Native of Wilberforce, N.S.W.
A third inquest was held at the City Coroner's office, on the body of Robert Kirkpatrick. The inquest was initiated on Saturday, and then adjourned till 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Mr Clayton appeared to watch the case for Mr Harrison, the owner of the 'bus, and Mr Fisher (of Macarthy, Robertson, and Fisher), for the friends of deceased. Jessie Kirkpatrick deposed that she resides at Redfern; the dead body viewed by the Coroner and jury was that of her husband, Robert Kirkpatrick; he was a native of the colony, and 40 year of age; he was a conductor of the Government tramways; he had left seven children; in consequence of something she heard, witness went to the Infirmary on Monday afternoon last, and there saw her husband; he told witness that while he was collecting tickets on the tram in Oxford street, he heard a shout, and on turning round to see what caused the shout, the pole of a bus struck him; he was quite sensible when he made that statement. William Johnson deposed that he is a conductor on one of the trams running between Hunter street and Randwick, deceased was also a conductor on the same tram; on Monday at 11 00 a.m. the tram cars on which deceased and witness were engaged left Hunter-street for Randwick;
deceased had the collection of the fares of one car and witness of the other; besides that deceased had to give the order to start the engine; whilst they were proceeding along Oxford-street, and witness was in the act of collecting the tickets, he heard a scream, which appeared to proceed from the passengers in the back car; the two cars were full of passengers; on hearing the scream, witness ran from the passage of the front car to the off side of the back car, and saw deceased lying on his back on the road;
witness ran and caused the engine-driver to stop the engine, and on returning to Kirkpatrick found him on the kerb; his trousers were torn, and blood was issuing from his right thigh, which he was holding with both hands; witness asked him where he was hurt, but he gave no answer, nor did he say how he received the injuries; a cab was then obtained, and deceased was placed in it and taken to the Infirmary; after the scream witness saw a bus, just at the end of the tram, going down the street; did not speak to the driver of the bus, had not the presence of mind to do so; the bus was on the right side; the tram was going at the rate of seven or eight miles an hour; did not know the distance between the tram-line and the gutter. Richard Waring deposed that he is a railway and tramway line inspector; he knew deceased who had been recently employed as a guard on one of the tramlines; on Monday, 21st instant witness got into the 11.50 a.m. tram from Hunter-street to Randwick, at Liverpool-street; deceased was the guard of that tram; witness was sitting on the next seat behind which the deceased was collecting tickets on the opposite side of the last car; about 300 yards from College-street, and whilst the tram was going along Oxford-street, a bus ran against deceased, and knocked him down on the step of the car on which he was standing; witness heard him call out "Oh'" and immediately the car cleared the 'bus, deceased fell between the wheels of the bus on to the ground on his back; he then turned over on his hands and knees, got up and walked across the street on to the foot- path, and sat down on the kerb; deceased was, at the time standing with his back towards the 'bus; witness did not notice that the driver of the bus had any cause to pull his horses towards the car; witness did not know what caused deceased to be struck. Miss Elizabeth Frances Pearce, Rev. Thomas Wilson, who were passengers in the tram, and John Sanderson who was a passenger in the 'bus, and others, also gave evidence, but there was no material difference in their statements from those of the witnesses already given, except that the cause of the 'bus going forward was ascribed by some of them to a cab, which crossed in front of the horses in the 'bus. James Keys deposed that he is an omnibus driver in the employ of Mr. Harrison; on Monday last he was driving omnibus No 10 coming down Oxford-street, towards Sydney, about 12 o'clock when witness got as far is Pelican-street there were two loads of potatoes opposite Tierney 's; another cart drove up alongside of witness, and a cab drove across the street in front of the leader, just after witness had pulled up; witness pulled up to let a tram pass, between Tierney's and Pelican-street;
the tram was about 14 or 15 yards from witness when he pulled up; witness went as near to the gutter as he could get; the motor passed him, and the the cab coming in front of him just then caused the leader to swerve out towards the tram, and the step of the car struck the bus; witness held on to the horses and put the brake hard on; when the leader swerved the other two went forward also and took the 'bus in collision with the cars; he could not say whether the coach struck the guard, he did not see him fall; saw him afterwards get up and walk across the street; the cars went grating along the side of the 'bus; the cab was on its wrong side; it crossed in front of the motor and jammed in front of witness' leader, causing it to start forward; through that the collision took place; the horses were quiet and steady; the whistle of the motor blew about the time witness pulled up; he did not put his horses in motion. John E. J. Moffit, one of the resident medical officers of the Sydney Infirmary deposed to having received deceased into the Infirmary on Monday last, at noon; there was a lacerated wound on the upper and right side of thigh, about two inches in depth and two inches in extent; some of the muscles were torn; witness admitted him, but did not see him again until about five hours before death; deceased bad been under the care of another medical man; he was then dying; witness believed the cause of death was gangrene and exhaustion, consequent on the injuries de- scribed. The jury returned a verdict of death from injuries accidentally received.
The Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday 1 March 1881
A third inquest was held at the City Coroner's office, on the body of Robert Kirkpatrick. The inquest was initiated on Saturday, and then adjourned till 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Mr Clayton appeared to watch the case for Mr Harrison, the owner of the 'bus, and Mr Fisher (of Macarthy, Robertson, and Fisher), for the friends of deceased. Jessie Kirkpatrick deposed that she resides at Redfern; the dead body viewed by the Coroner and jury was that of her husband, Robert Kirkpatrick; he was a native of the colony, and 40 year of age; he was a conductor of the Government tramways; he had left seven children; in consequence of something she heard, witness went to the Infirmary on Monday afternoon last, and there saw her husband; he told witness that while he was collecting tickets on the tram in Oxford street, he heard a shout, and on turning round to see what caused the shout, the pole of a bus struck him; he was quite sensible when he made that statement. William Johnson deposed that he is a conductor on one of the trams running between Hunter street and Randwick, deceased was also a conductor on the same tram; on Monday at 11 00 a.m. the tram cars on which deceased and witness were engaged left Hunter-street for Randwick;
deceased had the collection of the fares of one car and witness of the other; besides that deceased had to give the order to start the engine; whilst they were proceeding along Oxford-street, and witness was in the act of collecting the tickets, he heard a scream, which appeared to proceed from the passengers in the back car; the two cars were full of passengers; on hearing the scream, witness ran from the passage of the front car to the off side of the back car, and saw deceased lying on his back on the road;
witness ran and caused the engine-driver to stop the engine, and on returning to Kirkpatrick found him on the kerb; his trousers were torn, and blood was issuing from his right thigh, which he was holding with both hands; witness asked him where he was hurt, but he gave no answer, nor did he say how he received the injuries; a cab was then obtained, and deceased was placed in it and taken to the Infirmary; after the scream witness saw a bus, just at the end of the tram, going down the street; did not speak to the driver of the bus, had not the presence of mind to do so; the bus was on the right side; the tram was going at the rate of seven or eight miles an hour; did not know the distance between the tram-line and the gutter. Richard Waring deposed that he is a railway and tramway line inspector; he knew deceased who had been recently employed as a guard on one of the tramlines; on Monday, 21st instant witness got into the 11.50 a.m. tram from Hunter-street to Randwick, at Liverpool-street; deceased was the guard of that tram; witness was sitting on the next seat behind which the deceased was collecting tickets on the opposite side of the last car; about 300 yards from College-street, and whilst the tram was going along Oxford-street, a bus ran against deceased, and knocked him down on the step of the car on which he was standing; witness heard him call out "Oh'" and immediately the car cleared the 'bus, deceased fell between the wheels of the bus on to the ground on his back; he then turned over on his hands and knees, got up and walked across the street on to the foot- path, and sat down on the kerb; deceased was, at the time standing with his back towards the 'bus; witness did not notice that the driver of the bus had any cause to pull his horses towards the car; witness did not know what caused deceased to be struck. Miss Elizabeth Frances Pearce, Rev. Thomas Wilson, who were passengers in the tram, and John Sanderson who was a passenger in the 'bus, and others, also gave evidence, but there was no material difference in their statements from those of the witnesses already given, except that the cause of the 'bus going forward was ascribed by some of them to a cab, which crossed in front of the horses in the 'bus. James Keys deposed that he is an omnibus driver in the employ of Mr. Harrison; on Monday last he was driving omnibus No 10 coming down Oxford-street, towards Sydney, about 12 o'clock when witness got as far is Pelican-street there were two loads of potatoes opposite Tierney 's; another cart drove up alongside of witness, and a cab drove across the street in front of the leader, just after witness had pulled up; witness pulled up to let a tram pass, between Tierney's and Pelican-street;
the tram was about 14 or 15 yards from witness when he pulled up; witness went as near to the gutter as he could get; the motor passed him, and the the cab coming in front of him just then caused the leader to swerve out towards the tram, and the step of the car struck the bus; witness held on to the horses and put the brake hard on; when the leader swerved the other two went forward also and took the 'bus in collision with the cars; he could not say whether the coach struck the guard, he did not see him fall; saw him afterwards get up and walk across the street; the cars went grating along the side of the 'bus; the cab was on its wrong side; it crossed in front of the motor and jammed in front of witness' leader, causing it to start forward; through that the collision took place; the horses were quiet and steady; the whistle of the motor blew about the time witness pulled up; he did not put his horses in motion. John E. J. Moffit, one of the resident medical officers of the Sydney Infirmary deposed to having received deceased into the Infirmary on Monday last, at noon; there was a lacerated wound on the upper and right side of thigh, about two inches in depth and two inches in extent; some of the muscles were torn; witness admitted him, but did not see him again until about five hours before death; deceased bad been under the care of another medical man; he was then dying; witness believed the cause of death was gangrene and exhaustion, consequent on the injuries de- scribed. The jury returned a verdict of death from injuries accidentally received.
The Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday 1 March 1881
Native of Wilberforce, N.S.W.
A third inquest was held at the City Coroner's office, on the body of Robert Kirkpatrick. The inquest was initiated on Saturday, and then adjourned till 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Mr Clayton appeared to watch the case for Mr Harrison, the owner of the 'bus, and Mr Fisher (of Macarthy, Robertson, and Fisher), for the friends of deceased. Jessie Kirkpatrick deposed that she resides at Redfern; the dead body viewed by the Coroner and jury was that of her husband, Robert Kirkpatrick; he was a native of the colony, and 40 year of age; he was a conductor of the Government tramways; he had left seven children; in consequence of something she heard, witness went to the Infirmary on Monday afternoon last, and there saw her husband; he told witness that while he was collecting tickets on the tram in Oxford street, he heard a shout, and on turning round to see what caused the shout, the pole of a bus struck him; he was quite sensible when he made that statement. William Johnson deposed that he is a conductor on one of the trams running between Hunter street and Randwick, deceased was also a conductor on the same tram; on Monday at 11 00 a.m. the tram cars on which deceased and witness were engaged left Hunter-street for Randwick;
deceased had the collection of the fares of one car and witness of the other; besides that deceased had to give the order to start the engine; whilst they were proceeding along Oxford-street, and witness was in the act of collecting the tickets, he heard a scream, which appeared to proceed from the passengers in the back car; the two cars were full of passengers; on hearing the scream, witness ran from the passage of the front car to the off side of the back car, and saw deceased lying on his back on the road;
witness ran and caused the engine-driver to stop the engine, and on returning to Kirkpatrick found him on the kerb; his trousers were torn, and blood was issuing from his right thigh, which he was holding with both hands; witness asked him where he was hurt, but he gave no answer, nor did he say how he received the injuries; a cab was then obtained, and deceased was placed in it and taken to the Infirmary; after the scream witness saw a bus, just at the end of the tram, going down the street; did not speak to the driver of the bus, had not the presence of mind to do so; the bus was on the right side; the tram was going at the rate of seven or eight miles an hour; did not know the distance between the tram-line and the gutter. Richard Waring deposed that he is a railway and tramway line inspector; he knew deceased who had been recently employed as a guard on one of the tramlines; on Monday, 21st instant witness got into the 11.50 a.m. tram from Hunter-street to Randwick, at Liverpool-street; deceased was the guard of that tram; witness was sitting on the next seat behind which the deceased was collecting tickets on the opposite side of the last car; about 300 yards from College-street, and whilst the tram was going along Oxford-street, a bus ran against deceased, and knocked him down on the step of the car on which he was standing; witness heard him call out "Oh'" and immediately the car cleared the 'bus, deceased fell between the wheels of the bus on to the ground on his back; he then turned over on his hands and knees, got up and walked across the street on to the foot- path, and sat down on the kerb; deceased was, at the time standing with his back towards the 'bus; witness did not notice that the driver of the bus had any cause to pull his horses towards the car; witness did not know what caused deceased to be struck. Miss Elizabeth Frances Pearce, Rev. Thomas Wilson, who were passengers in the tram, and John Sanderson who was a passenger in the 'bus, and others, also gave evidence, but there was no material difference in their statements from those of the witnesses already given, except that the cause of the 'bus going forward was ascribed by some of them to a cab, which crossed in front of the horses in the 'bus. James Keys deposed that he is an omnibus driver in the employ of Mr. Harrison; on Monday last he was driving omnibus No 10 coming down Oxford-street, towards Sydney, about 12 o'clock when witness got as far is Pelican-street there were two loads of potatoes opposite Tierney 's; another cart drove up alongside of witness, and a cab drove across the street in front of the leader, just after witness had pulled up; witness pulled up to let a tram pass, between Tierney's and Pelican-street;
the tram was about 14 or 15 yards from witness when he pulled up; witness went as near to the gutter as he could get; the motor passed him, and the the cab coming in front of him just then caused the leader to swerve out towards the tram, and the step of the car struck the bus; witness held on to the horses and put the brake hard on; when the leader swerved the other two went forward also and took the 'bus in collision with the cars; he could not say whether the coach struck the guard, he did not see him fall; saw him afterwards get up and walk across the street; the cars went grating along the side of the 'bus; the cab was on its wrong side; it crossed in front of the motor and jammed in front of witness' leader, causing it to start forward; through that the collision took place; the horses were quiet and steady; the whistle of the motor blew about the time witness pulled up; he did not put his horses in motion. John E. J. Moffit, one of the resident medical officers of the Sydney Infirmary deposed to having received deceased into the Infirmary on Monday last, at noon; there was a lacerated wound on the upper and right side of thigh, about two inches in depth and two inches in extent; some of the muscles were torn; witness admitted him, but did not see him again until about five hours before death; deceased bad been under the care of another medical man; he was then dying; witness believed the cause of death was gangrene and exhaustion, consequent on the injuries de- scribed. The jury returned a verdict of death from injuries accidentally received.
The Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday 1 March 1881
A third inquest was held at the City Coroner's office, on the body of Robert Kirkpatrick. The inquest was initiated on Saturday, and then adjourned till 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Mr Clayton appeared to watch the case for Mr Harrison, the owner of the 'bus, and Mr Fisher (of Macarthy, Robertson, and Fisher), for the friends of deceased. Jessie Kirkpatrick deposed that she resides at Redfern; the dead body viewed by the Coroner and jury was that of her husband, Robert Kirkpatrick; he was a native of the colony, and 40 year of age; he was a conductor of the Government tramways; he had left seven children; in consequence of something she heard, witness went to the Infirmary on Monday afternoon last, and there saw her husband; he told witness that while he was collecting tickets on the tram in Oxford street, he heard a shout, and on turning round to see what caused the shout, the pole of a bus struck him; he was quite sensible when he made that statement. William Johnson deposed that he is a conductor on one of the trams running between Hunter street and Randwick, deceased was also a conductor on the same tram; on Monday at 11 00 a.m. the tram cars on which deceased and witness were engaged left Hunter-street for Randwick;
deceased had the collection of the fares of one car and witness of the other; besides that deceased had to give the order to start the engine; whilst they were proceeding along Oxford-street, and witness was in the act of collecting the tickets, he heard a scream, which appeared to proceed from the passengers in the back car; the two cars were full of passengers; on hearing the scream, witness ran from the passage of the front car to the off side of the back car, and saw deceased lying on his back on the road;
witness ran and caused the engine-driver to stop the engine, and on returning to Kirkpatrick found him on the kerb; his trousers were torn, and blood was issuing from his right thigh, which he was holding with both hands; witness asked him where he was hurt, but he gave no answer, nor did he say how he received the injuries; a cab was then obtained, and deceased was placed in it and taken to the Infirmary; after the scream witness saw a bus, just at the end of the tram, going down the street; did not speak to the driver of the bus, had not the presence of mind to do so; the bus was on the right side; the tram was going at the rate of seven or eight miles an hour; did not know the distance between the tram-line and the gutter. Richard Waring deposed that he is a railway and tramway line inspector; he knew deceased who had been recently employed as a guard on one of the tramlines; on Monday, 21st instant witness got into the 11.50 a.m. tram from Hunter-street to Randwick, at Liverpool-street; deceased was the guard of that tram; witness was sitting on the next seat behind which the deceased was collecting tickets on the opposite side of the last car; about 300 yards from College-street, and whilst the tram was going along Oxford-street, a bus ran against deceased, and knocked him down on the step of the car on which he was standing; witness heard him call out "Oh'" and immediately the car cleared the 'bus, deceased fell between the wheels of the bus on to the ground on his back; he then turned over on his hands and knees, got up and walked across the street on to the foot- path, and sat down on the kerb; deceased was, at the time standing with his back towards the 'bus; witness did not notice that the driver of the bus had any cause to pull his horses towards the car; witness did not know what caused deceased to be struck. Miss Elizabeth Frances Pearce, Rev. Thomas Wilson, who were passengers in the tram, and John Sanderson who was a passenger in the 'bus, and others, also gave evidence, but there was no material difference in their statements from those of the witnesses already given, except that the cause of the 'bus going forward was ascribed by some of them to a cab, which crossed in front of the horses in the 'bus. James Keys deposed that he is an omnibus driver in the employ of Mr. Harrison; on Monday last he was driving omnibus No 10 coming down Oxford-street, towards Sydney, about 12 o'clock when witness got as far is Pelican-street there were two loads of potatoes opposite Tierney 's; another cart drove up alongside of witness, and a cab drove across the street in front of the leader, just after witness had pulled up; witness pulled up to let a tram pass, between Tierney's and Pelican-street;
the tram was about 14 or 15 yards from witness when he pulled up; witness went as near to the gutter as he could get; the motor passed him, and the the cab coming in front of him just then caused the leader to swerve out towards the tram, and the step of the car struck the bus; witness held on to the horses and put the brake hard on; when the leader swerved the other two went forward also and took the 'bus in collision with the cars; he could not say whether the coach struck the guard, he did not see him fall; saw him afterwards get up and walk across the street; the cars went grating along the side of the 'bus; the cab was on its wrong side; it crossed in front of the motor and jammed in front of witness' leader, causing it to start forward; through that the collision took place; the horses were quiet and steady; the whistle of the motor blew about the time witness pulled up; he did not put his horses in motion. John E. J. Moffit, one of the resident medical officers of the Sydney Infirmary deposed to having received deceased into the Infirmary on Monday last, at noon; there was a lacerated wound on the upper and right side of thigh, about two inches in depth and two inches in extent; some of the muscles were torn; witness admitted him, but did not see him again until about five hours before death; deceased bad been under the care of another medical man; he was then dying; witness believed the cause of death was gangrene and exhaustion, consequent on the injuries de- scribed. The jury returned a verdict of death from injuries accidentally received.
The Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday 1 March 1881
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