The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-12-21 00:00:00

SHOCKING ACCIDENT TO A CHILD.

On Frilay, shortly before one o'clock, • dreadful
accident happened to a little boy, six years of age,
named Richard Bailey, whose parents live in •
cottage at the lower and of Bell-street. The King's
Arms omnibus, driven by Thomas Turnbull, was
proceeding towird. Imo cottage, had gone through
Str•lsne, end just entered Bell.street, when the boy
came from his father's house to other children on the
pavement, and either rapped to the road as hie
mother fancied, or wee pushed off the causeway as
the driver sap, just IA the 'bus was passing in front
of the house, which is the next up the street to the
corner shop. One or both wheels pared over the
poor child's head, dreadfully fracturing the skull,
and he died on the spot. The mother saw the
shocking occurrenoe, and was overwhelmed with
distress. The child was • fine boy, and the only one
living of • large family, Sorely troubled was the
driver by the sooident. He pulled up the horses as
quickly as possible, so that they were brought to
a standstill opposite Mr. Mutford's door, end he helped
to pick up the poor bey. An inquest was held
in the afternoon before 11. Lock, Fri., when the
above facts were spoken to by the mother and the
! driver.
.She waR in great anguish as will well be
imagined, and the (river was very sorry, but it
most have been consolatory to him to beer her say he
pulled up as quick as he could, she had no reason to
find fault with him, and she did not think he could
have stopped the 'bin in time to prevent the
accident—Mr. Legg, • neighbour, said be could
prove be was driving too fast.—The Coroner told
him If that was the dose he ought not to have been
On the jury but should have given evidence—Mr.
Legg : Then I should have had to go against what
the woman said.—The Coroner What's that to do
with it? It's your duty to state what you know
lathe intervals of society. —lt then turned out that
he was standing at his back door at the time, and
only saw the head of the man and the top of the
'buses they pared, and, therefore, as • juryman
remarked, was not in • position to judge of the rate
the 'bus was going. Then Mr. Legg thought the
driver ought to have brought his horses to • standstill
sooner if he was not driving too fast, but Turnbull said
he did pull up in about the length of the 'bin, and he
thought a pair of hones with more than a ton weight
behind them could not be stopped sooner. Then Mr.
Legg asked why he bollard to the children. The
driver said he did not hellos to them, but he shouted
when he saw the child falL Why did you shoat?
was asked. "Why," he replied, "it was enough
to make anybody about to see that, because he knew
there must be an accident." The Coroner and all
the other jurymen seemed quite rtisfied the driver
was innocent of all blame, and no more questions
were asked him.—Dr. Smith said he went with Dr.
Aldridge to see the child. It was quite dead. There
was • large wound at the beak part of the skull, and
• fracture extending along the side towards the
base. The lower jaw was also broken. There were
some bruises about the nose, and the upper part of
the face. The wheel must have pared over the
head to have caused such a fracture It would not
have been done by one of the horses striking the
ohild.—Without the least hesitation, the jury
returned • verdict of accidental death, and said there
was not the slightest blame to be attached to the
driver. Turnbull has children of his own, and is
very fond of children, and he was in great distress
at the accident.