Papers Past  -    Star  -  Christchurch  -   Inquests  - 


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Thursday 18 August 1898  
    page 3  

Fatal Accident   -    A Cyclist Killed  -     HARPER
About half-past two this morning a telephone message was received at the Christchurch Police Station to the effect that a cyclist had met his death
by accident in Scott Street, Sydenham.   A man, riding a bicycle, had run into a night-soil cart and had been killed.
The deceased has been identified as William Edward Harper, a traveller in the employ of Messrs Hubard, Hall and Co. He was  23 of age,  a member of the Christchurch Cycle Corps,
and resided with his mother at 28, Hanmer Street, Linwood,   whither the body was now been removed. Further particulars show
that the unfortunate young fellow had escorted a young lady,  Mary Rowlands, from the St. John's Schoolroom to her home in Johnston Street, Sydenham.
He left her at about 12.15 a.m. barely 100 yards from the spot where the collision occurred.

The version given by Robert Gallagher the driver of the night-cart, is that at about 12.30, while he was at the back of a house in Scott Street, he
heard his horse bolting. On coming out, he saw the deceased getting up off the road, and assisted him to the footpath. The decease d was groaning and
his chest hurt. Gallagher left him on the footpath, while he stopped his horse, and after he returned with some men came out of a house; they,
including Mr Mumford,  carried the deceased inside and sent for a doctor. Gallagher then left to finish his work. There was no light on the cart at
the time of the accident.

An inquest will be held at Linwood at 5.45 p.m. today. Dr R.W. Anderson has been instructed to make a post-mortem examination.


The Star, Friday August 19th  1898

Death  -   
HARPER - on August 18, the result of an accident, William Edward, third  son of Mrs J. Harper, 28 Hanmer Street, Avonville; aged; twenty-three years.

Inquest  -  HARPER
Before Mr Beetham, coroner. Mr G. H. Wade foreman of the jury.  Sergent-Major Ramsay conducted the inquiry, and Mr Kippenberger represented
Mrs Jane Harper. Mary Rowlands stated that the deceased had accompanied her to her home in Johnston Street, Williowbank. He got on his bicycle to ride
home, and the accident happened about two minutes' walk from where he left her.

Robert Gallagher  stated he was in the employed by Poore and Weir, the night-soil contractors to the Sydenham Borough Council. He carried no light
on the cart, being provided with only one light which he took with him. He had been at the work about twelve months, and did not ever carry a light on
the cart. Mr Richard French, nursery hand, residing in Scott Street found the deceased lying across the footpath. There was no one with him. The
deceased made no reply when asked who he was. Gallagher appeared on the scene three or four minutes after the witness came out of the house. The
deceased was taken to the witness's house and a doctor was sent for. Scott Street was only about half a chain wide, and the night was dark. The
deceased expired three-quarters of an hour after the accident.  Dr Anderson found no marks of injury on the body. The post-mortem showed
that only sign or injury was a discolouration at the pit of the stomach,evidently the result of a blow. The liver was torn almost completely in two
and five or six pints of blood had escaped into the abdominal cavity. The seat of the external discolouration exactly coincided with the rupture of
the liver. A blow caused by running into the shaft of a cart would produce the injury. Mary Rowland's, recalled, said that the deceased did not light
his lamp before getting on his bicycle. The cart was facing the south. Coming from Johnstone Street, the deceased would be meeting the horse.
The jury returned a verdict that the deceased had been killed by colliding with the cart, adding a rider that such vehicles should be compelled to carry light.


Papers Past  -  Star  -  Christchurch  - 

Monday 22nd August 1898  
      page 4
The funeral of the late Private William Edward Harper, of the Christchurch Cycle Corps, took place yesterday afternoon, at the Avonside Cemetery,
and was very largely attended, about 10,000 people being present.
Lieutenant Bishop was in charge of the volunteers.  
The parade stats.
Lyttelton Navals, Chief Petty-Officer Twomey, 37
E. Battery, Sergeant-Major Treleaven 45
Canterbury Engineers, Sergeant-Major Jones, 32
City Guards, Lieutenant Bishop, 47
College Rifles, Corporal Evans, 12
City Rifles, Sergeant Hopkins, 24
Imperial Rifles, Coloured-Sergeant Butcher, 30
Mounted Rifles, Sergeant-Major Berland 9
Cycle Corps, Lieutenant Finnis 20
Queen's Cadets, Lieutenant Rogers, 25
total 281
Captain Cresswell (City Guards)
Lieutenants Neave (Canterbury Mounted Rifles)
Lieutenant Millar (Sydenham Rifles
Captain Linn (unattached)

Staff-Sergeant Major Barrett and the Colour-Sergeant N Battery were also present in uniform, as were several of the men from the H.M.S. Tauranga.
About one hundred representatives of the following Lodges of Oddfellows were also present officially:
City of Christchurch, Phillipstown, Volunteer, Benevolent, Malvern,  Woolston, Rangiora, Addington and Sister Pearce.

When the procession arrived at the Hanmer Street, the coffin, covered with the Union Jack, was placed on a gun carriage lent and horsed by the E
Battery, and ornamented with a few beautiful wreaths, one of which, a miniature bicycle, studded with white flowers, was sent by the newly formed
cycle corps. Immediately following the gun carriage came an open bier covered with handsome wreaths, chiefly from the various clubs of which the
late Private Harper had been a member. Hanmer Street was crowded for its whole length, and the roads on both sides of the river were thronged with
spectators. The drive from the road to the Avonside Church and the cemetery grounds were full of people before the arrival of the cortege. The Burial
Service of the Church of England was read by Rev. W. A. Pascoe, and the Oddfellows' Ritual by P.P.G.M., Bro Guntrip, on conclusion of which three
volleys being fired over the grave...

Beverley Evans
Christchurch  NZ

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