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Police-Sergeant's Gruesome…

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Police-Sergeant's Gruesome Discovery. BY THE LIGHT OF A BICYCLE LAMP. Police Sergeant J. A. Hughes, Welshpool, was next engaged for rearly half-an-hour in relating what he knew about the tragedy. About 4-35 p.m. yesterday, in consequence of information received (he said), I proceeded up the Berriew- road on a bicycle in company with P.C. Williams, Forden. Close by the turning to the Red Lane, nearly a mile from the town, I saw a crowd of people. I also saw a man and a woman lying dead on the road. The Coroner: In a heap ?—Yes. Close by there were two large pools of blood. Further on there was a trap overturned on the right side of the road. On the left side of the road there was a motor-engine with van attached and another van behind. I had the two bodies conveyed to the mortuary at Welshpool. I examined the roadway and vans. First of all I saw a dark spot on the hind wheel of the last van-which I took to be oil-on the kerb of the wheel and also on the spoke. But after having a bicycle lamp lighted I examined it mora carefully, and I found it was blood and matter-I myself was of opinion it was brain-mixed with hair. I also examined the front wheel of the same van and found similar marks, but not quite so much blood. I examined the other two wheels, and the wheels under the van attached to the engine, and the engine as well. I found nothing on them. The Coroner Now, Sergeant, we want to know about the road ?—Last night I took measure- ments. But it being dark I left it, and this morning about eight o'clock, in company with P.C. Jones. I went ud again and took correct measurements. The roadway possible for convey- ances would be about 15 feet, leaving the grass on the right and the footpath on the left. From the water-table on the right side of the road to the hedge there would be nine feet of grass. I ROADSIDE WASTE: NINE FEET WIDE. I examined the position of the motor-engine last night, and I found the near wheel within six inches of the side of the road. Where the bodies were lying in a pool of blood is about. 15ft wide, but further on the road widens out on the road entering the Red Lane. The van would be about 7ft. wide. The Coroner: In that case there would be 8 A ieet tor the cart to pass j'- L here was six inches between the van and the left side of the road, so that leaves 7ft 6in. The off-wheel of the hind van was as near to the centre of the road as I can say. Did you find on the right side anything at all that would draw attention as regards the em- bankment ?-I did, sir. I measured it-from the water-table to the hedge there were 9 feet of grass of embankment-and in some places about 2t feet high from the road. In this embankment there were two drains cut across to let the water through from the road. I found a track of a trap entering on to the embankment about 80 feet previous to coming on to where the accident happened, and for a considerable time during that length the two wheels of the trap were tracked on to the grass. And '-t was to be seen now! When the trap had travelled a considerable space on the embankment, it came to the first trench, and the cff-wheel left a deep impression on the soil of the embankment. From there on for about two yards there was a track of this off-wheel going on to some sand on the top of the embank- ment. There I lost the trace of the furthest wheel. The nearer wheel I could trace further on, and coming ouc about six inches on to the road. The road had been cut by a dashboard of a trap just by where I saw the bodies lying. HOW WAS THE TRAP OVER-TURNED? I examined the mark with the dashboard to-day, and it tallied. Further on there was a mark, a kind of a cut, in the road just opposite where the pools of blood were. The two pools of blood were about a yard apart, and were running almost to- wards each other. This was about 10 feet from the hind wheel of the van. Where the impression of the off wheel ended there was a hard lump of sand. Mr Woosnam: Your impression was that the wheel struck this hard lump of sand and over- turned the trap, and the dashboard Struck by the mark in the road ?—Yes, sir. Mr Albert Turner You have no positive infor- mation that the tracks on this side of the road were made by the trap that met with this pir- ticular accident ?—No I haven't. Mr Alfred W. Humphrey: Did you measure the track to see did they correspond with the wheels of the vehicle ?—No; I didn't measure that. The Coroner: I don't suppose he could put his finger and say that they were caused by this trap. That is not insinuated. But this is simply a link with other things. The only question is: What would be the probable cause ? Mr J. McKenzie: You noticed the tracks after you found the bodies ?-I didn't examine so care- fully last night as I did this morning. I examined it much further back towards tha town. They were a combination of marks I had found. Mr Woosnam: Have you any doubt that the tracks you saw along this bank were made by the trap whose dashboard struck the road?-That is my belief. Because there are no tracks further on ?—No and more than that, there is a trace on the road of the trap being lugged all along to the very spot where I found it lying on its side last night.

An Eye-Witness Who Warned.

" A Good Samaritan."

What tfee Motorist Saw.

" Oh, Dear " !

Jlontgomeryshire Divorce Suit.

Journalists' Union.

.FARMER'S DAUGHTER AND TWO…

The Inquest.

IA Son's Testimony.

The Widow's Evidence.

Grief-Stricken Father's Story.

The Steerer's Story.

The Coroner's Charge.

i i Verdict: " Purely Accidental."

Stitch in Time.