Newbury Weekly News
Thursday 13 September 1928, page 6

THATCHAM TRAIN TRAGEDY

KNOCKED DOWN BY EXPRESS AT LEVEL CROSSING

AGED MAN'S TERRIBLE INJURIES

   Terrible injuries were sustained by a Thatcham man named Albert Prior[1], aged 83, who was knocked down and killed by the Weymouth-Paddington express, travelling at 60 miles an hour, while passing over a level crossing near Thatcham Station on Friday morning. The inquest was held by the Coroner (Mr. S. V. Pinniger) at Thatcham Railway Station on Saturday afternoon.

   Sergt. Robbins said Prior, who was formerly a postman and boot repairer, lived next door to him in Chapel-street, and was 83 years of age. Shortly after 12 o'clock on Friday morning he received information of the tragedy, and at 12.30, in company of Mr. Saunders, acting stationmaster at Thatcham, he visited the spot. The body was lying in water in a ditch 29 yards east of Two Hatch crossing and 20 feet from the four-foot way of the up road. Deceased's boots were in a field on the north side of the railway, the left one being 44 feet and the right one 53 feet from the four-foot way. The hat was 53 feet from the body in the direction of Thatcham. The top of deceased's scalp was completely severed from the head and in two parts, both legs and arms were badly mangled and fractured in several places, the trunk was pulped and the bowels protruding.

   Sergt. Robbins said that from enquiries he found that Prior came down the Station road from the village, walked along the canal bank, where he had a conversation with another man, then visited the bathing huts on the south side of the canal, and was returning to Thatcham when he met his death. The footpath of which the railway crossing was part, was an accommodation one leading from Thatcham to Crookham Common, and was mainly used by persons visiting the bathing huts. The crossing was about half-a-mile from Thatcham Station.

   Asked by Inspector Feltham, of the G.W.R., whether there were any notices at the crossing cautioning foot passengers, Sergt. Robbins said there were caution signs on the gates and post.

   William John Slade, of London-road, Thatcham, a G.W.R. lengthman and lockkeeper, said he met Prior on the Horse Bridge along the canal bank at 11.35 a.m. on Friday. They had a short conversation, and he told Prior he (deceased) would be late for dinner, and he would have to get a move on to get to Thatcham by 12 o'clock. It was about 300 yards from where he spoke to him to where he was knocked down. Witness added that he heard the whistle of the train that knocked Prior down. Deceased's sight was all right, but he was a little hard of hearing.

   Mr. Harry Collins (a relative): Did he say he was looking for a child? - Witness: No, he did not tell me.

   George Frederick Hines, of Weymouth, the driver of the 8.55 Weymouth to Paddington express, said that as he was approaching Thatcham Station on Friday, he saw a man start to walk across the level crossing. He immediately opened the whistle, and as he took no notice, he applied the brakes, hoping he could check the train enough for him to get clear. The train caught him on the edge of the buffer; another half-yard and he would have been clear. Witness stopped the train as soon as he could before reaching Thatcham Station, and the guard went back and found the man was dead.

   The Coroner: What speed would you be going at when you first saw him? - Witness: I should think close on 60 miles an hour.

   How far off were you when you first saw him? - When he first started to walk across, I should think we were only 30 or 40 yards away from him.

   The Coroner: I am sure I congratulate you in pulling up so quickly, for you pulled the train up in a very short space of time.

   Leslie Thomas Rowden, of Weymouth, the fireman on the train, corroborated. He added that deceased seemed to be walking across unconcernedly, looking on the ground.

   The Coroner said he should have no hesitation in certifying that deceased was accidentally killed by being knocked down by a train, and he thought from the evidence that he did not realise that the train was upon him. They had been told he was hard of hearing. He knew this crossing very well because he had been over it on several previous occasions. Of course, he was not exactly in the position of a trespasser on the railway, but the public had to go over a crossing like this entirely at their own risk, and they must be extremely careful of the way in which they did so. Caution notices were on the gates, and he knew his peril. Mr. Pinniger said he presumed Prior did not realise the train was there, and the accident in the circumstances was inevitable. He would record a verdict that deceased was accidentally killed by being knocked down by the Weymouth to Paddington express near Thatcham Station.

   Inspector Feltham, on behalf of the Railway Company, expressed his sympathy with the relatives, and Mr. Collins said he wished to thank Sergt. Robbins for the way he had conducted the case.

FUNERAL.

   The funeral took place at Thatcham Cemetery on Tuesday, Mr. George Rutter officiating. A large number of friends attended the service, which was held in the Cemetery Chapel. The hymn "Jesu, lover of my soul." was sung. By the death of Mr. Prior, the village loses another of its old and much respected inhabitants, who, in his younger days, was a keen fisherman, and must have travelled over the ground where he met his death many hundreds of times. Until his retirement some years ago, he followed the occupation of postman, his journey being from Thatcham to Bucklebury, and during his spare time he followed his trade of boot-maker, being an expert tradesman. The mourners were Mr. Edward Prior (brother)[2], Miss Jane Prior (sister)[3], Mr. and Mrs. Frank Prior (brother and sister-in-law)[4], Mr. J. Cousens (brother-in-law), Mrs. Collins, Mrs. M. Green, Mrs. T. Collins. Amongst those noticed at the service wre Mrs. Hutchins, Leslie Collins, Mrs. Nightingale, Mrs. Rogers, Mrs. G. Rutter, Mrs. T. Wheeler, Mr. and Mrs. M. Lawrence, Mrs. H. Chandler, Mrs. F. Woodward, Mr. and Mrs. W. Hall, Mrs. Ledger, Miss Kent, etc. Mr. G. Prior (brother) was unable to attend owing to illness.[5]

   Floral tributes were sent by his little niece, Ruth; little friend, Mary Hall; Wesleyan Chapel; Harry, Edie and family; to Uncle from Stewart; Nelly and Charlie; Miss Ferris; Tom, Willie and Douglas; Mr. and Mrs. Dennis and boys; Edie and Maurice; Mr. and Mrs. Chandler and family; Dorothy and Alice Wyatt; Mr. and Mrs. G. Witts (Cold Ash); Emily, Kate and Frank; Bessie, Bert and Hilda; Mrs. Lovelock, etc. The coffin was borne to the graveside by friends, Messrs. W. Clark, G. Witts, H. Collins and T. E. King. The arrangements were carried out by Mr. H. D. Mayers.