Burnley Express and Advertiser
27 February 1932
While in Motion
Briercliffe Man Falls Off 'Bus
Conflict of Evidence at Inquest
Sitting with a jury, the Eat Lancashire Coroner (Mr. F. Rowland), last Wednesday, investigated at Nelson the death of James Henry Pickles (55), cotton weaver, 19, Kimberley-street, Briercliffe, which took place last Monday, following an accident. Mr. Britnell (Messrs. Pollard and Co.), appeared for the widow, and Mr. Lister (Messrs. Oddie and Roebuck) represented the Nelson Corporation 'Bus Department.
Maretta Pickles said that up to the last five years her husband had enjoyed good health, but had since been troubled with bronchitis, for which he had received treatment. Last Saturday they left home to go to Nelson on a Nelson Corporation 'bus, which left Harle Syke at 6-30 p.m. On nearing Lomeshaye-road, he said, "We get off here." Her husband vacated his seat and went to the front of the 'bus. She saw him standing near to the exit, and the conductor, who was near him, signalled the 'bus to stop. On getting up from her seat she missed her husband. As she was stepping off the conductor said "You have got off before it has quite stopped." She thought the 'bus had stopped. On leaving she found her husband lying in the roadway about two 'bus lengths in the rear of the vehicle. She did not know what had happened to him, and she did not know whether they had reached a 'bus stage. On going to her husband he did not speak or try to get up. He was assisted into the vehicle and taken to a doctor's surgery, and later to the Fire Station to the ambulance and then removed home. As soon as he reached home the doctor was summoned. Her husband was badly hurt on the right side of the head, the right hand, and he had also other injuries. That night he laid on the couch, but the following morning the bed was brought down. During the week-end he had some sleep, but complained of pain in his head, and he was very restless. He did not actually lose consciousness, but he was not able to talk much.
The Coroner: Did he say how the accident happened? -He said that he never got off the 'bus.
I suppose he meant that he never intended to get off? -He said that he never got off the 'bus while it was running.
But he must have done? -I cannot say, but he said that he never got off while the 'bus was running. I have never known him do such a thing.
Witness added that last Monday morning he appeared better, and went to sleep at 10 a.m. Half an hour later she found him with his mouth open and making a gurgling noise. She sent for the doctor, who pronounced life extinct.
Walter Jackson, -Duke-street, Briercliffe, said that he travelled on the same 'bus. He saw deceased standing near the exit, the conductor being near to him. Mrs Pickles was standing behind her husband waiting to get off.
The Coroner. You could not say what happened immediatly after that? -No, but somebody said that a man had fallen off, and the conductor was stopping a woman from getting off.
Did the conductor stop the woman? -Yes, he said, "You will be falling off."
The 'bus was still travelling? -Very slowly then.
The Coroner: Did the conductor ring the bell? -I did not hear him.
Deceased was picked up about fifteen yards behind the 'bus? -Yes.
Is it downhill there? -I am not familiar with the district, but I believe it is downhill.
Mr. Britnell: Were there many people on the 'bus? -I should say eight or ten.
How many were getting off? -Two, Mr and Mrs Pickles.
Was the 'bus travelling down the hill fast, slow or medium? -I should say medium.
What was the speed of the bus going down Hibson-road? -The usual speed for 'buses, about fifteen to twenty miles per hour.
Does the road curve sharply? -It does at the corner of the public-house, but not lower down.
A juror: Was the 'bus slowing down when the man got off? -I did not see him get off.
Driver Denies He Swerved.
Stephen Garnett, 18, Beddington-street, the 'bus driver, said that when he got sixty yards from Lomeshaye-road, he heard the bell ring, and immediately slowed down before he approached the stopping place. He heard a bump on the near side of the 'bus and on looking round saw the conductor preventing a lady from jumping off the wrong way. He applied his brakes slowly, because had he done otherwise he would have thrown both the conductor and the lady off their feet. He got out and assisted Pickles into the 'bus to be taken to a doctor's, and later to the ambulance.
The Coroner: As to your speed - were you going slow, moderate or fast? -I should be going slowly because I had already commenced to pull up after hearing the ring.
You heard the witness say that he did not hear the conductor signal? -Yes, he did signal.
Was the man unconscious when you first saw him? -He came round before reaching the Fire Station.
Mr. Britnell: Did you leave Harle Syke up to time? -Yes at 6:30
What time did you reach Lomeshaye? -About 6-40.
What distance is it? -About two miles.
Did you have any stops on the way? -Yes, but I cannot remember how many.
Did you swerve around the corner of the road? -No, there was no need to do because there was nothing in the way.
Did you look at the speedometer on this particular night? -No.
Have you ever had an accident before? -No.
Tom Astin, 49, Princess-street, the conductor, said that about fifty yards before the 'bus reached Lomeshaye he gave the driver a signal to stop. The driver at once began to slow down. About twenty yards from the stopping place Pickles and his wife got up from their seats, and walked to the front of the 'bus. Pickles stepped on to the step, Mrs. Pickles being behind him. When Pickles had got on to the step he watched him and formed the impression that he was not going to get off until the 'bus stopped. Witness proceeded to pick up his waybill, and then heard Mrs Pickles say "Oh." On looking up, he missed Pickles. He took hold of Mrs. Pickles and prevented her from getting off, because the 'bus was still travelling. He did not see Pickles fall.
Mr. Britnell: When he was standing on the step had deceased hold of the handrail? -Yes.
A Thing That Happened Every Day.
Did you notice the 'bus swerve at all? -No.
Is it your practice to allow people to stand in that position while the bus is running? -It happens every day.
Do you never stop them from standing on the step? -Yes, when they are old.
Can you suggest any reason why if Pickles had hold of the handrail he should suddenly disappear? -No.
Are you sure the 'bus did not swerve? -No, there was nothing to swerve for. He took the turn gradually.
What speed was he going? -About twelve miles per hour.
Mrs. Pickles was recalled. Addressing her, the Coroner explained taht she was in a difficulty. He understood her to tell him that she saw her husband standing at the front of the 'bus, and that when she got up her husband had disappeared. The difficulty was that there had been three witnesses called, the 'bus driver, the conductor, and Jackson, the latter an independent witness, and they said that at the time that her husband was standing on the 'bus near to the door. Mrs. Pickles was also standing up apparently behind him.
Mrs. Pickles: I did not. When my husband got up he stood on the platform. I did not get up then. The conductor rang the bell and I got up and when I went to the exit I missed my husband.
The Coroner: You don't know how he alighted from the 'bus? -I did not know there had been an accident when I got off. The conductor never said anything to me.
Did the conductor prevent you from getting off the 'bus? -He never did. He said that I had got off before it had stopped.
It is suggested that he prevented you from getting off? -No, he didn't, he never touched me.
It was suggested by the driver that you were getting off the 'bus in the wrong way? -It is not right.
P.C. Riley described the injuries, which were chiefly on the right side.
The Coroner remarked at this stage that he was calling as a witness P.C. Dodson, but he did so with hesitancy.
Constable and Widow's Statement.
P.C. Dodson spoke to receiving information about the accident. He saw Mrs. Pickles, who made a statement to him, and he wrote it down in his pocket book. She told him that the accident was caused through her husband stepping off the 'bus while it was in motion, and that there was no blame attached to anybody else.
Mr. Britnell: She would be very upset atthe time? -Yes.
Did you press her to make a statement? -No sir.
Did you ask her questions as to what had happened? -Yes.
She was very upset. Do you think that she knew what she was saying? -It would be hard to say.
She would hardly know what she was saying? -No, she would not.
The Coroner: Have you any doubt in your mind as to whether this woman understood what she was saying? -She was very upset at the time because of her husband's condition.
Was she so upset that she was unable to know what she was saying? -It is hard to say.
I take it that you would not have taken a statement if you thought that she did not comprehend? -Well, she was in her own mind.
The Coroner: I think we understand.
The Coroner, addressing the jury, remarked that there was a distinct conflict in the evidence given by Mrs. Pickles and that of the other witnesses. They had also the evidence of P.C. Dodson, who said that she told him that her husband was the only one to blame. There had been a suggestion about the speed and about swerving, but there had been no evidence of the latter. The evidence showed that the 'bus proceeded along in quite the ordinary way. He added, "Even 'buse must move. There seems to have been no extra ordinary speed about this one. The driver and the conductor have acted properly. The conductor cannot act as a nursemaid to his passengers on the 'bus. You must not expect too much from these men. They do their duty remarkably well. Sometimes they are a little short-tempered and do offend, but perhaps we might show the same discourtesy under similar circumstances. There is nothing in this case which warrants you in finding that there has been any improper conduct."
After a short retirement, the foreman of the jury said that they had come to the conclusion that the deceased met his death accidentally by falling off the 'bus. They returned a verdict of "Accidental death," and expressed sympathy with the relatives.
http://briercliffesociety.co.uk/Soldier ... ickles.htm