The inquest on the late Sergt. William James Heritage, who met his death after a motor cycle accident on November 4, was con-eluded on November 18, by Mr. C. Haines, H. BIN. Coroner. Mr. B. W. 8. "Winter" represented the police and Mr. R. E. S. Gregson watched the case'on behalf of the Shanghai Telephone Sgt, George Thomas Allen, attached to the Reserve Unit Eastern Depot, deposed: went too Baikal Road at about 11.10 p.m, and saw'a trench that had been dug gerers nort of the road and partly ied. I took mo measurements. There was one red lamp visible: the north-east side of the trench. This lamp was only visible on the east side of the road. Looking at it from the west—there was arrier_ in front—you coold anis see it from certain positions. The lamp was placed on the north-east corner of the trench on a heap of stones, about six inches high, above the level of the road. I saw no other lamp at all.
returned to the scene of the accident about 11.40 p.m, I saw that another lamp had been placed (in /my absence) on the south west corner of the trench. I then sent C..P. C. 1222 to find the watchman. He! came_back with the watchman, T asked the watchman at what time hho had put the cther lamp there.
questioned "him in Chinese and through the C. PO. The watchman replied that he had just' put it there. I pointed this out to Sgt. Burton, as I-was not there to take particulars. I was there to bring the motor} cycle back to the Depot. I could see no sign of broken glass."
In reply to Mr. Gregson, cross-examining, he said that a barrier hid the single lamp from certain positions. It was very dim at nine yards distance, from where he sw it, He arrived about 10 minutes after the accident.
'A P. W. D. watchman, No 174, said that at 9 p.m. on that night, he saw two red lights in the vicinity of the trench, one at the east end and one at the west end. He then went atour his business. At 11 pam. -the north-east was still burning, but that at the north-west end was not there. He saw the motor cycle after the accident.
He left for his office at Thorburn and Baikal Road: get additional lamps. On his return he placed one at the south: west corner of the trench and ai other on the damaged vehicle, 11 instreeted the telephone watchman to remove the broken lamp and told sub-watchman to remove the W. D. lamps at daybreak, Replying to Mr. Winter, be said after the accident he saw the tele~ phone watchman at the corner of Thorburn and Baikal Roads, trying! to sleep. This was at 1115 pan. The distance, according to witness, was about as far as from the Cour? forthe Bund (perhaps 176 °yards). The telephone watchman had not heard of the accident.
"This concluded the evidence and) the Registrar asked whether the Municipal Regulations provided fur watching obstructions. Mr. Winter replied that he had investigated and had -ascerteined that there were certain provisions in the per mit issued by the PW. D. Gregson said that it was hig under, standing that jvork must ie pro tected day asd. night under the provisions of the permit.
Tu summing up, the Registrar pointed out that Set. Heritage met fis death by accident but that the greater part of the inquiry was directed to ascertain if any one was responsible. The watchman. said hat he sav the accident, but. some of his facts must have boon: wrong, fs it was later shown that he was not there, but was trying to seen fat the corner of Thorburn and Baikal Roads. It seemed to him (the Registrar) that the trench] was badly filled and that Sgt. Heritage had gone into a rat.
'The lighting of the streets was a matter which might de consider fed by the Council and there cer tainly was an' onus on the Company to sce that the warning notices were efficient. The elephone -watchman said that he saw three lights, the P. W. D. watchman saw two lights, whereas Set, Burton saw only one, the glass of, which was smoky and it appeared as though the wick might have been Saul trimmed, and the asternes: Dand if pam. There. were two imp might have gone out between,
options—another machine _might have knocked it over without having had an accident, or Sgt. Heritage might have knocked find that' Set. Heritage came to his death as a result of injuries received during accident on Baikal Road November 4, 1930."
In a verbal rider, the Registrar! said that he considered there wus a certain amount of negligence on the part of the Company in that, the trench was not properly filled] and that the lamps were not: properly efficient." He could not 2¢e why lamps war traffic were] placed on soil behing a barrier.
As the Court rose, Mr. Winter expressed the regret of the Commissioner of Police over the loss of an efficient police officer.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.