Death of Inquest. At the West Cornwall Dispensary and Infirmary, on Tuesday afternoon 19th April 1898
Mr. George L. Bodilly, borough coroner, held an inquiry touching the death of William Trewhella, who died from injuries received by a traction engine accident a furlong past Lesingey-lane, April 9, at the Infirmary on the morning 18th. Mr. W. A. Bunt acted as foreman of the jury. Major Richard White was present on behalf of the Levant mine adventurers. And Mr. J. B. Cornish watched the inquiry for the Infirmary committee. The Coroner, addressing the jury, which had previously viewed the body of the unfortunate man, said the deceased was employed to walk before one of the Levant traction engines and was 40 years of age.
On April 9 1898, the day after Good Friday, Trewhella was engaged with two other men in taking an engine from Penzance to St. Just laden with coal, it being about half-past-two in the afternoon and broad daylight. He was suddenly found by the side of the road by a young woman who had seen the engine and trucks coming along from a distance. The man in charge of the engine did not know how he got under the trucks and the whole case was exceedingly curious. Not only would the jury have to enquire as to the circumstances of the accident, but also whether there was any negligence on the part of those in charge of the engine.
Thomas Nicholls, 25, of Trewellard St. Just, said he drove the traction engine with two other men to assist him, Trewhella was one of the men.
Coroner : How long have you been driving the traction-engine ?
Witness : About 18 months
Coroner: Have you had any experience at all?
Witness: Yes. I was with the old engine for three years before this one, and was instructed as to my duties from a man from Manchester. Continuing, Nicholls said he is not allowed to let the engine travel at more than four miles per hour and was supposed to have three men with two trucks and more with any extra trucks. He had never read any rales appertaining to the traction engine and could not tell anything about the man in front, although he had always been accustomed to have a man in front about two yards of the engine. The deceased had been a labourer with the traction engine for five years. On every occasion the two labourers were supposed to take turns at walking in front, changing at Newbridge.
On Saturday. April 9, 1898 they came into Penzance at about half past eleven in the morning, having taken two trucks loaded with copper ore. They went to the Northern wharf near Gas works. The two men with the witness that day were the deceased and Nicholas Lawrey. When they had discharged the copper-ore the witness took the engine to the coal-yard near the Sandy-Bank and the trucks were loaded with coal by one o'clock. The witness and Trewhella had dinner, before they started the homeward journey, in the Yacht inn. but Lawrey did not have dinner with them.
Coroner : What did you have to drink with your dinner there ?
Witness: Only a pint of beer each.
Coroner: Not more?
Witness: No.
It might have been ten minutes to two when they got to the top of Alexandra-road, when Trewhella was on the engine steering. They stopped at the bottom of Alverton and watered the engine there, and this having been done Lawrey got on the engine to steer whilst Trewhella walked on in front. The deceased walked (as far as he knew ) as far as Tresingey-lane. where the accident happened. The witness was not looking ahead of the engine all of the time, he had the fire to attend to, but saw the deceased ahead of the engine at the top of the “Roper's hill." He did not see him after that and so could not say where he went to. The next he saw of Trewhella was when he was lying on the road, his attention having been called to deceased by a young man called Grose. By that time the engine had probably gone 200 yards or more.
Coroner: How do you suppose he got under the wheels; do you think he was knocked down by the engine?
Witness: I don't know anything about it.
Coroner: But you were quite clear then, weren't you?
Witness Yes, I was.
Coroner: You have since been discharged from Levant mine altogether, I believe?
Witness: Yes, I have.
A Juror asked whether witness would require a certificate to drive a traction engine?
The Coroner said he did not think so
Major White: I do not think there is any certificate required.
ln answer to a juror witness said one engine is quite different to another for firing purposes.
Nicholas Lawrey. who gave his evidence in a very unconcerned and melancholy way. said he was steering the engine which Nicholls was driving on April 9. On the way Penzance he had walked the whole of the time ahead of the engine, the deceased being on the engine steering. The witness had not been with the engine that many times, being employed on it only occasionally and had nothing do with driving it. He could not say what time they loaded but remembered that they left the coal-yard to go to St Just. The witness did not have dinner with the deceased and Nicholls. He walked in front the engine as far as the bottom of Alverton, where, after the engine had been " watered up," he took to steering it, the deceased taking his place walking ahead. The witness last saw Trewhella at the top of the Rope Walk.
Coroner : Don't you look ahead to see where you are going?
Witness: Not being used to the job, I didn't look ahead very much
Coroner: How far had you gone past the ropewalk before you were stopped.
Witness: I don't know.
Coroner: How were you pulled up?
Witness : A man ran up and said one of our men had been rode over.
Coroner: When you stopped what did you find
Witness : I found Trewhella a yard away on the ground.
Coroner: Do mind what you are saying. Continuing, witness said the deceased did not speak to him he was a good distance from the engine when it stopped. He was quite sober and a teetotaller. He did not see anyone sitting on the fastenings of the trucks and that was the first had heard of such a thing.
Gertrude Annie Davy. a tall young woman, said she lived at Newbridge. On Saturday she was walking alone along the high road to Penzance about three o'clock in the afternoon. When she got near Tresingey lane she saw the Levant traction-engine coming. There was no one in front of it and passed quite close to her. She saw two men on the engine as it passed, but could not see the usual third one anywhere. As soon as the tail truck had passed she saw the deceased lying on the road, he could not have been knocked down by the engine, as she would have seen it. nor could he have been walking along the side of either the engine or trucks, for, her position coming along the road, she could have easily seen him had he been either in front or at the side. The engine did not stop until someone ran after it. The witness did not go near Trewhella, being too frightened, but heard him say that his legs were paining.
A Juror: Did the driver appear to be sober?
Witness: could not say.
Coroner: Did you hear the deceased shout?
Witness No!
A Juror: What were the men on the engine doing when you passed them?
Witness : Nicholls was attending to the fire, but I could not say what the other man was doing as he was on the opposite side.
Thomas Jenkin, farmer, Sancreed, said he was coming to Penzance driving two horses attached to a cart and when near Trereiffe-cross saw the Levant traction-engine coming. shortly afterwards he passed it and as soon as it had gone he saw a man lying on the ground about a 100 yards ahead. He also saw the last witness there and pulled his horses up and went to the deceased, who said the wheels of the trucks had passed over his legs and cut them off. The witness assured him such was not the case and a young man named Grose, having stopped the engine, came back and assisted the witness getting Trewhella into his cart.
Coroner: How far had the engine gone before it was stopped?
Witness : About 200 yards, and the two men on it came back to where Trewhella was.
The witness brought deceased to the infirmary.
A juror said he should like to know where the body was found.
Witness then explained in detail, admitting that he had known Trewhella for more than 20 years.
Juror: Did you notice any man in front that day ?
Witness : No, I did not.
Mr. John Symons, surgeon of the Infirmary, said the deceased was admitted about four o'clock and saw him an hour after. Dr Hugh Montgomerie having been the house when Trewhella was brought in. There were extensive injuries to both legs, they being crushed severely and the deceased was suffering from a severe shock. Both limbs were so badly injured that both had to amputated to possibly save the man's life. The deceased died 12:30 am on Monday morning, having gone on very well until Saturday when he became a little delirious and died from exhaustion on Sunday. deceased being conscious and quite able to talk, the witness asked him to account for the accident and Trewhella said he was lighting his pipe in front of the engine when the accident occurred. Witness then asked him how he got under the wheels and he replied " oh, that's all right" and would not say anything more.
ln answer to a juror Mr. Symons said the shock was so great that it was impossible to tell whether the man was intoxicated or not.
The Coroner said he considered the evidence extremely unsatisfactory. The men knew perfectly well the rules which guide or govern men in charge of a traction-engine and that there should be man 20 yards in front. There used to be a rule that such men should carry a red flag, but that was altered a short time ago by act parliament. He did not think the first two witnesses did know what became of the deceased, or knew the slightest whether he was in front or not. The Coroner's own impression was that Trewhella must have left the front of the engine and got up to ride on the buffers of the trucks and, slipping, fell and the wheels of the trucks passed over him. He thought perfectly clear that what the deceased said to Mr. Symons was not true, because had he stood front of the engine to light his pipe he would most certainly have been seen by Miss Davy and as far as the deceased was to blame, he thought he was very much the blame for what happened. The two men in charge of the engine did not seem to be very intelligent and he was not sorry the Levant mine-adventurers had got rid of the driver.
Major White said the clerk of the mine saw the deceased, who said it was entirely his own fault and that no one else was the least to blame for what happened. Major White added that the signalmen are allowed to go behind every few miles when the road is clear to see that the wheels of the trucks are all right
Coroner : A very good thing, but under no circumstances are they allowed to ride on the trucks?
Major White : Oh no, although I think there is not the slightest doubt that he was riding on the trucks the time.
Coroner: Yes, I think so too.
The jury then retired and after a long deliberation returned, when the foreman announced that verdict accordance with the medical evidence had been found, adding a rider that the duty having a man 20 yards in front of the engine should be strictly adhered and also that competent men should be employed to the work.
Mr. George L. Bodilly, borough coroner, held an inquiry touching the death of William Trewhella, who died from injuries received by a traction engine accident a furlong past Lesingey-lane, April 9, at the Infirmary on the morning 18th. Mr. W. A. Bunt acted as foreman of the jury. Major Richard White was present on behalf of the Levant mine adventurers. And Mr. J. B. Cornish watched the inquiry for the Infirmary committee. The Coroner, addressing the jury, which had previously viewed the body of the unfortunate man, said the deceased was employed to walk before one of the Levant traction engines and was 40 years of age.
On April 9 1898, the day after Good Friday, Trewhella was engaged with two other men in taking an engine from Penzance to St. Just laden with coal, it being about half-past-two in the afternoon and broad daylight. He was suddenly found by the side of the road by a young woman who had seen the engine and trucks coming along from a distance. The man in charge of the engine did not know how he got under the trucks and the whole case was exceedingly curious. Not only would the jury have to enquire as to the circumstances of the accident, but also whether there was any negligence on the part of those in charge of the engine.
Thomas Nicholls, 25, of Trewellard St. Just, said he drove the traction engine with two other men to assist him, Trewhella was one of the men.
Coroner : How long have you been driving the traction-engine ?
Witness : About 18 months
Coroner: Have you had any experience at all?
Witness: Yes. I was with the old engine for three years before this one, and was instructed as to my duties from a man from Manchester. Continuing, Nicholls said he is not allowed to let the engine travel at more than four miles per hour and was supposed to have three men with two trucks and more with any extra trucks. He had never read any rales appertaining to the traction engine and could not tell anything about the man in front, although he had always been accustomed to have a man in front about two yards of the engine. The deceased had been a labourer with the traction engine for five years. On every occasion the two labourers were supposed to take turns at walking in front, changing at Newbridge.
On Saturday. April 9, 1898 they came into Penzance at about half past eleven in the morning, having taken two trucks loaded with copper ore. They went to the Northern wharf near Gas works. The two men with the witness that day were the deceased and Nicholas Lawrey. When they had discharged the copper-ore the witness took the engine to the coal-yard near the Sandy-Bank and the trucks were loaded with coal by one o'clock. The witness and Trewhella had dinner, before they started the homeward journey, in the Yacht inn. but Lawrey did not have dinner with them.
Coroner : What did you have to drink with your dinner there ?
Witness: Only a pint of beer each.
Coroner: Not more?
Witness: No.
It might have been ten minutes to two when they got to the top of Alexandra-road, when Trewhella was on the engine steering. They stopped at the bottom of Alverton and watered the engine there, and this having been done Lawrey got on the engine to steer whilst Trewhella walked on in front. The deceased walked (as far as he knew ) as far as Tresingey-lane. where the accident happened. The witness was not looking ahead of the engine all of the time, he had the fire to attend to, but saw the deceased ahead of the engine at the top of the “Roper's hill." He did not see him after that and so could not say where he went to. The next he saw of Trewhella was when he was lying on the road, his attention having been called to deceased by a young man called Grose. By that time the engine had probably gone 200 yards or more.
Coroner: How do you suppose he got under the wheels; do you think he was knocked down by the engine?
Witness: I don't know anything about it.
Coroner: But you were quite clear then, weren't you?
Witness Yes, I was.
Coroner: You have since been discharged from Levant mine altogether, I believe?
Witness: Yes, I have.
A Juror asked whether witness would require a certificate to drive a traction engine?
The Coroner said he did not think so
Major White: I do not think there is any certificate required.
ln answer to a juror witness said one engine is quite different to another for firing purposes.
Nicholas Lawrey. who gave his evidence in a very unconcerned and melancholy way. said he was steering the engine which Nicholls was driving on April 9. On the way Penzance he had walked the whole of the time ahead of the engine, the deceased being on the engine steering. The witness had not been with the engine that many times, being employed on it only occasionally and had nothing do with driving it. He could not say what time they loaded but remembered that they left the coal-yard to go to St Just. The witness did not have dinner with the deceased and Nicholls. He walked in front the engine as far as the bottom of Alverton, where, after the engine had been " watered up," he took to steering it, the deceased taking his place walking ahead. The witness last saw Trewhella at the top of the Rope Walk.
Coroner : Don't you look ahead to see where you are going?
Witness: Not being used to the job, I didn't look ahead very much
Coroner: How far had you gone past the ropewalk before you were stopped.
Witness: I don't know.
Coroner: How were you pulled up?
Witness : A man ran up and said one of our men had been rode over.
Coroner: When you stopped what did you find
Witness : I found Trewhella a yard away on the ground.
Coroner: Do mind what you are saying. Continuing, witness said the deceased did not speak to him he was a good distance from the engine when it stopped. He was quite sober and a teetotaller. He did not see anyone sitting on the fastenings of the trucks and that was the first had heard of such a thing.
Gertrude Annie Davy. a tall young woman, said she lived at Newbridge. On Saturday she was walking alone along the high road to Penzance about three o'clock in the afternoon. When she got near Tresingey lane she saw the Levant traction-engine coming. There was no one in front of it and passed quite close to her. She saw two men on the engine as it passed, but could not see the usual third one anywhere. As soon as the tail truck had passed she saw the deceased lying on the road, he could not have been knocked down by the engine, as she would have seen it. nor could he have been walking along the side of either the engine or trucks, for, her position coming along the road, she could have easily seen him had he been either in front or at the side. The engine did not stop until someone ran after it. The witness did not go near Trewhella, being too frightened, but heard him say that his legs were paining.
A Juror: Did the driver appear to be sober?
Witness: could not say.
Coroner: Did you hear the deceased shout?
Witness No!
A Juror: What were the men on the engine doing when you passed them?
Witness : Nicholls was attending to the fire, but I could not say what the other man was doing as he was on the opposite side.
Thomas Jenkin, farmer, Sancreed, said he was coming to Penzance driving two horses attached to a cart and when near Trereiffe-cross saw the Levant traction-engine coming. shortly afterwards he passed it and as soon as it had gone he saw a man lying on the ground about a 100 yards ahead. He also saw the last witness there and pulled his horses up and went to the deceased, who said the wheels of the trucks had passed over his legs and cut them off. The witness assured him such was not the case and a young man named Grose, having stopped the engine, came back and assisted the witness getting Trewhella into his cart.
Coroner: How far had the engine gone before it was stopped?
Witness : About 200 yards, and the two men on it came back to where Trewhella was.
The witness brought deceased to the infirmary.
A juror said he should like to know where the body was found.
Witness then explained in detail, admitting that he had known Trewhella for more than 20 years.
Juror: Did you notice any man in front that day ?
Witness : No, I did not.
Mr. John Symons, surgeon of the Infirmary, said the deceased was admitted about four o'clock and saw him an hour after. Dr Hugh Montgomerie having been the house when Trewhella was brought in. There were extensive injuries to both legs, they being crushed severely and the deceased was suffering from a severe shock. Both limbs were so badly injured that both had to amputated to possibly save the man's life. The deceased died 12:30 am on Monday morning, having gone on very well until Saturday when he became a little delirious and died from exhaustion on Sunday. deceased being conscious and quite able to talk, the witness asked him to account for the accident and Trewhella said he was lighting his pipe in front of the engine when the accident occurred. Witness then asked him how he got under the wheels and he replied " oh, that's all right" and would not say anything more.
ln answer to a juror Mr. Symons said the shock was so great that it was impossible to tell whether the man was intoxicated or not.
The Coroner said he considered the evidence extremely unsatisfactory. The men knew perfectly well the rules which guide or govern men in charge of a traction-engine and that there should be man 20 yards in front. There used to be a rule that such men should carry a red flag, but that was altered a short time ago by act parliament. He did not think the first two witnesses did know what became of the deceased, or knew the slightest whether he was in front or not. The Coroner's own impression was that Trewhella must have left the front of the engine and got up to ride on the buffers of the trucks and, slipping, fell and the wheels of the trucks passed over him. He thought perfectly clear that what the deceased said to Mr. Symons was not true, because had he stood front of the engine to light his pipe he would most certainly have been seen by Miss Davy and as far as the deceased was to blame, he thought he was very much the blame for what happened. The two men in charge of the engine did not seem to be very intelligent and he was not sorry the Levant mine-adventurers had got rid of the driver.
Major White said the clerk of the mine saw the deceased, who said it was entirely his own fault and that no one else was the least to blame for what happened. Major White added that the signalmen are allowed to go behind every few miles when the road is clear to see that the wheels of the trucks are all right
Coroner : A very good thing, but under no circumstances are they allowed to ride on the trucks?
Major White : Oh no, although I think there is not the slightest doubt that he was riding on the trucks the time.
Coroner: Yes, I think so too.
The jury then retired and after a long deliberation returned, when the foreman announced that verdict accordance with the medical evidence had been found, adding a rider that the duty having a man 20 yards in front of the engine should be strictly adhered and also that competent men should be employed to the work.
