Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Monday 31 August 1931
Boy’s Death from Broken Neck.
A Fatal Stumble.
Rare Case Investigated at Conisborough.
How a Conisborough boy died from a broken neck, caused, apparently, by the act of trying to save himself from falling, was revealed the inquest at Conisborough, on Saturday, on Sidney Harry Eary (14), 48, Ivanhoe Road.
Dr. D. T. Clark was of the opinion that, in passing some steps, the lad appeared have “felt himself going,” tried to pull himself up, and that the vertebrae snapped. The doctor added that was a rare occurrence, but not unlikely, and even to normally developed people this might happen.
Staggered Into Father’s Arms.
The father, Clarence Arthur Bary, said he was lorry driver for the London and North-Eastern Railway Company. On Thursday he left home at 1.30, and his son asked for lift to his work at Cadeby Colliery. On the way he stopped at the Godfrey Walker Convalescent Home to deliver laundry, a weekly procedure. The boy opened the gates, fastened them back, and the lorry went through. The boy then closed gates, got down from the lorry by the step and did not fall. The lorry drove on for about 25 yards and witness got down to take off his baskets. The boy, who was following, was seen to stumble. He said, “Oh, dad,” and staggered into witness’s arms. He never spoke again. The lad had never had illness.
“One of the Saddest Cases.”
This evidence was corroborated by John Cooksedge, 21, Beech Hill, gardener at the Home. He saw the boy coming forward, he said, running after the lorry. As the lad was passing the steps of the laundry be “caught his clog and tumbled.” Gathering himself up he walked three yards and rolled from side to side.
The Deputy Coroner (Mr. W. H. Marshall) said that it was one of the saddest cases he had heard of. It was essential to call a jury, and it was only fair to the driver to hear the case.
On the face of it, it looked though the lorry might have had something to with the death, but that was not so—the boy died from broken neck caused by a fall.
Sympathy oh behalf of himself and jury was expressed the Coroner with the relatives.
A verdict of “Death from misadventure” was returned.