIDENTAL DEATH

SATURDAY NIGHT'S RAILWAY FATALITY. 

Yesterday, Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M. (Coroner), held an inquest concerning the death of Private Frederick William Black, a member of the Reinforcements now undergoing training at Trentham. Black, who comes from Dunedin, was killed by a railway train at Lambton Station on Saturday night. Senior-Sergeant Mullany represented the police, Mr. A. W. Hutchings the Railway Department, and Lieutenant L. M. Liardet the Defence Department. 

The first witness was Dr. Henry, who outlined the injuries received by deceased. These included a fractured skull, while the left thigh and right foot were badly crushed. Death was due to hemorrhage of the brain, accelerated by shock. 

An important witness was Charles Henry Burridge, train examiner, who stated that on Saturday evening, just before the accident, he was testing the Westinghouse brakes on the troop train bound for Trentham. There was a train due from the Hutt about the same time. As this train was arriving on the inner set of rails witness saw several troopers standing near the troop train, when another trooper dropped off the stationary train and ran on in front of the incoming engine. Witness closed his eyes. When the deceased was again seen he was lying on the side of one rail clear of the line. Witness did not see the train strike deceased. The incoming train had passed right on from where he was lying. 

To Mr. Hutchings: The driver of the incoming train kept the whistle blowing all the time while passing the stationary troop train, and it was sounding when deceased was struck by the engine. Deceased dropped off the end of the troop train, and, running, collided with the incoming train. 

James Boyle, the driver of the incoming train, said that as he came into the station he saw three or four troopers standing between the two sets of rails. There was a space of about six feet between the two trains. Witness did not see anyone struck by the engine, and knew nothing about the accident until some time later. 

After hearing formal evidence by Alfred Henry Halt (coaching foreman), Private David Matthews, and Constable McCrae, the Coroner returned a verdict that deceased died from hemorrhage of the brain, the result of an accident at the Lambton Railway Station. "No blame is attachable to anybody," commented Mr. Cooper. "It was a pure accident."   -Evening Post, 9/2/1915.

DEATHS.

BLACK. — On February 6 at Lambton, Wellington (the result of accident), Frederick William, the dearly-beloved fourth son of Janet and the late Peter Black, of 106 St. Andrew street; aged 34 years. Deeply mourned. Private interment. — A. J. Wynn and Hope, undertakers.   -Otago Daily Times, 11/2/1915.

Northern Cemetery Dunedin.  Photo from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.