DEATH A YEAR AFTER TRAMCAR ACCIDENT.
Did the Car Start Too Soon?
CONFLICTING EVIDENCE.
An accident nearly a year ago was said to be the direct
cause of the death of Mrs. Elizabeth Berry, aged 67, of 141, Clare-street,
Northampton, who died on Sunday, and upon whom the Borough Coroner (Mr. A. J.
Darnell), sitting with a jury, held an inquest at Northampton Town Hall, on
Wednesday afternoon.
Mrs. Berry met with her accident while boarding a tramcar on November 30, 1928.
Mrs. Berry's husband, John Alfred Berry, a retired boot and
shoe operative, is in America.
Mr. W. R. Kew (Town Clerk) represented the Tramways
Department and Mr. A. M. Troup (Messrs. Phipps and Troup) for relatives.
Dr. Charles Mills said he had attended Mrs. Berry from the
time of the accident. She fractured her skull, and death was due to
degeneration of the brain as the result of hemorrhage. Death was due directly
to the accident.
Answering Mr. Troup, Dr. Mills said he knew Mrs. Berry
before the accident, and he did not think she could run after a tramcar or
mount one easily.
DAUGHTER'S EVIDENCE.
Miss Violet Berry, of 141 Clare-street, said she was with
her mother when the accident happened. They were mounting a ÒlongÓ car at the
end of Clare-street and witness got on safely and turned to help her mother. As
her mother was lifting her foot to get on the car started, and dragged her
mother along.
Witness asked a man to ring the bell to stop the car, but
the man could not find a bell, and by the time the car had stopped
her mother had been thrown into the road.
Her mother had such a sweet nature that she would not blame
anyone, but witness thought the conductor should have been on the platform.
After the accident her mother waked home, although blood was
pouring from her nose.
Answering Mr. Kew, witness said she and her mother did not
run after the car. They waited for some men to get off.
Answering a juryman, witness said the car was stationary
when her mother put her hand on the rail and prepared to mount. Witness could
not see the conductor when she got on.
P.C. Reynolds said he saw Mrs. Berry after the accident, and
she told him that the car started as her daughter was helping her on, but she
blamed no one because she did not think the conductor saw her.
THE CAR HAD STARTED.
Cecil Gresham, 21, Overstone-road, Blacksmith's striker,
said the accident occurred about half-past eight in the evening. The car had
just stated when he got on, and after he had mounted he saw an elderly lady in
dark clothes trying to get on and another lady trying to help he. As the tram
gathered speed, the lady fell off.
Ernest John Wills, 147, Weedon-road, the conductor of the
tramcar, said he was in the front section of the car, but looked through the window
and saw that no one was about to get on to the car when he signalled for it to
proceed. Gresham jumped on to the car after it had started, and after that he heard
a shout and gave the emergency signal and the car stopped.
He found Mrs. Berry had fallen in the road and was bleeding
badly. He told her he was satisfied that when he started the step was clear of
people, and she said she attached no blame to anyone.
The Coroner said it was impossible for the conductor to be
on the platform at every stop, but it was important that he should see that
everyone was on the car before giving the starting signal.
Witness agreed, and said on the occasion in question he had made certain of this.
FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.
Cross-examined by Mr. Troup, witness said he was on the car
for public service, not to molest people by moving off if people were mounting
the car. Witness did not open a window, he looked through one, and on a long
car one could do this and see everyone who got on of off it.
Summing up, the Coroner said Mrs. Berry was greatly
respected in Northampton. He has known her for many years and had no doubt some
of the jury knew her too, and all deeply deplored her death.
He was sure every member of the Tramways Committee would
feel the deepest sympathy with the relatives, and whilst money could not, of
course, be any compensation, he was sure the Corporation would show the
generosity they always showed in such circumstances.
The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death," and the
Coroner, the jury, and Mr. Kew expressed sympathy wit the relatives.
