INQUEST.
A coroner's inquest upon the body of John William Whitehead was held before Dr Hocken (city coroner) and a jury of twelve, at the late residence of the deceased, Hillside.
The Coroner stated that the duty of the jury was to inquire into the circumstances attending the death of a railway guard, who had fallen from the train on the 31st December. It appeared that the guard had got on to the roof of the carriages, which seemed to be a curious place for him to be, and, though it seemed certain that death was accidental, it would be worth while for the jury to inquire what right even the guard had to be in such a dangerous position.
Lewis Gleeson, assistant guard on the train from Invercargill on the 31st inst., deposed that the deceased, John William Whitehead, was guard of the train. Witness and deceased took charge of the train at Clinton. Everything went right until the train was about a mile on the north side of Benhar station. The mail agent then went into the brake-van, and reported that a man had fallen off the train, and was, he believed, killed. Witness asked where Whitehead was, and the reply was that he was forward. The train was pulled up and Whitehead was found to be missing. After this the train was put back about two and a-half miles to the spot where the man had been seen to fall off, and the body of deceased was found there. The train was well filled, but was not crowded at the time. There was room for more people, and though some of the carriages might have been pretty full, the collector could readily have gone through the train to collect tickets, as he (witness) did so afterwards. Witness never went on the roof of the train, but he believed that the deceased did whenever the carriages were full.
William John McLachlan, mail agent on the south express on the 3lst of December last, gave evidence that he saw the deceased assisting passengers into the train at Benhar. When passing underneath the first bridge north of Benhar he saw a body of a man falling through the air. He knew it was someone who had fallen from a height on the train above the platform. He had been on the train and had never before seen a guard on the roof of a travelling train. The people were crowded in the back carriages, so that it was difficult to get through them. There were other carriages forward nearly empty. Deceased complained that one of the carriages was so full that he did not like to pass through it. Witness was of opinion that deceased was walking back over the roof of the carriages to the van, when he struck against the bridge.
V. Almao, a passenger by the south express train on the 31st inst., deposed that soon after leaving Clinton he heard someone walking on the roof of the carriage.
Mary Jane Whitehead, the wife of the deceased, deposed that her husband was thirty-one years of age, and a native of Lancashire. They had three children. The deceased had never told her that he thought he would not live to the New Year, but had said he feared something might happen on the train to the children, as so many children were travelling.
Mr Grant, the traffic manager, was not sworn, but in reply to the coroner he stated that it was not contemplated that the guards would pass over the roof of a moving train, and he had never before heard of its being done here. The deceased was a very steady and careful guard, and he (Mr Grant) could not understand why Whitehead should have done so dangerous a thing.
The jury returned verdict of Accidental death." -Evening Star, 3/1/1885.
Deaths.
On the 31st December, accidentally killed on the Southern line, near Lovell's Flat, Mr John William Whitehead, railway guard; aged 31 years. -Otago Daily Times, 5/1/1885.
The funeral of John William Whitehead, railway guard, who was accidentally killed on the Southern express on New Year's Eve, took place on Sunday. Special trains from the North and South having been laid on, a vary large number of his follow employes took advantage of of the opportunity to show their esteem for the deceased, and the number of persons who followed the remains to the Southern Cemetery was very large. The Rev. W. Ronaldson performed the first part of the funeral services in St. Peter's Church, Caversham, and took advantage of the occasion to specially impress upon his audience the necessity and duty of making provision, whilst they had health and strength, for their wives and families, as not a man who was present could tell when an accident might befall him. Much sympathy is felt for the wife and family of the deceased. -Otago Daily Times, 6/1/1885.
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