Saturday 24 Aug 1844 (p. 3, col. 2-4) INQUESTS. ----- (Before Mr. CARRICK, Coroner.) MELANCHOLY AND FATAL ACCIDENT. [continued] THURSDAY, AUGUST 22. The Jury met this morning a little past ten o'clock when the following witnesses were examined:- William HULLOCK-I live at Carlton, near Penrith, and am of no particular business. I was a passenger on the Whitehaven mail on Saturday last. I was on the seat behind the driver. A gentleman, a stranger to me, sat on my left hand, he was on the outside of the near side of the coach. When passing the Fish Market, and about fifteen or twenty yards off, in the narrow part of the street, I saw a horse and cart coming in the opposite direction to us-and the horse in the cart refused to meet the coach. We had passed the Fish Market gates. The cart, when I first saw it, was moving towards us; the horse refused to go on, and turned angle-wise in the street-appearing as if it wanted to turn round. It turned its head to the shop on the other (west) side of the street-the hind part of the cart being thus placed towards the Fish Market, and we had to pass between. I called to the coachman to stop,-I did so more than once-he paid no attention to me; and I damned him for a fool when I called the second time. He did not pull up the horses-but they were going at a slow pace-I won't say that they were trotting. From the way the cart was standing I did not think there was sufficient room for the coach to pass between the wall and it; and this made me call out to the coachman. The body of the coach was close to the wall when we passed the cart-a yard or two before we came to the out-shot (flue) on the wall. It was apparent to me at the time there that was great danger in attempting to pass the chimney. I was frightened of the wall before we came to the chimney, we were so near to it. We were not more than a few inches-not half a foot from the wall, before we came up to the chimney. We would clear the cart about two yards before we came to the chimney. I was looking to see where I was to go to, for I was sure I was to be thrown somewhere. I was very much alarmed-so much so, that I can't say whether or not the coachman attempted to clear the chimney, after passing the cart. The danger was apparent to me for about fifteen yards before the accident took place. I considered that the coachman had sufficient time to stop his horses before he reached the chimney, after I called out him. I can't say the coach touched the wall before we came to the chimney. About a yard or two before we came to the chimney, the deceased placeed [sic] his hand against the wall to push himself towards me. I threw my arm over his shoulder to try to save him, and my arm was fastened. His knee caught the chimney, and the chimney was on a level with the buttons of his waistcoat, and I saw his body crushed. The knee of the deceased struck first against the chimney, and doubled his thigh back-half the body being at the same time covered by the chimney. I did not see the rail of the seat strike the chimney. The deceased had not his leg over the rail. I am confident of this: and that it was upon the seat. There were four passengers on the seat: it was raining; and I had spread my Mackintosh over all our knees, and saw him stuff the end of it under his thigh on the seat. The seat of the coach gave way, and the deceased was thrust back. My arm was fast, and I was dragged down, and would have fallen, but that I caught hold of something. The deceased fell after me, and I saw him fall upon his back on the ground. By Mr. CASTLE-I had come from Maryport with the coach. I did not see the coachman get anything to drink on the road; and I beleve [sic] he was sober. He had driven middling steady on the road: but a three horse team is a bad one to drive. The horses seemed quite steady at the time I have been speaking. By the CORONER-I don't know the coachman. By Mr. CARRICK-The leg had struck against the chimney before I took hold of the deceased. By Mr. NANSON-I did not jump but was dragged from the coach. I don't know what it was I got hold of. If the chimney had not been there we sholud [sic] probably have got by; but I can't say. Joseph CRAWFORD-I live in English-street, and am a letter carrier. I saw the accident happen. I was near Mr. HIND's shop door, and stepped off the flags-about ten yards from the corner of the Fish Market. I was intending to cross the street; but on seeing the coach coming in a direction in which I saw there was to be some danger, I stood on the middle of the street. There was a horse and cart on the street, near the Wool Pack inn, and behind that an ass and cart. As the coach was making the curve to pass the cart the coach wheels seemed to slip into the channel. This was about a yard before the coach reached the chimney. The horse in the cart was facing directly down the street-and the cart was in a direct line. The ass and cart were more in the middle of the street. I put up my hand as a siginal [sic] for the coachman to stop; but I can't say he saw me. This was after the collision. There appeared to me to be sufficient room for the coach to pass. There would be about a foot or a foot and a half between the coach and the cart when it passed. This was before the wheels went into the channel. The ass and the cart were opposite the chimney-and close behind the horse and cart. The coachman was coming at his usual speed, and I think had the chimney not been there there would have been no accident, and that the coach would have cleared all. The horses were trotting. I think there was sufficient room for the coach to get past without touching the chimney. The seat projects beyond the coach. The leg of the deceased was not over the rail, but on the seat, swinging loosely-the footboard not extending so far as the seat. I think the coachman, to avoid the carts, ran the coach too near the Fish Market, and keeping his eye upon the carts, did not see the chimney. I attribute the accident to this cause. The coachman's name is Vincent EDMONDSON. By Mr. FORSTER-I had sufficient time to see accurately the position of the horse and cart, and am positive they did not move. The coach would slip three or four inches, when the wheels slipped into the channel, and could not recover again. William PROUD-I live in Water Lane, and am a smith. I saw the coach after the accident, and before it had undergone any change. The near side rail of the seat behind the driver, was bent down from the seat. This part would strike the chimney first. From the appearance I should say the bare iron had struck the chimney. There was no blood on the seat-or on the cushion. Thomas BOUCH-I live at Thursby, and am an engineer. I was a passenger on the coach on Saturday. I was sitting on the hind part of the coach, with my back to the horses. The first notice I had of the accident was feeling the luggage, which was driven back, strike me on the head. I had not before this noticed that we were dangerously near the wall. If it had been so, my elbow must have rubbed against the wall, for it was projecting over the same side on which the deceased sat. The gentleman did not fall till after we passed the chimney. The coach was going at the rate of about six miles an hour. [The jury stated that they had examined the coach; and had found that the wheels projected three or four inches beyond the seat. The entire width of the coach is six feet.] Witness-I have passed the same place hundreds of times upon the coach when carts were standing on the street. Wm. JAMES-I am a farmer, and live at Stainton-I was inside the coach at the time of the accident, and was sitting with my back to the horses. When I heard the crash I looked out at the window and saw the deceased falling from the coach. I had observed before this that we were near the wall, but the wheels did not touch it. I think the coach had just passed the cart when the collision took place. I can't positively say whether the cart was standing in a direct line, or across the street. I heard no rubbing previous to the collision. Mr. HULLOCK recalled-By Mr. CASTLE-I attribute the accident to the rashness of the driver. I called out loudly to him to stop. He ought to have seen the danger. I never heard the deceased call out. Wm. BARTON-The mail coach belongs to Mr. Thos. TWEEDDALE and myself. The horses are my own. Vincent EDMONDSON the coachman was called in, and told that if he wished, he might make any statement he pleased.-He said I have been four years driver of the Whitehaven mail, and previous to that was four years coachman to a gentleman. In all the eight years, no accident has occurred to me. I was perfectly sober on Saturday. I had drank two glasses of ale and one of rum. I was coming up street at a nice gentle pace; and when at the Fish market, a woman standing with a cart, just opposite the Wool Pack. Her horse shyed, and in endeavouring to clear tho [sic] cart, the coach came in contact with the chimney, which I did not see. I was close to the cart. The hind-part of the cart came more into the street-the horse turning to the Wool Pack. This was the whole of the evidence. The CORONER shortly addressed the Jury. The points for their consideration, he said, were such as had come before many of them on similar occasions. The first was as to the cause of death; second, as to the identity of the body; and third, as to the ownership of the coach and horses. Upon these questions no doubts could arise; but the most important question for their consideration was-what had been the cause of the unfortunate event? Had it arisen from the unskilfulness of the coachman, or the want of due care on his part by not stopping when the danger became imminent? Or had there been a want of attention and caution on the part of any else? They would observe that there were some few discrepancies in the evidence-particularly between that given on Tuesday, and that heard today-as to the position of the horse and cart, and the position of the leg of the deceased. It was for the Jury to exercise their judgment and discrimination upon these, and to give to each statement such credit and importance as they might deem it to deserve. If the death had been caused by gross negligence or want of skill, then it would be the duty of the Jury to return a verdict of manslaughter against the person to whose unskilfulness or negligence it was to be attributed. If, on the contrary, they were of opinion that it had arisen from one of those accidents against which neither skill nor care could effectually guard, then their verdict must be accidental death, with such a deodand upon the coach and horses as they might deem proper. The room was then cleared, and the Jury remained in consultation about ten minutes, when they returned a verdict of accidental death, with a deodand of 1s. upon the coach and horses. In answer to the Coroner the foreman said the Jury did not think any blame was to be attached to the coachman. The CORONER said he was sorry they had no power to inflict a fine upon those who had caused the chimney to be placed where it was-for a more gross encroachment upon a public highway he had never seen. A JURYMAN said it had never been noticed before, and until attention was thus lamentably drawn to it, its existence was scarcely known. The CORONER said there could be now no doubt of the impropriety of suffering it to remain. He was glad to observe that, since the accident, it had been removed. Mr. NANSON (one of the Jurymen) said as there were several of the corporate body upon the Jury, he thought it a good opportunity of drawing attention to the channel which crossed the street, a little bolow the Fish Market, and which he always looked upon as dangerous to the coaches which had to pass it daily. Mr. W. RICHARDSON said the subject had frequently been before the Council, and they had taken advice upon the subject, but no plan for removing the channel could be devised which would not create a still greater nuisance. [to be continued with other inquests]