Mexborough and Swinton Times May 3, 1929
Broken Chain.
Denaby Mining Student’s Death by Misadventure.
Mark Erie Shepherd (16), of the Post Office, New Edlington ,a mining student at Denaby Main Colliery, died in a Doncaster Nursing Home, on Friday from injuries received in a motor-cycle accident,
An inquest was held on Monday by the Doncaster Coroner, Mr. W. Bagshaw, when the step-father, Reginald Atkinson said he wished to contradict a rumour. The story was going around that the boy had got the motor-cycle unknown to his mother and that he was riding without a licence. The boy had full permission to ride, although he had only been riding three weeks.
The Coroner: I don’t think there is much need to take notice of rumours.
Witness: Well it has upset the boy’s mother.
Evidence showed that on April 20th, Shepherd was riding along Edlington Lane towards Edlington. He appeared to have been travelling at a reasonable speed when the driving chain broke and became entangled in the back wheel. He was thrown off and received injuries to the head.
Dr. J. M. O’Donnell said he saw Shepherd about 40 yards away and the machine suddenly stopped and the rider fell head foremost. Witness ran to the place and found that the chain of the motor-cycle had become entangled with the back wheel causing it to lock and throw the rider over the handlebars.
Dr. H. T. Crossley said death was due to a fracture of the base of the skull.