The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-26 00:00:00

DEATH BY DROWNING AT OXFORD.

The inquest on the body of Mr. J. IL Brady y, Scholar
of New College, whose death by drowning was noticed in
our last impression, was held yesterday afternoon, be--
fore G. V. Coxe, M.A., University, Coroner, and amatricu-
lated jury of tradesmen and members of the University. The
untimely fate of Mr. Bradley had created great interest
throughout the University and city of Oxford, and the
head of his college (the Rev. Dr. Sewell) attended to watch
the case, and rendered the coroner valuable assistance dnr-

ing the inquiry. The inquisition was held at the Boat-
house Tavern, St. Aldate's, where the body was lying. The
jury, of whom the Rev. E. C. Wickham, M.A., Sub-War-
den, of New College, was foreman, having proceeded to
view the body, the following evidence was adduced :
~..

Charles N. Bolton, Commoner of New College, said—A
scratch race had been prepared, and the crew of the boat
in which the deceased was consisted of myself, Bradley,
Browne, Seymour, and Routh (steering.) They had the
middle station in the river, and had got near Saunders'-
bridge on the way up, when the boat which had the Ox-
fordshire side crossed just before the accident took place,
causing a great deal of wash. Browne, who was at the
bow, caught a crab, which upset the boat. All the crew
were thrown into the water on the Oxford side of the
river. Routh swam to the Oxfordshire shore. The rest
clung to the boat, which had turned bottom upwards.
Seymour, who was close to me, said, " Had'nt I better go
to one of them, they can't swim ?" Both Browne and
Bradley were then holding on, and a punt was coming.
Then Browne and Bradley both tried to get on the boat,
but finding it turning over I left it so that the others might
be supported on it, and to avoid the danserof being caught
by it if it turned over. Both being at the bow end it was
made to turn over again, bottom upwards, and from that
time I saw no more of Bradley, both he and Browne being
thrown off on the other side of the boat which was then be-
tween me and them with the iron rowlocks, projecting under
the water, which made it dangerous to dive underneath,
mad thereby prevented me from rendering assistance.
Bradley had been in the habit of rowing for a quarter of a
year, and Browne had also rowed before.

The witness, in answer to jurymen, said there was no
fouling, and that the crossing of the first boat was in order.
He also explained, in reference to the report which ap-
peared in the papers, and which implied deceased had been
neglected, that he was under the impression he could swim,
and he knew Browne could not.

John M. Routh, Commoner of New College, said, —I was
steering the boat nearly opposite Saunders'-bridge when
the bow oar caught a crab, and almost immediately the boat
upset on the Oxfordshire side of the river. I fell into the
water, and on coming up saw the other four who had been
in the boat with me clinging to it. I immediately swam
across to the Oxfordshire side ; the boat was about 15 yards
from the Berkshire side. When I reached the shore I saw
a punt assisting to pull two men out of the water. Bradley
was pulling No. 2. I had noticed that Bradley was looking
exhausted. Before starting the question was asked whe-
ther the men could swim. Mr. Bradley led me to believe,
from what ho said, that he could not swim. Mr. Browne
rowed as if ho had rowed before. I knew that he could not
swim. The crew had not rowed together before. It was
in the afternoon, between 2 and 3, as far as I recollect.

Reginald Digby, Commoner. of ;New College, said—l was
on the bank running up about five yards in front of the
boat. Hearing a shout behind me, I saw that the boat had
been upset. I saw all the crew in the water on the opposite
side of the boat, four out of the five clinging to it, and the
other swimming for opposite side. I saw one (Bradley, I
think, but I am not sure), getting astride the bow of the
boat, which was keel upwards. Then the boat turned over,
and I lost sight of Bradley. My attention was then attracted
to Browne, who was clinging to the boat, and shouted out
that he could not swim. Two or three punts came to as-
sist, and 1 saw Browne pulled into one of them. I did not
know for some time that Bradley had not been saved. On
hearing Browne cry that he could not swim, three or four
persons from the bank plunged into the river to go to
his assistance. Mr. Cripps reached Brown; who was then
clinging to the boat.
The Rev. W. F. Short, M.A., Fellow, Tutor, and Bursar
of New College, said—l had started the race, and was
within a few yards of the boat, skulling myself on the
Oxfordshire side. I saw the boat upset, but did not see the
cause. I saw the crew cling to the boat, and Mr. Bradley
got astride. I heard some one say, and to the best of my
belief it was Mr. Bradley, " I'm all right," or words to that
effect. After that the boat Wined over, and I can add
nothing to what has been stated by the former witnesses as
to what followed. I think it probable the boat may have
struck Mr. Bradley as it turned over.
Mr. Short was recalled, and added the following evidence
to that he had already givan :
I heard Browne ci y out that he could not swim. I pushed
the boat towards the boat that was upset, but punts were
coming up, and I rowed to the shore. It was asked whe-
ther the crew were all safe, and it being said that Bradley
was missing, I stripped, and from a punt dived at the spot
where the boat was upset. Three or four other persons had al-
ready plunged into the water and were diving. Their names
were the two Messrs. Forster, of New College, and I believe
Mr. Allen, of New College, and Mr. Willan, president of the
Boat Club. I found it impossible to see an inch in the water
owing to the thickness of it. I must have been very near
the body, though I could not discover it. I believe the
accident happened just before 2 o'clock. Their efforts were
continued for some time. Previous to these attempts to find
Mr. Bradley several persons went into the water to render
assistance.

Francis Robert Steele Bowen, scholar of New College,
rtted—l was on the banks of the river yesterday afternoon

running up in advance of the boat that was upset. Hearing
a shout I looked round and saw the boat turned keel up,
and the crew in the water. Hearing a cry from some one
on the boat, that they could not all swim, I took off my coat
and swam almost up to the boat. A sailing vessel coming by

had to go back a few yards and get out of the way, and
-hen the sailing boat was past I swam to the boat. I saw
_ _

Bradley holding to the boat and looking much exhausted.
On seeingme he leant over to me, and I caught hold of him
by the hair, and I tried to swim with him to the shore, but
found, after a few yards, that I could not proceed. Finding
I could not keep his head out of the water I let go bis hair
and took hold of him under the arm. He was at that time
quite like a log. I tried in different ways to keep hishead
above water, until I was unable to do so any longer, and
got to the shore as well as I could. The boat, I think, was
nearly in the middle of the river.
William Allin Thompson, surgeon, said—l was sent for
about 3 o'clock yesterday to get° Saunders'-bridge, where
an accident had happened. On my arrival the deceased had
not been found. I waited about 20 minutes, and then he
was brought to the shore. I had him removed as quickly
as possible to the Boat-house Tavern, when Mr. Mayo as-
sisted me. We employed the usual means to restore suspended
animation without the slightest effect for nearly an hour.
A juryman observed that it seemed strange no assistance
had been rendered Mr. Bowen.

The Coroner said that if he had been helped the deceased
would have been saved. Mr. Bowen deserved the highest
praise for his bravery.
Nicholas Parker Gipp, commoner of New College, said—
I was on the shore when the accident happened. I called
out to know who could not swim. I only heard Browne say

that he could not. I went into the water to assist him and
took hold of him. I was, somehow or other, obliged to
let him go, and was forced under water. On coming up
I got into a punt close by. Hearing that some one was
missing I called out to some one on the bank to go for the
drags. I landed from the punt, and finding the drags
had not come I went off with Kemble to the green barge,
where I thought the drags were. A small boat took us
across to the barge. There we foundAwdry, of New Col-
-1 lege, on the top of a barge trying to get in. There was
some one at this Cate who had managed to get in, and who
gave the drags out to Awdry, and Awdrygave them to us.
We rowed with them to the shore, and the (hags were
carried to the spot where the accident had taken place.
There did not appear to be any one in charge of the drags.
I did not see any life-buoys along the river.

Charles Awdry, commoner, of New College, being sworn
said—Hearing a cry for the drags I ran to the nearest post,
and got to Harvey's barge (the green barge) by a punt which
was moored opposite to the barge. By the time I reached
it an Exeter man had already got on the barge and suc-
ceeded in getting inside by a window, the doorbeing locked.
He handed the drags and some life-buoys out to me.
Charles Mayo, Fellow of New College, said—The Cathe-
dral clock struck 2, and within two minutes I heard shout-
ing continued fot some time. I walked down quickly to
Salter's barge, and jumped into a punt with a man who had
just come for the drags. The accident must have hap-
pened about seven minutes after 2. I helped to drag for
some time. The body was got out about 12 minutes to 3.
Thomas Sims said—l am waterman to the University
Boat Club. I was on the barge in the afternoon, and saw a
four-oar upset, but seeing many people on the banks, and a
sailing boat close by, I did not go down till, about 10
minutes after, I heard there was a gentleman drowned. I
took the punt and some one from the bank threw me a

drag, and I began to use it. After dragging some time
(uot less than 20 minutes) I caught the body, lifted it, and
brought it ashore. Several other punts were dragging at

I►e same time.

sitlyV.illlivaiinthllatrwvoeyasass
nid—lt sa mI
whaveaterbail if
charge t oo
ft
teh Ue nhiavreare-
Humane Society is kept. I was on duty yesterday
belonging to the Uniuversity in which the apparatiis cf the
aft,er_
noon on the banks of the river. The general beat I take
is from the barge to the Long Bridges; one assistant is
between the Long Bridges and Iffley, the other is up the
Cherwell. It is my duty to see that drags and life-buoys-
are every day placed at the posts along the river. I placed
both drags and buoys at the usual place yesterday morning.
There was a drag and a life-buoy at the usual post about
ten yards fromthespos andtNvherethe accident happened.
The Coroner said it was strange that so many people had
overlooked the drag
buoys on the towing-path, but
from the respectable character of Harvey ho must believe
his assertion.
Dr. Sewell referred to the singular circumstance that so
little assistance had been given to Mr. Bradley. The jury
accounted for it by supposing it was Mr. Browne who ap-
peared most in danger.
The Coroner hai ing briefly addiessed the jury, thelatter
returned their verdict in a few minutes as follows :—"That

Mr. Bradley was accidentally drowned by the upsetting of
a boat." The Coroner thanked the jury for the attention
they had bestowed on the case. He had sent in his resig-
nation of the office he held as coroner, and he thought it
was accepted. He had a strong desire to be relieved of it,
owing to defective sight and hearing. At the express wish
of the Vice-Chancellor, however, he had presided on that
occasion. It was four years since an inquest had been held
on a similar case—viz., that on the body of Mr. Luke.
This long interval proved that better precautions were
taken now than in former times, when accidents on the
river were so numerous. The men now seemed to be better
prepared as swimmers, and the boats, although slight,
were not so dangerous as they had beon.