Mexborough and Swinton Times October 26, 1912
Little Boy Killed At Wath.
Inquest Stories.
Driver Exonerated From Blame
Contradictory Evidence
Warning Notices Needed.
A shocking motor fatality occurred at Wath on Friday last, when Norman Crooke, a bright, intelligent lad of seven years, met an untimely end a few yards from his home in Orchard Place, by being run over by a motor belonging to and driven by Mr. Harry Asher, of Wath. The deceased left home at about twenty minutes past one to go to school, and about ten minutes later was brought home, and breathed his last as he lay on the couch.
Inquest Proceedings.
The inquest on the deceased was held at the Wath Police Station on Monday, conducted by Mr. Kenyon Parker, coroner, when evidence of a contradictory character was given.
Mr. Arthur Eyre, from the office of Mr. J. W. Fonoughty, solicitor, Sheffield, appeared on behalf of the relatives.
Father’s Story.
Solomon James Crooke, father of the deceased, said he last saw his boy alive at about 1-20 on Friday afternoon, when he left home to go to school. He was then alright. He had good hearing and good eyesight. A few minutes afterwards he was brought home and he breathed his last as he lay on the couch. There was a bruise about the size of a shilling under the left shoulder, and there were marks on his forehead, nose, and lip. Witness did not see him knocked over.
The Coroner: From what you have heard do you think the driver of the motor car was to blame or not:
Witness: I do.
In a Stooping Position
Mary Gee, a married woman, of 45 Barnsley road, Wath, said she saw the child knocked down at the bottom of Orchard Place. He was in a stooping position in the road. Witness could not hear the motor approaching.
The Coroner: Can you tell me what the boy was doing?— No sir.
What put of the car caught caught him? – It caught him on the left side. He had his back to the car.
Wheel Over Him Twice.
Witness added that the front wheal went over the boy’s chest. The driver pulled up and the front wheel then went over him a second time—backwards.
The Coroner: What done for the poor little boy when the wheel ran over him a second time?
Witness: He was lifted out. I went unconscious.
Have you any idea whether the car was going fast?—Slow.
Did you hear the horn at all?—No sir.
From what you saw do you blame the driver of the motor car —I could not say.
A Denial.
P.s. Redman, stationed at Wath said that when he visited the woman on Friday she denied having seen the accident: This statement witness now repudiated.
Another Version.
George Gee, a painter, of 46, Barnsley road, and husband of the last witness, said he also saw the boy run over. The boy was lying on his back on the road and about two seconds later the front wheel went back over bun. The back wheel did not go over him because the car was pulled up.
The Coroner: From what you saw can you say whether the driver of the car was in any way to blame or not?
Witness: I could not say that he was to blame. The front wheel only just went over him.
Crawling Speed.
If the front wheal went over him and the back wheel didn’t the car could not have been going very fast —lt went at crawling speed.
Did you hear the car coming —No sir.
Do you think you could have heard if the horn had been blown —No sir.
Were there many children about?-Yes sir.
Eye-Witness’s Graphic Story.
William Henry Hall, a music ball artiste at present residing at 37 High street, West Melton, said he saw the boy run over. The motor had just passed witness and was travelling very slowly indeed-in fact, he was almost walking as quickly. The boy seemed to have ran down Orchard Place and full himself up to a sudden stop. He put his hand to is mouth as though he was taking a sweetmeat and just at that moment the driver sounded his horn.
Driver Sounded His Horn.
The Coroner: Are you sure?
Witness: Yes sir, certain.
Continuing, the witness said the lad waited till the motor got a little nearer to him and then he seemed to make a sudden spurt across the road. The driver of the car immediately turned the steering wheel to try and get away from the boy, but the latter was too near the car to admit of him doing so. He seemed to fall with his legs underneath the engine part, face upwards. The car came to a standstill with the boy wedged between the left side of the splash board and the rear portion of the left front wheel. Someone in the crowd shouted “Set back.” which he did. A man and a boy then came to get the boy out and the former carried him home.
The Coroner: From what you saw is there any blame attached to the driver or not.
Witness: I should say no sir.
Did you use the boy stooping at all?—No sir.
When he got to the car he put his hands out to save himself.
Did Not Hear The Horn ?
George Beavers (17), a pony driver, of 41, High street, said he was just starting out to work when he saw the accident. The car was going “middling steady.” He never heard the horn sounded at all. Mr. Asher was driving the motor car and the deceased ran in front of it and put his hands out in front of the wheel to shove it off, with the result that he slipped underneath it. Witness picked hint up and then a man came on the scene and took him home. Witness did not notice the deceased stoop. He could not say that the driver was to blame. He did not hear the born sounded.
The Driver’s Evidence.
Harry Asher, motor and cycle dealer, of High street, Wath, said the car was a 10 – 12 Humber. The deceased came running at full speed from the roadway, and witness immediately threw his engine out and applied the brake.
The Coroner: Had you time to try and avoid him in any way?
Witness: I swerved to the right to give him an opportunity of drawing back. The car only ran on four feet alter I applied the brake. I was going so slowly.
Did you feel the wheel go over him?- I felt it go on him.
What speed we going? – From 5 to 6 mph so I could not be going any more than six.
When was your on last sounded before this? – I think 20 yards before. There was an odd child or two about. The road was practically clear.
Kept in the Car
Had you any chance of avoiding dotty locking the boy down? – None whatever. He came at full speed right into the mudguard. In my opinion the wheel rolled on him. I did not get out of the car.
How long have you driven a motor? – I have driven them on and off for about 10 years.
Have you any accidents before this? – None sir.
Your licence is a clear one? Yes, from the beginning to the end, up to this.
Mr Eyre: What breaks are there on the car? – A short break and a handbrake.
You are travelling up Dale? – Yes, on the second speed.
Did he stop on the footpath before he ran? – No sir.
Horn Blown All The Way.
John Godber, landlord of the Red Lion Hotel, Was, said he was riding in the car on the left hand side He saw the boy “bounce” across the road to get across in front of the motor car.
The Coroner: Did the boy stop in the road, —No sir.
Did you see him in a stooping position?— No sir.
Was he or was he not?—No sir.
Is Mr. Asher a friend of yours?—He is a neighbour.
Was he taking you for a friendly drive or had you hired the car—We had hired it.
Was the car going fast, or slow, or moderate?—Very slow. Did you bear she horn sounded?—He was blowing the horn all the way because of the children going to school.
Where were you going?—To Darfield.
Had you chance of avoiding the boy? —No sir.
Do you blame the driver? —No sir.
Mr. Eyre: When was the last time he sounded the? —Within two or three yards before the boy went down.
How far did be swerve? —Very little.
Did you feel the wheel go over the boy? – No, the wheel didn’t 3o over him.
Coroner Sums Up
The coroner received the evidence at length. As always happens in many cases of that kind, he said, there was some contradictory evidence. Not one of the witnesses who had been called had said straight out that in his or her opinion the driver of the motor car was to blame, or could give the jury any reason for blaming the driver.
He (the Coroner) did not suppose that a driver of a motor car who was to blame would receive a great deal of sympathy at their hands or at his hands if either of them saw the child knocked down and run over. But they had to form their own opinions on the sworn evidence that had been put before them.
Mrs. Gee, the first witness, had told them that the boy was in a stooping position in the road with his back to the motor car and so far as that portion of her evidence went it was contradictory to that of the other witnesses. He was afraid that the only conclusion they could come to in regard to that was that Mrs Gee was mistaken, no doubt, through her agitation and her subsequent illness. Of the independent witnesses, he supposed, they would attach most importance to the evidence of Mr. Hall, who gave a very clear account of what happened. There was no evidence that the car was going at an excessive speed and unless it was being driven at a time when there were a lot of children about and the horn not being used properly and constantly, he, personally, did not see how they could find that there was any blame attachable to the driver of the car. If
That was a matter for the jury to settle and not for him to tell them.
“Accidental Death.”
The jury consulted in private and afterwards the Coroner said be understood that the jury were unanimous that Norman Crooke died on the 19th October. 1912, from internal injuries which he sustained the same day. The driver of the car was exonerated from blame.