SAD AND FATAL ACCIDENT

Considerable excitement was occasioned on Saturday evening, by the report that a young man, named George Franklin, in the employ of Messrs. Righton and Son, butchers, Broad-street, had been thrown from a cart and killed. Unfortunately the news proved to be correct.

It appears that the deceased was proceeding down Sulham Hill, when from some cause or other, which will ever remain a mystery, he was thrown from his seat and sustained fatal injuries. No one except a girl, of the age of 13 years, witnessed the accident, and therefore the evidence as to how the deceased was thrown from the cart is involved in uncertainty.

He had been in the employ of Messrs. Righton for two years, and was a respectable, steady man. On Monday an inquest was held on the body, before W. Weedon, Esq., coroner, and a respectable jury, of whom Mr. James Duckett was foreman.

After viewing the body the following evidence was adduced:-

Hannah Hunter said – I am the wife of Matthias Hunter, labourer. At about 8.40 p.m., on Saturday, my little girl told me she thought something the matter in the road, as she saw something white lying down, and heard a noise, and saw a horse’s tail frisking. The child is twelve years of age, and is unwell this morning. I went to the spot. It was at the foot of Sulham Hill. I found a horse on the ground, and a man under it. The horse was attached to a cart, and the cart was lying on its side. I sent my little girl for my husband. He came, and with the assistance of another man, the body of the deceased was raised up and removed to the school-room. I thought that the deceased was quite dead at the time. I saw no-one with the cart, and I did not notice if there was any name on the cart.

There was meat in it – Matthias Hunter, labourer, said – I am the husband of the last witness. I was called to the deceased, so ascribed by her, and found the deceased man in the position mentioned. I and another man got him from under the horse and took him to the School-room. He was quite dead. I did not know the deceased, but I have seen him several times driving the same cart, which belongs to Mr. Righton, butcher, Reading. Deceased did not always drive the same horse. I am not sure whether I saw this horse before. The front part of the cart was broken, as if it had been kicked; he looked as if the horse had fallen on him, and he had not moved. The kicking strip was broken, and the rest of the harness was sound. The horse appeared too little for the cart. The horse was coming down the hill. I have not heard of any one who saw the accident. A brother and sister of the deceased came to see the body yesterday. They recognised it as that of their brother. They said his age was 23 years age, next birthday. I did not hear his name.

By the Foreman. – I saw the wheel mark on the back. The cart was in the road, lying on the off side wheel.

Police-constable Herring said – I saw the brother and sister of the deceased yesterday. They recognised the body as that of their brother. They said his name was George Franklin; that he worked for Mr. Righton, and was 22 years of age. They also identified the watch I found on the body. I did not see the body until it was in the school-room. I have inquired but cannot hear of anyone who saw the accident.

Henry Ireland said. – I am in Mr. Righton’s employ. Deceased had been in Mr. Righton’s service about two years. I had never been out with the horse deceased was with. My master had had it a fortnight. I don’t know whether it was steady or not. I had not heard of any accident with it before. There was no one with the deceased when he started from the shop, at about ten o’clock on Saturday morning. The horse started quickly.

The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental Death".