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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