Mexborough and Swinton Times October 1, 1897

Sad Death at Denaby Main
Thrown From a Horse

An inquest was held on Friday last at the Reresby Arms, Denaby Main, by Mr D Wightman, district coroner, touching the death of Charles Baines, aged 14, son of Stephen Baines, greengrocer, of Denaby Main.

Very great interest was taken in the proceedings, as various rumours had been afloat.

The foreman of the jury was Mr JH Watson, C.C., Inspector Ambler (Mexborough) and Inspector Knowles (Rawmarsh) watched the proceedings and the family were represented by Mr Tovey, solicitor, Doncaster.

The evidence tendered to the jury was as follows:

Dr McCall said he was a surgeon at Conisborough. He never attended the deceased during life, but he had made a post-mortem examination of the deceased. He did not find any outward marks of violence on him. He found the brain healthy, and on examination the lungs he found them deceased. The art was bloodless, the liver and other organs were perfectly healthy, the cause of death was pneumonia, which in his opinion had arisen from an attack of influenza.

The Coroner said in his report it stated that the lad had been no thrown from a horse. Could the witness attribute the cause from that to his death.

Dr McCall said it was quite impossible for an attack of pneumonia to follow three weeks after a shop. It always followed immediately within a few hours in answer to further questions from the Coroner, witness said it was quite possible for the pneumonia to followed a very bad cold without the lad knowing much about it.

Mr Tovey: did you examine his back? – Witness: Yes.

Mr Tovey: And found nothing the matter with the spine? – Witness: No.

Mr Tovey: is it a fact that on 27 August the lad complained of pains in the back of the head?

Witness: I have heard that.

Mr Tovey: would that be the preliminary sign?

Witness: It could not possibly have followed that three weeks after.

In answer to further questions witness stated that the deceased was attended during life by his assistant. He had not brought as assistant because he was ill. His assistant was fetched the previous Friday.

The Coroner: Can you attribute that to the pneumonia?

Witness: No; you see three weeks had elapsed. It developed last Friday, and my assistant was called immediately.

Mr Tovey, who is the lad still suffering from pains in the back and head?

Witness: yes I believe so. I knew nothing until Sunday.

Mr Tovey: in your opinion and the fall and thing to do with his death.

Witness: No, I can place no cost to it.

Stephen Baines said he lived at Denaby, and he was father of the deceased, who was 14 years of age. He was a very healthy lad. On 27 August the deceased took a horse belonging to witness to Mexborough to be shod. When he came home he said two youths had punched and prodded the horse to the state the animal had kicked and thrown him off. Witness did not know of any quarrel deceased had had with the lads. Deceased complained of a back and head pains, and a surgeon was called in. He went about for three weeks doing light work in the shop, and he was taken worse the previous Friday. Witness and his wife are gone to Blackpool on the Monday previous to his being taken worse. They received a telegram came home immediately. He would not have gone had he known the condition of the lad.

The Coroner: A lot of us are wise after the event.

By Mr Tovey: witness last saw him alive on Monday previous to him being taken worse. He had up to that time complained of his head and back.

The Foreman: it was exactly 3 weeks from this fall of the horse of his being taken worse.

By the Coroner: when he went to Blackpool did not think the lad was so very bad stop

The Coroner said there was no doubt about the verdict they would have to return. They had the evidence of the medical man, and they could not go against that. He had made a post-mortem examination and they had the results.

Dr McCall: I might say that Dr Charteris was present at the examination and he agreed with me.

The Coroner said he was very often that similar cases at Sheffield. People who fall out of carts, be taken to the hospital, and be kept there for about three weeks, and then die of pneumonia.

Dr McCall said it was quite impossible for a shop to call pneumonia after three weeks adds elapsed.

A verdict “that the diseased died from pneumonia” was returned

The coroner’s officer stated that he had had to bring one of the men alleged to have caused the deceased’s fall off the horse from Sheffield.

The Coroner: You can tell him to go back to Sheffield then. I shan’t allow a postage stamp; you can tell him has had a lucky escape.

The deceased was interred on Friday afternoon.