Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 1 April 1932 (Page 14)
Fatal Play
Denaby Child Crushed By Planks
A verdict of “Accidental death” was returned by Mr. W. H. Carlile at the inquest in the Conisboro’ Council offices on Wednesday, on Samuel Joseph King. aged 2 years 11 months, son of Samuel Joseph King, haulage hand, 4. Blythe Street, Denaby. The child was fatally crushed when a stack of planks used in street works in Loversall Street, and on which children were playing, collapsed on Tuesday.
Minnie Carton, wife of Joseph Carton, 84, Loversall Street, said she was passing down the street about 5 p.m. on Tuesday and saw children playing on the planks, which were stacked up against a gable. She warned them to come off or someone would get hurt. “I had barely made the remark when the whole lot seemed to slide forward with a noise like thunder.” She had not previously seen the child King. and could not say whether he was playing on the planks. When the collapse occurred, she saw him lying face down with planks across him. He did not cry out, and when she got him free, he did not speak. His grandmother came up and recognised him and took him into her house.
Dr. Ford said he was called to the child at 73, Loversall Street shortly after five, but it was dead then. It had severe head injuries and symptoms of a fractured skull and haemorrhage of the brain. Death was due to laceration of the brain.
In reply to the Coroner, the father said he was not at home at the time, but he understood the child was out with its elder brother, aged six.
At the Coroner’s request Mr. Harry Thirlwall, surveyor to the Conisboro’ Urban Council, was called, and said the planks were used to protect concrete work done in the course of the re-conditioning of the streets of Denaby Main. They had to use the planks to protect the work from “mischievous interference.” Two watchmen were patrolling the works from the time the workmen ceased till they resumed next morning. They had a special dump, fenced off, for the bulk of the materials and plant, but certain materials, such as the planks. had necessarily to be distributed in different parts of the works. The planks had been protecting concrete work and were only moved that morning and properly stacked. They were stacked there as a matter of convenience.
The Coroner: You know that Denaby is very thickly populated? – Yes, as a matter of fact we have the greatest difficulty in carrying out the work owing to the number of children there are about. There have been several narrow escapes of children suffering injury through interfering with the plant.
That being so, would it not have been wise to have this timber stacked in some place more closely under the watchmen’s observation? — lt would be very expensive and inconvenient to move it every night.
Mr. Carlile said the material was under the observation of watchmen employed by the Council, and it was difficult to say the Council were not taking proper precautions. But such things as a timber stack had great attractions for children at play, and it did seem a pity that such material could not be placed under closer supervision to prevent the children playing on it.