Mexborough and Swinton Times, April 12, 1919

Mexboro’ Tragedy.

Infant Brothers Drowned.

The circumstances attending the deaths of the two little sons of Mr and Mrs George T. Orgill, of 11 Crossgate, Mexboro’, are particularly distressing.

AI the inquest, conducted by Mr Frank Allen, and held on Wednesday, the father said the children had been accustomed to playing in the street outside their home, and also of visiting their relatives who lived in Doncaster road, though they had never been known to stray very far away. On Tuesday they left home about 2 PM, in company with a neighbour’s child Frank Guest (3).

Mrs Selina Bisbv, of Garden Street, Mexboro’ said that whilst walking along the canal bank about 3.45 p.m., she noticed something floating in the water between the Leach swing bridge and the Cooperative flour mill, but thought it was the body of a dead dog, and paid no further attention to it.

A few yards further on she saw a child floating on its back in the water, and with the assistance of Fred Lockwood, who was working in a field near by, the body was recovered. It was found to be the body of the younger child, Raymond. A man and a woman came down the towing path ,and said there were two  children missing, and it then struck witness that what she had seen in the water higher up must have been the body of the other child.  This body was recovered by a waterman.

Walter Birks, a pony driver, of Bank St, Mexborough said that whilst walking on the canal bank on the date in question he was approached by the boy Grant, who said that “William and Raymond Orgill were floating in the water” the child further stated that they had gone in “for a float.”

They had invited him to do so as well, but he had refused “because he had his new trousers on.” Witness sent a messenger to inform the police.

P.C. Batterbee and Mr Emerson attempted artificial respiration, without success.

The Coroner said it was a very distressing affair, and it was one of those accident which they seem to be no rational way of preventing

A verdict of “Accidental death,” was returned