Henry Burton, (1904-2/9/1908). "to hear the cable rattle"

A CHILD KILLED.

DUNEDIN, Sept. 2. An accident occurred at the Kaikorai tram terminus this afternoon, whereby a child named Henry Burton, aged 4 years, son of George Burton, gripman on the Roslyn tram line, was killed. The tram reached the terminus about 4.20, and while the officials were preparing for the return trip to town the child must have got in front of the car looking through the slot in such a position that the driver, could not see him. The child was extricated in a few minutes, but life was extinct.  -Wanganui Chronicle, 3/9/1908.

Deaths.

BURTON. — On the 2nd September (by tram accident), Henry, the beloved son of George and Agnes Burton; aged 4 years. Deeply regretted. — Private interment.  -Evening Star, 3/9/1908.

THE KAIKORAI FATALITY

THE INQUEST.

An inquest as to how the lad Henry Burton came by his death was hold by Mr C. C. Graham, coroner, and a jury of six, of whom Mr George Beath was chosen foreman, yesterday afternoon. Mr J. C. Stephens appeared for the Dunedin-Kaikorai Tramway Company. 

Dr Watt stated that between 4.30 and 5 p.m. on Wednesday he proceeded to the Kaikorai tram sheds and saw the body of deceased. He examined the body, and found a large wound on the side of the face, and a large wound on the back of the skull. There were compound fractures on the right thigh and the left upper arm, and a large, deep wound extending the whole length of the left side. These were sufficient to cause instantaneous death, and were such as would be caused by being run over by a tram car. 

Martha Ada Ramsay said deceased was the son of George Burton, who was an employee of the Roslyn Tram Company, and resided at Kaikorai. Mrs Burton was at witness's house on Wednesday, and deceased was with her. The child was four years old. Witness's residence was close to the tram terminus, and she and Mrs Burton were in the house when a child came running in and said that deceased was run over. The child Burton had gone out with another child on a message. Witness and Mrs Burton ran out to the shed at once, but did not see deceased, who had been carried into the shed. The doctor was called, but the child was dead.

Robert Forsyth, gripman on the Dunedin-Kaikorai tram, said that on Wednesday he was in charge of a tram arriving in the Valley at 4.20 p.m. They returned almost immediately on arrival. Witness had the gripper ready to start, and had got about two car lengths when the car jumped off the rails. Witness stopped the car and got out to see which side he had got off the rail, thinking he had caught the points. He looked underneath the car, and saw the little boy there. He ran for help, and the car was lifted, and witness took the body out. The child was quite dead. Witness was of opinion that the boy was pushed along in front of the car, got under it, and that his leg getting on the rail put the car off. The child must have been close to the car when it started. There were marks on the ground showing that the child had been pushed along. If the child had been close up to the car witness could not possibly have seen him. 

Replying to questions put by Mr Stephens and others, Witness said the bell was rung when they got down to the terminus, when they got ready to leave, and just at leaving. He never left the car. They had not time to leave the car at that time of the day. It was a quick serivce. His attention was directed to the front of the car, so that had the boy been in his (witness's) line of vision he could not have failed to see him. He did not see the child when coming down to the terminus, but he saw him at halfpast 3. A little .boy sat on the buffer at the back of the car on that occasion, but it was not deceased. This boy dropped off when the car started. The conductor started the car from the back. The gripman was responsible for the points being right, but he could not see the points from where he stood, They ran very slowly until they got past the points. 

Thomas Joseph Clarkson (conductor) said he was on the car of which the previous witness was gripman. He confirmed the evidence given by the gripman, and said it was not usual for the conductor to go forward and see that the points were right. The line was clear when the car came down. He saw nothing of the child. How he got there he did not know. Witness felt the bump when the car went off the rails, and he went to get the jack to lift the car. The gripman was looking under the car, and sang out that there was a child there. Witness assisted to got the body out. There were passengers on the car, one being in front; but none of them saw anything of the child. There were 20 or 30 boys playing about there, and deceased might have been amongst them. They were bothered with the boys every day, and had to chase them for riding on the back of the car.

The local constable stated that another boy named Scott had been with deceased, and had said that deceased got down in front of the car to hear the cable rattle.

Harry Sawyers, called by Mr Stephens, said he was a conductor on the Dunedin-Kaikorai line. His car got to the Kaikorai at 3.40 p.m. At the terminus the driver and witness went into the waiting shed, and there saw two little boys with a tricycle. They were playing about, and witness told them they had better get away home. He fixed the seat of the tricycle. One of the boys was (the) deceased. Two women came over to the shed, and one tied up the boy's boot. Witness told them they had better take the boys away or they would be getting hurt. It was Mrs Burton that witness spoke to.

Mr Hunter (tramway manager) stated that in ordinary working the gripman could see the points, but with another car there he could not. 

The Coroner expressed the opinion that the jury could come to no other conclusion than that death was due to pure accident, and he did not think blame could be attached to anyone. If the conductor had taken a look in front of the car he might have seen the child, but Mr Hunter had explained that the running was so fast there was no time to go round to the front. He (the coroner) did not know whether any further precaution would be taken to see that the line was clear, but he did not think the jury could come to any oilier conclusion than that the child was unfortunately overrun by the tramcar, and that no blame was attachable to anyone. The jury, without retiring, returned a verdict to that effect.  -ODT, 4/9/1908.