Newbury Weekly News
Dated 12th January 1905
A TRACTOR ENGINE MAN’S DEATH
RUN OVER IN THE LONDON ROAD
Dr. H Watson, J. P., the Borough Coroner, held an enquiry at Cary’s Room on Saturday afternoon, into the circumstances of the death of James Doggett, who succumbed to injuries received through being run over by a chaff cutter attached to a tractor engine. The deceased, who lived in Staple’s Yard was 49 years of age. He had been in the army, but was now employed by Mr. Newport, traction engine proprietor.
Mr. George Paulin was chosen foreman of the jury, and Mr. Newport was present, but did not give evidence.
The widow was spared from being called, evidence of identification being given by Mr. E. Lipscomb, brother-in-law of the deceased.
The next witness was Henry Fisher, the driver of the traction engine who said that on Wednesday night they were going down London-road. Deceased had been walking by the side of the engine, but when near Mr. Ferris’ coachbuilder’s shop, witness missed him. One of the men sung out to me to stop, added the witness, and I pulled up as quickly as I could. Jumping down, he found the deceased in the road, by the side of the chaff-cutter, which was attached to the engine. They picked him up and assisted him across to the fence opposite, and wished to get a trap to take him home, but he said he would rather walk. The machine must have run over his right leg, but he said he was not much hurt. He then proceeded home with one of the men. The width of the wheels which went over him were about four inches.
George Lane, a labourer in the employ of Mr. Newport, said he was riding on the chaff cutter at the time. The deceased tried to jump on the draw-bar of the machine, but slipped, and the wheel caught his feet and pushed him along the ground for five or six yards; then it went over his leg. Witness said he pulled him out from underneath and stopped engine as soon as possible. Deceased said “Stop a minute and I will get up.” His trousers were cut about and the boot cut, but nothing bled at the time.
Afterwards deceased walked nearly all the way to his home and would not let witness take his arm until he was very nearly home, when he seemed getting tired. Upon reaching his cottage witness after sending for a doctor, took his boot off and cut his trouser down; he was bleeding then.
Dr. Hickman said he was sent for to attend the deceased between six and seven o’clock on Wednesday night. He found him sitting in a chair downstairs, suffering from a large wound just above his left knee, as big as the palm of the hand. It was a deep wound and all the muscle and tissue had been completely crushed nearly down to the bone, whilst a great deal of dirt had got into it. The feet were not perceptibly injured, but there was a slight abrasion on the outside of the knee. The doctor said he saw at once that it was a most serious wound, but the man made comparatively light of it. The wound was washed and dressed and the man got to bed, and Dr. Hickman said he saw deceased on Thursday and Friday, the wound being dresses twice each day. On Friday morning he observed a little blood poisoning and inflammation spreading up the leg, and treated it. He told deceased that he would have to lay by for a month, but he did not anticipate a fatal result.
The parish nurse, who had been attending him dressed the wound on Friday night and thought the patient was going on fairly well. The doctor said he was very surprised to hear from Mr. Lipscomb just before five that morning that the deceased had passed away an hour earlier. He attributed his death to shock to the system, and he had been told by the man’s wife that he had been treated for a weak heart.
Mr. Lipscomb said because of this deceased was ordered not to smoke some years ago.
The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death.” |
