The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-07-22 00:00:00

THE INQUEST ON THE BODIES.

An inquest was held at Mr. William Rhodes. the Rail.
way Inn, Lye, on Monday afternoon, before Mr. Ralph
Docker, Coroner, touching the death of Eliza Wool-
dridge Of), and tieurge Henry Meredith (74, who met
with death on the previous Friday at the Lye Station,
under circumstances the particulars of which appeared
in our twit iwpresdion.
. _

Inspectors Ledbrooke and Lucke were in attendance
on beim!f of the Railway Coutpany.
Mr. tieorge Rhodes was foreman of the jury. The
bodies having been viewed, the first witness called was
Mrs. Mary Ann Wooldridge, wife of John Wooldridge,
who said she lived at The Beefeaters, Lye Waste. Ibe
deceased Wooldridge was her niece, nod Meredith was a
sou of another Mere. She heard of the acciaent en
Friday night, aml went to the house of Wooldridge, and
stayed with her niece until she died. She was brought
to her father's house about six o'clock. She was very
badly injured. The two Mr. Freers were sent for sod
were in immediate attendance. The girl died a little
past eight o'clock the same night. She then went tube.
the boy Meredith. He was severely injured, besides
having both his legs cut ult. He died at three o'clock
the following morning. The children went down to the
station from school, on their own account.

Janice Meese said he lived at Willaston, • 4 was
goods guard in tbe employ of the Ureat Western Hallway
Company. On Friday, the 14th met, he stopped at the
Lye Station about 540 p.m., with his goods train, on
his way from Cradley to Stuurbridge. There was coo.
thee guard with the train. They went to pick up a wag-
on that had been left at the Ly e Station the night pre-
vious, with a broken cross-bar. There were some other
trucks on the same siding, and they had to shunt their
train. He went to uncouple two wagons which were ~ii
the siding. There were 14 or 15 trucks on that siding at
the time. They had to get all these out before they
could get out the two wagons they wanted, lie an.
coupled behind the two trucks, lie walked along the
line of trucks, but did not see any children there. lie
_

only saw a man named Stevens.
Mr. Lebrooke : The train that arrives at the Lye is
not shunted on to the siding. The eug.ne is detached,
and then goesi and fetches the trucks out.
Witness Meese (continuing): He then got back to the
engine, and then gave the driver the signal to go ahead.
He turned round to see if he had got ell the wagons,
alien he saw a child's clothes flying about the wheels
about seventy yards from him. He stopped the train
immediately, and ran to the place to see whalPwas the
wetter, when he found that three children had been run
over. They were all lying inside the four-foot, and the
train had passed over them. Two of them were lying
in the four-foot, and the little girl Wooldridge was lying
across the metals. Two of them were the two deceased.
lie picked up Meredith, and carried him down the yard,
and gave hint to a young man mauled Ilayttutill. Assist-
ance came to remove them, and lie went on with ha
train. It was not more than four or live minutes after
he went along the train that it occurred. The siding is
about 80 yards from the station. There is a wicket by
the wooden bridge for the accommodation of passengers,
but not for the public. It was not raining at the time
of the accident, but it had been raining about two
minutes before he started the train. The engine did not
move above three wagons length before it stopped
again.
John Stevens said he lived at Dudley-road, Lye, and
WWI in the employ of the tireat Western Railway Com-
pany, at the Lye Station. He was sheettuir the wagon
tont was to be taken on by tbe goods' train that came in
about a quarter to all. It was the last wagon they wee,.
going to take out. He saw last witness go along the
train, and couple the trucks up, and then start the en.
gine. He saw some children about the place between
three and four o'clock, but di I not are any children there
at a quarter to six. The children he saw came down in
a cart, which came into the yard. They were not in the
cart. it came from the main road. They were walking
I,ehind it. He could not tell who the children were,
they were lose SO yards away from him, and they bad
no business there. If they had been close to him, he
should have ordered them away. He had sent children
away several times before. When the train was set in
motion he was on the opposite side of the line, and was
about ten yards from the scene of the accident. Ho
heard screams, and jumped out of the wagon he was hi.
He did not see the children until after the wagon had
passed them. They were lying in the four-to:A. The
little girl was lying partly in the six-foot and partly in
the four-foot. They lay on the same aide of the train
as the guard had passed. They were all badly injured.
Assistance was got, and they were taken home. They
Had no right to be there at all. 'They were 80 yards
iroui the crossing, and 200 yards from the turnpike
road. _

Mr. H. L. Freer, surgeon, deposed that he was sent for
to Wooldridge's house between six and seven o'clock on
Friday night, where he saw the little girl with her right
thigh lacerated and crushed. She had also received
very severe internal inpiries, and looked deathly. He
told her parents that her life was hopeless, and that she
might linger an hour.. He advised them to give her milk
and brandy. She died shortly afterwards. Upon going
to see the little boy Meredith, he found both his legs—
nearly up to the knee—were lascerated and crushed
almost to a "pulp." He thought by amputating the legs
there might be a chance of his recovery, and after the
operation he seemed to rally a little, but he third early
the next morning. Death, he considered, was caused
from the shock and exhaustion.

Mr. Ledbrooke said the company had taken every pm.
caution to stop people from getting on the line. They
could not stuntnrns children so young as deceased, but
those of to to 18 they did summon.

_
Cerouer, in su.nming up, said that it appeared mi
yr ii are to blame for the occurrence, and that the
e mid run hail no right to have been on the line. They
evidently tried to get from under the wagon when they
found it in motion, but were not quick enough, and were
eon.equently knocked dim v- I iajured as described by
the evidence. Ho thought an example should be
made of those who trespa.a.,l pia the line by summon-
ing those who were fOOO,I. Ali hough they might be
young, it would be the parents woo would be made to
suffer, and not the children, when it would, perhaps,
make the parents more mations. It would be far better