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| Pendergast, William John |
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| Additional Notes: | "Lastly comes the death, by accident, of the poor young man, Pendergast, a native of our town [Windsor] who was killed at Ashfield, aged 37 years. he was conveyed to the Roman Catholic Church and buried by Mr. Primrose, in the Roman Catholic Cemetery on Tuesday evening." "The City Coroner held a third inquiry in the afternoon. in tho Board Room of the Sydney Infirmary, respecting the death of a man named William Pendergast, a clerk, who, on Friday evening, while attempting to cross the line at Croydon Station, was knocked down by a through train, and received such fearful injuries-one of his arms being torn off, and his legs and feet mutilated that he died a short time after admission to the Infirmary, whither he had been conveyed from Croydon. Mrs. Pendergast, of Buckland-street, Waterloo, identified the body as that of her late husband, William John Pen- dergast, who was 37 years of age. He was, said witness, in the railway department as a clerk, doing duty at the head of Darling Harbour ; he went to Ashfield on Friday evening to see a friend. Samuel Greene, of Waterloo, said that he left Sydney with the deceased for Petersham, but they afterwards found that their train -6.30 p.m.-did not stop before reaching Croydon ; on its arrival there they got out, and the deceased went to the porter and told him of the mistake which had been, made, when the deceased and witness were advised to go to the other platform and stop there till the next up-train arrived ; they jumped off the platform on to the lino with the view of crossing to the other platform; the witness rushed across to the other side, but the deceased was caught by the engine of the up train ; witness afterwards saw that he had received severe injuries, and he was con- veyed by the next train to Sydney, and thence to the Infir- mary. The train which knocked him down was a through train, and did not stop at Croydon ; there were head lights on the engine, and also lights at the station. William Wells, guard, said he was in charge of the up train from Home- bush, and they were travelling at the rate of 15 or 16 miles per hour; the driver sounded the whistle at the usual distance from Croydon station, but he gave a signal to stop when the train had reached the end of the platform. Witness afterwards saw tho deceased lying; between the gate and the down-lino. Peter Ferguson, the engino-driver, said he sounded the whistle when nearing Croydon station, and it was sounded all the time the station was being passed. Tho engine surged near the crossing, and witness, supposing something bad been passed over, signalled the guard to put the break on. William Kieran, who had charge of the Croydon station, corroborated part of tho previous evidenoe, and said that he saw a lot of people at the proper crossing going to the opposite platform; when witness called out to some to them they stopped, but the deceased and another man ran across the line. Witness afterwards saw a dark object lying on the line, which he found to be deceased, who had received severe injuries; be did not previously appear to be under the influence of drink. Dr. Mars- den, house surgeon of the Sydney Infirmary, said the deceased was brought to the infirmary at 8 o'clock on Friday evening. Witness, on examining him, found that the right arm was torn off, and there were fractures of the left forearm and elbow joint ; there were various other wounds on different parts of the body. The patient gradually sank, and expired at half-past 9 o'clock the same evening from shock to the system. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased died from injuries acci- dentally received." "On the 17th May, William Pendergast, a clerk. while attempting to cross the railway line at Croydon station, was injured so seriously by a passing train that he died the same day. " Source(s):
Above information contributed by Michelle Nichols - February 2011 |
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