My old man came across this interesting article whilst looking at some local Berkshire history involving steam.
Shocking Death of a Drunken man at Hermitage.
An inquest was held at the “Fox” Inn, Hermitage, on Wednesday evening, before Mr. J. C. Pinniger, Coroner, on the body of a man named Caleb Wernham, aged 35 years, a woodman, who was killed by being run over by the truck of a traction engine on the previous day. The Rev. P. A. Longmore, vicar of the parish, was foreman of the jury.
The first witness called was
David Kent, a labourer, of Long Lane, who deposed that at about half-past seven on the previous evening, he was in the road walking beside the traction engine, belonging to Mr. Bagge, which was being driven towards Newbury. He was on the right hand side of the engine. Deceased, who was very drunk, was also walking behind the engine. Witness saw the deceased fall sideways between the fore wheel and the hind wheel of the first truck. The hinder wheel passed over his belly, just across his loins. Witness shouted out, and the driver stopped the engine immediately and before the wheel of the second truck reached deceased. Witness pulled deceased out from beneath the truck, and laid him on the side of the road. When witness pulled him out, deceased said, “You b——, you have broken my leg.” Witness knew deceased well. Previous to the occurrence, deceased, who was very drunk, swayed about the road, and when witness tried to prevent him getting near the truck, he said, with an oath, they would not run over him.
Witness, continuing, said the deceased had fallen down on the ground by the side of the engine once before, and would not get away, and continued saying he would go with the engine. When in the Fox public house, deceased sad to the driver who was there also, “Ain’t you going to ask us to drink?” The driver said, “I think you have had enough now,” but deceased caught hold of the glass and had a drink. Richard Deacon, who was also with the engine, warned the deceased to keep way. There were three men besides the driver with the engine. One was in front of the engine, two were walking by the side of the trucks, the driver being on the engine. Deacon was walking near witness and deceased when deceased fell. Deacon being in front of the deceased, and witness behind him. None of the men with the driver were at all “beery.”
One of the Jury remarked that there were enough of them there to have thrown deceased over the hedge if he would not go away.
It was stated that deceased died about an hour after the occurrence. He was, it was said, a very obstinate man when drunk, and could only be controlled by force.
Thomas Partridge, engine driver for Mr. Bagge, deposed that he was engaged with the engine taking bricks from the kiln near the “Fox,” and left the kiln with a load about half past seven. There were two trucks attached to the engine. Before they started, witness saw the deceased at the “Fox.” He was then a little the worse for drink. Deceased drank about half a small glass of beer, which he gave him when he asked. Witness started in about a quarter of an hour after that. He saw the deceased by the side of the truck once after that. He was then very drunk and tottery. Witness say “Halt, he is run over,” and witness stopped the engine at once. David Taylor was in front of the engine and the other men were trying to persuade deceased to keep away from the engine. Deceased did not talk to witness while he was on the engine. Deceased did not get up as far as the engine, but kept along by the side of the truck.
A Juryman said it was very dangerous place for a drunken man to be walking along by the side of the engine. Even a sober man, if he stumbled over the lumps in the road, might have fallen under the engine or the trucks.
In answer to a juryman’s remark that he thought the engine should have been stopped when the deceased persisted in accompanying it. Mr. Bagge, who was present during the enquiry, said that if they stopped the engine every time they met a drunken man, they would not be able to get through their work at all.
The Coroner remarked that he thought a man’s life was of more consequence than the work.
The Jury returned the following verdict: – “That the deceased met his death by falling accidentally under the wheels of a loaded truck while in a state of intoxication; and that no blame is attached to the driver of the engine.
The Jury gave their fees in behalf of the widow and six children of the deceased, and to this amount Mr. Bagge, the owner of the engine, added a donation.
We are requested to state that the Coroner did not concur with the finding of the jury, “that no blame was attached to the driver.”
Newbury Weekly News Thursday 13th May 1880
