FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT NEAR BURNESIDE About seven o'clock on Wednesday week a lad named William Oldfield was found lying in an unconscious state in the six-foot of the railway about half mile from Burneside Station. Richard Wilson. the man who found him, had him conveyed home and it was then ascertained that he had left his mother's house at Burneside to go to Kendal about an hour before he was discovered on the rails and it is supposed that he must have walked along the rails and been knocked down by a passing train. The unfortunate lad never rallied and death put an end to his suffering on Friday afternoon. On the following day (Saturday) Mr C G Thomson, coroner, held an inquest on the body in the Reading Room Burneside when the following evidence was taken Mary Ann Oldfield, widow of Burneside said The deceased, William Oldfield was my son. He was 15 years of age. He was an apprentice to a paper maker. About ten minutes past six o'clock on Wednesday evening the deceased left home to go to Kendal. He did not say how he was going. He generally went by train to Kendal when he had occasion to go after six o'clock in the evening. I saw nothing more of the deceased until after eight o'clock when he was brought home suffering from injuries on the head. He was a little conscious sometimes. He was able to speak but I could not obtain any information from him as to how the accident happened. He rambled when talking. Deceased was attended by Dr Brumwell. He had every attention shown to him. He died yesterday afternoon a little after five o'clock from the injuries on the head. I have never known deceased walk to or from Kendal along the line. Richard Wilson, repairer upon the Kendal and Windermere Railway of Burneside deposed, I was walking along the Line from Kendal towards Burneside on Wednesday evening last. About twenty minutes past seven o'clock when I arrived within about half a mile from the station I found deceased lying in the six-foot. He was lying on his left side. His head was towards Kendal and his feet towards Burneside. His hat was lying in the up four-foot line closed to the deceased. He did not speak and appeared to be unconscious. I obtained assistance and got deceased home. There was a good deal of blood at the place where deceased was lying. He was bleeding from his ears and nose. A train would leave Burneside at twenty minutes past six o'clock and one would leave Kendal for Windermere at a quarter to seven o'clock. Those would be the only two trains which would pass the place where deceased was found between six o'clock and my finding him. I examined the place next morning. I found two foot marks as if deceased had been walking along the six-foot close to the rails. Deceased's shoe foot was laid open at the front. Wednesday night was a very dark night and very windy. Miller Walker, labourer of Burneside deposed : I assisted to carry deceased home on Wednesday night last and assisted to undress him and the doctor to examine him. The deceased was suffering from a very severe wound on the back of the head and round to left side. There was no mark upon the other parts of deceased body except a slight scratch on one of his shoulders. No bones were broken. The sole of deceased's shoe on his left foot was torn. Thomas Dobson, engine driver of Garth Row Skelsmergh deposed: I was driving the engine attached to the train which left Burneside for Kendal at twenty minutes past six o'clock on Wednesday last. We left Burneside punctually. The night was very dark and windy. I neither noticed nor felt anything upon the Line between Burneside and Kendal. I heard no cry or anything. I first heard of the accident on Friday morning. I examined my engine on Wednesday night as is our custom but I found no marks upon it. The jury returned a verdict of “Accidentally killed by being knocked down by a railway train.” Westmorland Gazette SATURDAY 6th FEBRUARY 1875 This extract from the Westmorland Gazette, was kindly sent in by Steve."The driver Thomas Dobson is my wifes gt gt grandfather, her father was a passed fireman at
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