The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-10-25 00:00:00

THE DESTLI OF MIL PRIDE.

An inquest was held on Friday morning leak at Host
Sherry's, the Cooper's Arms, Maiden -strafe, before G.
Symonds, RN on the body of Mr. W. Pride, who was
killed on Wed;esdey afternoon, on the Harbour tram-
way. District Superintendent Hunipbriem and Inspector
Morrison, watched the case for the Greet Western
Railway Company, Mr. Mears, of Dorchester, for the
London and South-Western Company ; Ur. Targett,
stationmaster, Porliand,for the Portland Railway Com-
pany, and Mr. R. N. Howard, forth. relatives of the
eissed.
The jury was a highly respectable one, and Mr. Sol.
Sly was foreman.
James Outer, mason, said he was on the Quay Oa
Wednesday night ithont 7 o'clock near the steps leading
from the Bridge Inn and saw deceased coming along by
the will on the opposite side of the rails He was on
the harbour side of the Bridge on the quay_ will,
Under the Harbour there lien archway. Willman
begged deesseed to come back; but he made no answer;
he told deceased the trouble was Doming. Draeased
looked back ; but made no answer. He stoppel near
Mr. Fisher's stores, and stood close in against the wall,
ash. thought,but ho was in feet under the set-off. If he
had stood on the set-off hi would have cleared himself.
The rails are about two feet from the walL When the
truth passed, it struck him down. The trucks were
drawn by three or four horses at a trot, and they went
by, and when be was struck he fell down between the
metals and the wall, with is hap Do the metals. The
place is not lighted; but then is • lamp on the top
of the Bridge. Witoess wasabeet three or tour rads 0..,
and nearlyloppoisite deceased, sad when be went toward;
him the trucks had passed. Mr. Pride railed out when
the last carriage streak Ws lees Withal. did 00i
believe the first truck struck him. He went to
deceased and said "Mr. Pride, isn'tr and demised
replied t" Yea, my eon." Witness remained with
deceased till some others got a strrather, and deceased
was removed to the Infirmary. Deceased was walking
In the direction of his own home, and would have gone
through the Archway under the Bridge. There was
about 30 yards distance between Mr. Pride and the
troths when th• driver ralled "Look out!" but from
where Mr. Pride WU 'tending, be 'mild as. all down
th Quay. There was no room to stand between the
well liable (under the Bridge) and the troths. Mr.
Pride was first shove the Bridge close by the entrance.
Did not see any lights upon the truths.
By a juror: The wind vas blowing rather bard at
the lime against the truck, an/ witness did eel think
Mr. Pride heard. Still he stopped alter tbe driver
tolled;
G•Orre Hicks, driver of the tracks, was cautioned by
the coroner that he was not obliged to give evidenee
unless he choose, as there might be a question as so
whether be had any responsibility for the death.
Witness elected to giro eyidanse, and said he was in
the employ of Mr. C. Jolliffe, carrier. On Wednesday
'easing he was employed to drive these trucks with
three horses. The trucks were loaded, and went from
the Custom House to the railway station. He went
tare stinted, and this was the last time, just before
seven. There were two loaded trucks on the last trip,
and when he was approaching the archway under the
Bridge he called "Look up I" that any 000 under the
archway might get out of the way. When it was dark
be tumid not see if any one was there, He had been
employed at thework about a twelvemonth. On this (e-
-rasion he was walking the near aide of the middle horse.
They were obliged to trot the boreal when passing
here, as there was an incline under the Bridge, and it
they did not, the trucks would be on the borer.
The Coroner said this was ezeradingly dangerous.
Supposing he happened to catch his toes (and a man
emu not be certain of keeping his feet) he would
rartainly be killed. He (the Coroner) would not be
employed as Hicks was for all Weymouth, and he did
not think the tatter's life was worth 24 hears' purchase,
he oestainly would not be insured at ordinary risk
Witness oontinued:—He saw the deceased wiles be
. .

got opposite to him, between the outside metal and the
wall, with his beck to the well. He could mot see any •
thing under the Bridge until h• weeder's to it. and
then he oonld not stop the hones. Had no breaks on
the trucks that night, end though some of them bad
breaks they could not use them, as he was in charge of
the horses, and there would no room or time to go
Leek. When be was passing be teed deepened to go
beck; but he did not move, and when he was payed,
be beard sonic one cell out "Oh r Witness stupped
the track as soon as be could, and came back part of.
. . .

the y, but the horses waif ea ee , and be w obliged
to follow them. He went on to the station, and did
not retain till deceased was in the Infirmary. When
Witaelle sailed out, deceased, if he was an Lai" iC.Upg
men, might ha,. jumped up on the sot-off, and.roleared
himself. There were two or three yards to the step,
and an aged men might have got there in two or three
puree, if be had the prosenoe of mind.
The foremen suggested that the jury should visit the
place before giving their verdict. The Zoos: in quo
was visited, and it appeared that deceased stood at
ra
where there was only just room for his feet. in
f tbe toes must almost have touched the rails. Yet,
by stepping up about five inches on a •quarestonostep
aua
he might have had abundant room and a fooling.
On the opposite side from where deceased stood, there
was so little room, that the merks of the grease boxes
of the trucks were visibly scraped on the wall.
On returning to the Coopers Arms, Hicks continued
that deenesed's toed must have been close to the rail,,
but U he had stepped beak, he would have cleared him.
on the 1.4• Ir•
matr. Yo.tunliZrlAndiadhe was Nat for on Wedoes•
day evenlog about half-pest /to attend at the laarmary,
and went immediately. He found the deceased suffer.
ing from oompound commemited fractures of both legs
below the knee, the injuries being so severe that the
limbs were completely severed from the body. He was
winasiona, but suffering irons collapse, and although be
was ready to answer any question, witness busied him.
self with the surgical operations, and did not question
him, as be considered his life was in danger. Witness
administered stimulants to bring him into • state which
I would justify them in amputating the limbs; but be
did not rally, graduelly sank, and died about ball-past
eve yesterday morning. He might have rallied if be
bad been a younger men. When they discovered his
ease WY hopelees, Dr. Moorhead injected morphia into
his arm to Nonage hie sufferioge, and he believed be
would have died sooner but for that. Deceased's shoes
were not touched.
The Coroner said the OM was *maned to • very
narrow issue. Here was • man who had been employed
for twelvemonths at this work, and who therefore
amid not be unaccustomed to it, and it was for the
Iga=ay whether that men did anything to make him
or culpable. There were • good many cironm.
steam that e* ht to make it or dangerous; bat the
man used the ordinary caution ' Look out I" and they
bad the feet that the deceased stopped. He must have
been just outside the step, as the witness bad pointed
out to them, or lasi& on the sloping brickwork, even
If the latter, a man of his age would, In all probability,
have lad his footing on the train coming, and have
slipped forward. The question for them was—Had the
driver negligenUy done or omitted to do anything
whereby the deceased's death wee caused. That the
plain was very dangerous there was no doubt, but the
yuestiou was—Wes there any criminal responsibility on
tlie driver, or did deceased's death arise from an acce•
dent over which no one had any morel oontroL
The Jury briefly oonealted, after which the Foreman said it was their nrithimoua opinion that it was • case
of accident, and they laid no blame on the driver. At
the same time they must express • vast deal of regret
and a good deal of indisnation at the way in which that
viaduct was oonstruMQ sal left unguarded. This was
not the Ind, second, 'third, fourth or fifth serious
accident that had occurred there. They found that •
man named Ford lost his life there, that F.H. McMahon
went overboard at the than spot, that James Tonthias
was thrown in • dangerous position, James thimways,
a man named Frampton, and another bad all been in
danger hero These things must tell forth from the
Coiocier as well as themselves, • feeling of iadignation.
There were no lights upon the carriages or the viaduct,
and thus a mantrap was meintained in • public
tboroagliters.
Mr. Symonds said if this was • public tborouabfare,
It is • question who is responsible for the lighting.
Mr. Sly continued that he thought of children, old
(bmen and women, drunken, lame men, and deaf men
ear, hear)--and be considered it was quite time that
tth authorities should have • somentuncation made to
them in the strongest terms from the jury that an
alteration should be made in this frightful plane
Mr. Symonds said he quits agreed with the foreman.
but the question that overrides this—" Is it • pubth
weir
Mr. Sly: It is • public way.
The Coroner If not, the decimated was • trespasser.
There was a time when this viaduet was not in existence
did the constellation of it by the railway company give
• right of way to the piddle Or had the railway
ethapany power raider the Act to prohibit persons from
trespeacing upon that railway. There was some one in
sharp e public footways of the borough, and if
we.• public way, It 'em the duty a the perm, dhow M those public ways to take were of ill
pebSs. It must have thee in cioatemplation when this
place was made that there was • certain amount of
danger or why were the large eights
on either side of steps constructed
I
Mr. Mafter ajor said the railwa
to look y ought to post • man there
it.
Mr. Sly said they wanted their families protested, and
be seed the Coroner who were the proper authorities?
The °stoner said let them eatili that it was a
public way, and be would tell them whose duty it was.
They knew who were the flierveyers of the highways of
W•Ptoutb- If theft were a dangerous South SOMA
a road'hi front of soy en boue they would know Sc
whom to complain.
Mr. Mon believed at the laid theident
Inegng
Morrison promised that a light should be placed there.
Inspector Morriaou denied this : he merely premised
to report.
The Coroner suggested that the atteatien of eriadidatee
ere Use Let of November should be Galled to the
and that they should promise to do something in the
matter
Mr. Sly: We have got rid of that haeiscast7.
Anotherluror :It was that whieh this plaise.
The Coroner: Very well, lot them mend it.
A verdict of " Amildeakal Death" wee vetunaed, with
• strong rapreseletatlaat to the aathoritiee of the wawa*
danger of the pleas

PORTLAND.
STMOT linmoemtuiro.—We notion with pleasure
that Kr. White, spirit nterehant, he.. ham set the
ez Lis* of as improved style la hoses arehii..t...._._teeture is
Fortune's Weil. The boat of his storm is
adorned with Anely-dreesed Porthaid frsoste, a
reniarhably ohm grain, while the feelers: is laid with
wioured paving tiles from the Poole Arthilmtaral
Nu." works. The place inside is pared with beautiful
Kissed tiles from the same pottery. If this example be
rawest the r. of Fortune's Well will he
grimly Immo, sad Portland will show how moth
beam, can he •sow te men ordMary bosses by the
judicious me al ups nileabili siaiiik.
Ron& PostumuL__' Nine Taimi&—la ceder to
maw la proei ....romaiiiii kr thii Waists diming
their thlW -theitOtteren via* imitate hi pishos oh