The Haslingden Gazette. — 1905-05-06 (Haslingden, Lancashire, England)

THE INQUEST.  The inquest was conducted by Ciironor It. J. Robinson in the Court Room of the niwn HII m Monday after:wow Mr. J. %itching was foreinan of the jury, and Mr. R. L. Sprake watched the proceedings on behalf of the widow. Sarah Carter, widow, said her husband bad met  been well lately. and he had been going mit for wall" instead of attending to butinems. He left home about a quarter to ten on Friday morning without raying where to, wan going or what time  ho would Urri've back. Parkinson Hindle. 26. Horsley-4,0t, said l;e  saw deceased about ten minutes ta;wiven on Friday !—At the  Tbo Coronrr: Whom did you_sm him! huttom of Mancheiter.roact. Parker," and then Flood on. 1/id you speak to him?-1 said " now In, Billy," and deceased replied " Very well." Ito wan . . . . _  Ho said '' How do.  going in the direction of Brood Oak. Charles Edward Waim,ley machine printer. '.. . . '  135, .11mrlderrace, %aid h., found tlt, body. of de.  eint,ed about half-pant one en Saturday afternoon. Thu Coroner: Were you on the foorpatlC—Nan I was missing ,Worslcy Clough. The first thing you saw wan the hat?—Yen. Where wan it?--It IVOS on the bank. On the top of the hank?-0n the hAtom. And did that hank come down to tho estreamll— On a bvel with Orr stream. Did you son this 1118 TO—I MI. a coat in the water, and then something like the heel of a foot sticking out. I had my SOll with me. and I sent him for the police. Is there a steep path there?—Yes. A Juryman: How steep is the bank?—About three cc four yard.. In it on the Manchenter.read side?—Yes. Mr. Spraker Wan the ground slippery shout , there —Ye,, it wan wet. , Mr. Speaker Ho was not in thn lodge!—No, in tho brook. He win at a place where ho might have fallen? —Yen, lie might have done at. A Juryman: Did the water cover him!—No, bin shoulder, were out. I A Juryman: In your opinion, do you think that he fell down the hank accidentally?—Ho could have dime easy enough. I suppose bin face was bruinerl?—Yes. A .Turyman r In it pnsnible that he might have 110071 stunned by the falH—Yesil_it in possible.  And then have laid there?—Yes. Very likely he Ira+ suffocated and not drowned? —Yeas  Tim Coroner How far away was tho hat from the babyt—Ats.t six yards.  A Joryman: Alight hit hat have blown off, and in trying to ',cover it he felPf—Yes.  Chief Constable Sinriniri The night previona Iva.. a very stormy one end wet.  By a Juryman The }wily appeared to have been in the brook smile time.  P.C. Wood mid he went to Wontley Plough on Saturday afternoon and found deceased lying on fwe in the stream. The water wan about 12 or 14 inch,. deep. It won flOtdell with the re. cent rotor. He took the body to the mortuary. The Coroner: Were bi 4 clothes at all torn?— No, not in the least.  Not dimrranged in any way?—Na. What injuries did you find on him?—lie bad a wimnd an the right side of the head. from which wm oozing when I pulled him out of the water, and his nom was very slightly discoloured an if he had fallen no a stone or eturething. The Chief Constable: Had he the appearanocof having fallen and tunnorl himself?—ren. A Jttrytttnr Dr you think the irmind on the side of the head sms sufficient to make him in. sensible?—Yes, it wan swollen.  The Coroner: Wan the place where the body was found exactly under the path—No. it was about 60 or 70 yards away. There might be another footpath going tap the Clough which role not know about. The Coroner: A mstn could not have fallen front a footpath 60 or 70 yards away. Is there not a footpads that goes across the brooldt—Yes. bid it in 60 or 70 yards front where the body was found. The Chief Constable: There is a footpath leading up the Clough which is very little used. Witnese a I don't know of that. The .Coroner: 'therein a steep hank clone to where deceased was foundlt—Yes.  A Juryman: Were there any indication, that demased foil from the bank aecidentally?—Thatis my opinion. _ . . .  Mr. Sprake: That he had fallen from the tank? —Yes, 11,ause there is very little grass about there, and owing to the recent rains there was plenty of clay about, which was very slippery. The Coroner: Were there any marks on the bank?—There were plenty of marks of feet about. A Juryman: If he had attempted to commit suicide there was a lodge near which he could kayo gone into:—Yes. Mr. Sprake: There are ledges about 50 or 60 yards away in which he could have thrown Emself Z—Yen. Mr. Spralm: Several?—Yes. The Coroner, in summing up. said there was no accounting for the injuries no deceased except by a fall. All the evidence went to show that de. ceased had accidentally fallen down the bank. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that "Deceased won walking along the hank when ho I slipped and fell into the brook and was killed. thereby accidentally coming t, lus death."