MOTOR-CYCLE FATALITY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2382, 24 December 1908, Page 5

MOTOR-CYCLE FATALITY.

A CYCLE AGENT KILLED

INSTAN TAXED US D EATH. [Piiess Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, Dec 23. A sail accident happened at Lancaster Park to-day, by which Mr. Jones, of the firm of Jones Bros., Ltd., cycle and motor agents, lost his life. There had been a good deaf of advertising Hi regard to challenges and to the speeel and reliability of several motor .cars and cycles for public favor, and in one of Jones’ advertisements it was said: “Now that the track-being unsafe to an expert motor driver has been dispelled, we nave still holies of seeing Mr. Crown and his mot-or on the mark on Christmas afternoon.' To-day Mr. Jones met his de-ath on the track by accident. Mr C. E. Jones, who is well known in cycling circles at Christchurch, had been practising on the track with a motor cycle, with a view of the coining contest on Christmas .Day. He had gone round several times with other cyclists, and was sowing down to enable the others to come up. Suddenly the tyre came off Jones’ front wheel, and he lost all control of the machine, which bounded forward, and ran up the track -an-d crashed into a paling fence which guards the track on the cutward side. Jones was thrown forward over the machine. His head struck one of the sharp palings, and death was almost instantaneous. The accident was not' due to tne condition of the track, but to unforeseen circumstances. Jones was 30 years of age. He leaves a widow and children.

THE INQUEST

ACCIDENTAL DEATH*

CHRISTCHURCH, Doc. 23

At the inquest Stephen Henry Webb, caretaker of Lancaster Park, said he saw Jones- riding a motor cycle on the track about 11 a.m. •Tones had not gone round more- than three times before lie ran into the fence. He was thrown into the air and fell on the asphalt- track. Jones was travelling not faster than fifteeu jniles an hour at the time of the occurrence. Witness thought the front tyro burst, and Jones put liis left hand down to turn one of the taps, this apparently causing him to lose control of the cycle, and it ran into the fence.

Joseph Mo-Uoy, a youth of fourteen, stated that he witnessed the accident, and lie gave it as his opinion that Jones was travelling at the rate of 36 miles ail hour. ‘ Constable Andrew described the nature of tlie injuries sustained oy the' deceased, and said that death must have resulted instantaneously.

The brother and partner of the deceased, in answer to the coroner, said that deceased had been training for n race which was got up practically for advertising purposes. He did not consider the Lancaster Park track unsafe for motor cycling. His own theory was that 'liis brother must have keen stooping down to adjust the mechanism of the machine in order to get more pace out of it and did not notice in time that he had come to the corner. The tyre might not have hurst until the accident occurred. f

- Station Sergeant Johnson explained that Jones was training for a race. A contest was to have been held on the Cashmere Hills last Saturday, but the police warned those-intend-ing to take part that they would be prosecuted if they did so. Tlie Coroner gave a verdict that .deceased had met his death by accident through being thrown frojn a mptor cycle.