Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 12 October 1888

Singular Drowning Case At Swinton Bridge.

The Results of Spitting.

Mr. Dossey Wightman held an inquest on Monday evening at the Mason’s Arms, Mexboro, touching the death of Thomas Dryden, aged 16, pony driver, living in the Brickyard with his parents.

Mr. R. E. Proudlock was the foreman the jury.

Thomas Dryden, father of deceased, was the first witness, and he said : I live at Dolcliffe road, Mexboro’, and am a labourer at Denaby. The deceased was 16 years old, on the 8th at August. I last saw him alive at half-past five on Sunday night. He was reading to another boy when I went to chapel at six o’clock. When I came from chapel a boy told me he was drowned. I went to the canal, and I was there when they got him out, between 8 and 9 o’clock. He was dead then. He was all right when I left home. I don’t blame anybody. I believe he has fallen in accidentally, and I don’t believe anyone pushed him in. I cannot account for him going down to the canal. I am quite satisfied there has been no foul play.

The Foreman said he had been told that there was a number of people present when the lad was drowned and that no one held out a helping hand.

The witness said he was not present when the deceased was drowned and therefore could not speak as to that.

Joseph Jevons, of Mexboro’, said: I am a pony driver and knew deceased. We went on the canal side, up Mexboro’, through the tunnels to the M.S. & L. station at Swinton. There were there boys on Swinton Bridge trying to spit on us as we were going under. The deceased was running out of the way of those three spitting when he run into the canal ; he intended going under the bridge out of the way of these three boys. It was about 20 minutes past seven and dark. I saw him fall in. The nearest lad to deceased was Albert Gill, who was three yards from him. Deceased’s attention was paid more to the boys than to when he was running, and that is the reason. I think, why he fell in. I and the other boys tried to reach him. He kept splashing until he got within a yard of the other side, and then he went down. I saw him got out about half-an-hour afterwards, and then he was dead.

The Coroner: Then is that the explanation of how he got in?—Yes, he was looking up at the boys and did not see where he was going.

Then these boys were spitting at people who went underneath?—Yes, and be run under to escape the boys to save himself from being spat on.

By Inspector Barrett: He had just got underneath when he fell in; he did not catch his head against the archway.

Inspector Barrett said the height of the bridge was about four feet. A Juryman said the archway was very low indeed.

The Foreman : How many were there besides you who tried to rescue the boy ?—Five altogether.

No one else : was there no one else who was present and did not help to get him out ?—There was a young man on the bridge who came, but he had gone down then.

The Foreman : That settles it. I heard that there was a number of people there who did not attempt to rescue him.

The police stated that there was a witness named Goddard, who gave similar evidence.

The Coroner: Is there anybody who contradicts this witness’s evidence,

Inspector Baratt : No.

The Coroner : This witness’s evidence appears to be as true a version of it as one can get. There is no doubt that he has run under it accidentally, and there is no suspicion of anyone haying knocked him or pushed him in. Can you make any more than an accident of it, gentleman?

The Jury returned a verdict of “Accidentally drowned.”

A Juryman said he believed deceased’s mother asked him to go to chapel.

The father said he could not say.

The Coroner: It is a pity he did not go.

The Coroner added that Inspector Barrett asked a very proper question about the lowness of the bridge. If deceased had knocked his head against the bridge he would have fallen in, although he did not suppose anything could be done, as the towing path was not public highway; the deceased was a trespasser and therefore the Jury could not have made anything of it. Canals are always a danger whereever they were.