South Yorkshire Times, April 10, 1943
Child Drowned At Conisbrough
Fell in Static Water Tank
The Doncaster District Coroner(Mr. W. H. Carlile) held an inquest at Conisbrough on Tuesday on Bernard Knight, aged 1 year 8 months, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Knight, of 3, Booth’s Yard, Bur-croft, Conisbrough, who was drowned in a static water tank on Sunday, and a verdict of ” Accidental death ” was recorded.
The Coroner told one of the witnesses. William Ernest Beagles, of 20, Taylor Street, Conisbrough, a watchman at the gasworks, that he was not supposed to leave the premises without permission from the gasworks manager. On this occasion he had gone home for his tea, as appeared to be his regular practice and hardly seemed to realise that he was there for a specific purpose. Had he been there the child might have been saved.
Although he did not wish to reprimand him too severely, Beagles was neglecting his duty. No doubt his employees would take suitable action.
The Coroner said it was a surprise to him that the parents had allowed a child of that age to go out alone. The child might have wandered anywhere and it was always dangerous to allow them out without supervision.
The mother, Mrs. Annie Knight, said at about 7.20 p.m. on Sunday she saw the child playing outside the house with other children, and shortly afterwards he had disappeared. The child was not in the habit of going in the gasworks yard, and she could not find him there or on the river bank. In consequence of what her sister-in-law told her, she went into the gasworks yard, and found the child had been taken out of a well sunk in the yard. He had been able to walk since he was a year old.
Gerard Peter Gregory (14), Gasworks House, Conisbrough, said while playing football he saw the child on top of the water in the tank.
Harold Wilfred Gregory, superintendent of the works owned by Rotherham Corporation, of Gasworks House, said his wife lifted the child out of the water and witness went for assistance. Artificial respiration was tried and witness went for a doctor. The static water was for use in case of fire, and was 2ft 4in. deep sunk into the yard. There was no protection round it owing to the yard being private. There was a watchman day and night.
Beagles, the watchman, said he left duty to go for his tea about 6.30 p.m. He knew it was against instructions, but he went to see his mother who had had a bad fall. He agreed with the Coroner that he should not leave the premises without permission from the manager.
The Coroner: Why don’t you do your job ?—I think I have done it as well as I could.
If you had been doing your job this child might not have got into the tank ?—Yes. I might have saved it.
Don’t you realise that your failing to do your duty may have resulted in this child’s death?—Yes.
Beagles said the yard gates were fastened, and he wondered how they got opened.
The Coroner: Anybody could have opened them.
Beagles: In future there will be a bolt put in.
The Coroner: I very much doubt whether your duty will last very much longer, if that’s the way you perform it.
Dr. D. M. Bell said artificial respiration was carried out for three hours without the child responding. He thanked Messrs. H. Cawthorne, Burton, W. Perking and T. Carmody for the assistance they gave him and others wh5 helped. Death was caused by asphyxia due to drowning.
Mr. A. H. Jackson represented Rotherham Corporation.