Yorkshire Post, Tuesday, 18th January, 1881
Shocking Accident on the Railway at Doncaster
Yesterday an inquest was held at Conisborough touching the death of Samuel Beardshall, 21 years of age, a porter in the service of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Company.
It appears that on Saturday night he was going to attend to a passenger train proceeding from Barnsley to Doncaster. He was crossing the line to collect the tickets, and at the same time two empty carriages came up from the direction of Doncaster. The driver sounded his whistle and the booking clerk also called out to him to “Stand clear.”
No one saw the engine strike the deceased, but when the engine had passed on a cap rolled at the feet of the stationmaster, who was standing at the end of the platform, and a few yards further on he picked up a man’s boot.
Then walking about 50 yards further, towards Mexborough, he found deceased body in a heap, The engine caught him on the right side of the head, and mangled his body in a horrible way. The body was removed into the waiting room. He had been several years in the company service, but had only been stationed at Conisbrough about three weeks.
The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death,” attached a rider to the verdict exonerating driver or other servants of the company any blame in the matter