File:Constructing Indooroopilly railway bridge, c1895.jpg

English: The Brisbane Courier

Friday 15 Feb 1895

Accident at Indooroopilly Railway Bridge Magisterial Inquiry

A magesterial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of John Tobie, who was killed at the Indooroopilly Railway Bridge work on the 5th instant, was held at the City Police Court yesterday afternoon, before Mr. G. P. M. Murray, P.M.

Senior-constable O'Sullivan conducted the inquiry.

Wiliiam Noon, riveter, employed at the bridge, said that on Tuesday, the 5th instant, about 4 o'clock, he was working on the upper staging of the bridge. The deceased and a man named Muir were working on the lower staging. A plank on the upper staging fell end first on to the plank the deceased and Muir were standing on, breaking it. The falling plank then canted over, and hit the deceased on the head. The deceased fell over on his back on two other planks, which formed part of the staging on which the men were standing, and, after lying in that position for a couple of seconds, he rolled over and fell into the river below. The plank which fell was about 16ft. long by 15in. wide by 21/2in. thick. The deceased did not rise to the surface, and several of the men commenced diving for him. A diver went down and brought to the surface. The deceased was about half-an-hour in the water. He had a large wound in the head. Witness did not know what caused the plank to fail. He had been working on the plank before it fell. The planks were bolted at one end, but there were no nuts on the bolts.

[...] Alice Tobie, widow of the deceased, said that her husband went to his work in his usual health on Tuesday, 5th instant. He was 30 years of age, and was born in Victoria. He had only been five months in Queensland. They had been married for two years and five months, and had no children living.

Mounted-constable M'Conachie gave evident to having seen the dead body examined by the doctor, and produced his certificate showing that death was due to drowning.