The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1875-06-08 00:00:00

FONTXEL BLAGNA.

FATAL ACCIDENT.—On Monday evening, shout eight
o'clock, a sad and fatal aceident occurred to Mr. John
Smith, a cattle dealer, of Itsichester, near Fontutell He
was returning home from Stickland in a small trap, drawn
by a fast-trotting horse, and he was seen a abort disttuem
from Farrington:bridge, apparently fast asleep. On
arriving at the bridge, the vehicle struck the herb stone
very violently, and the unfortunate man was thrown over
the bridge, pitching on his temple. The horse, after
naming over the bridles,. also fell near its toaster, and the
trap Walt considerably Injure:l. The accident was seen
by Mr. Tuffin. who happened to be in an orchard chide at
hand, and nuslical ardstance na.At once sent for, but the
unfortunate man never rallied, and died about eleven
o'clock on the following day -On Wednesday evening an
inquest was held before Mr. Conlyne be h, Ida the leely
of the deceased, when the following evidence wits given: .
Jeremiah 'Flan, miller, residing at Farrington, iti the
parish of I wente Courtney. said he was acquainted with
the deceased. On Monday evening, the 31st tilt., between
eight and nine o'clock, he saw Mr. Smith driving past his
house. At a spot 131 yards distance. the trap turned 0. er.
He at once ran to the spot, and in the road, a few paces
' past the bridge, he Ma•W defendant lying with his head
partly on the road. The gig in which he had been riding
w. some yards past him, resting on incl wheel, and the
horse lying on the near shaft. 'The deceased was insensible,
lying on his the left aide, awl islost %VOA .1714 g fr 4,14
right ear. Witness, his son, awl another moon liberated
the horse, which was very much injured, awl had ,qjj,
been shot He (witness) was of opinion that the ileceas.l
I was asleep, as when he passed him his hands were resting
on his knees, and he was leaning forward. At the bridge
it was evident that the oil wheel hail struck the striking-
stone, as the stone was much chipped. Witness also saw
a mark on the hood of the wheel, where it struck on the
stone, lie sent for • doctor, and decetteed was remove.'
to his house. The bridge was a very narrow one, not being
tuore than about nine feet wide, and the striking stones
on each side project quite afoot; the approach stew-11.61e
of the bridge was also very bad, being winding. By the
jury: Ile did not believe the wheel touched deeeasssl after
he was turned out The body was 14 yards beyond where
the wheel touched the atone of the bridge. --Thomas
Turner, of Child Okeford, butcher, said he knew the
I n Monday evening he saw hint at eight o'clock
on Hayward-bridge. Ile was then driving in his gig, going
towards home. Ile pulled up, 11.111.1 they conversed on
business, and were taking about ten minutes. Ile did not
appear to have been drinking. the said that he had been
quite 31 miles that day, having been driving about since
early in the morning. Deceased told him he was no sleepy
that he should make haste home, and that be had gone to
sleep coming down Okeforil Fitzpaine Hill. Ile said he
should call at witness's home the next morning. lie was
then about two miles and a half from Farrington:bridge.
The deceased was 43 years of age—Emily Susan Tuffin
said that on Monday evening between eight and nine
o'clock, she was in the orchard belonging to their house,
when she saw the deceased driving past in the road
towarrla Farrington-bridge. Just as he pasee.l her she
heard the reins fall from his hands, and be looked tip,
More the reins fell he was loaning forward. She did not
see the accident, as she was looking another way, being
afraid to look, as she thought something would happen.
Edwin Wykes, sen., residing at Shaftesbury, said that on
Monday night, about eleven o'clock, he was sent for to see
deceased. When he arrived he was unconscious, breathhig
heavily, and bleeding from both hia ears and his nose. He
(witness) contained until he dM.I, about eleven o'clock on
the following day. Ile found several bruises over the top
of his head, but none about the I.ly. lie at once made
• pest me,rtein examination, and on opening the head
found a fracture at the base of the skull quite six inches
long. There was a large clot of blood on the apex of the
brain, the pressure from which caused death. The fracture
was one which would naturally result from a blow 101 the
top of the bowl such as a fall from a rig in rapid motion
',Mild MM. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental
death," with the recommendation that the Coroner should
represent to the mittee the inadequate width
of the bridge where the acecident took place, and also call
attention to the bad approachen to it