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Express And Advertiser 24th August 1927
Killed By Motor
Sad End To Shopping Visit
Driver Overcome by Accident
At an inquest at the Victoria Hospital yesterday afternoon on Mary Whittaker (56), wife of Frederick Whittaker, a colliery dataller, of 38 Pheasantford-street, the jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death.”
The Coroner Mr. A. F. Sutcliffe) said it appeared that the deceased left home to do some shopping. Apparently she had called at one or two public-houses, for on the information that had been obtained she was apparently under the influence of drink later in the evening.
Frederick Whittaker said that last Saturday his wife left home at 8.30 p.m., saying that she was going to do some shopping. She was sober when she left home. “An odd time or two now and again she had been in the habit of taking a gill or two. She had only an odd glass or two at dinner-time on Saturday.” he said. He left home shortly after her, and returned about 10 o’clock. At 11.15 he was notified that she had met with an accident in Colne-road, and that she had been taken to the hospital. He went there and saw her in bed unconscious. He remained with her until 8.30 on Sunday morning. She had not recovered consciousness. He returned to the hospital at 9.10 and was then informed that she had died. He had tried to ascertain if there were any witnesses of any accident, but had not been able to hear of any.
Coroner’s officer Smith said he, too, had made inquires, but without success.
Answering the Coroner, Whittaker said his wife did not go out to work.
Walter Crabtree, 6. Hawthorne-place Todmorden, said that on Saturday last at 10.15 p.m. he was driving a four-seater motorcar along Colne-road towards Burnley Centre. When he got near to Bank Hall Colliery gates he was driving on his proper side of the road at about 15 miles an hour. At that time it was raining slightly and the roads were very wet after the heavy rain. He reached the children’s playground on the left. A motor-car passed him going in the direction of Nelson. When he had just passed this car, the deceased staggered in front of him. He could not do anything. He was helpless. She was in the roadway about two yards in front of him when he first saw her. He was on the down-track tram-lines. He applied both his brakes but had not time to sound his horn as well. He tried to avoid her by turning away towards the footpath. She seemed to hit the offside mudguard, and he was almost sure she came over the bonnet.
The Coroner: Do you mean to say she walked into the car?- No. I caught her with the lamp and the mudguard on the offside. She appeared to come over the mudguard and to fall onto the running board, and then to drop off into the roadway. The witness added that he pulled up within about six yards. He tried to reverse but could not. She was lying some six or seven yards behind the car when he pulled up. When he got back to the place the deceased had been brought to the side of the road near the footpath, and was being attended by some people. The police came on the scene within a few minutes. Witness added that he was rather dazed at the time. When he told the policeman he was the driver of the car he felt at the time as if he was going to faint, and went to the running-board and sat down.
The Coroner: You lost consciousness for a short time? – Yes. I was taken to a garage, I believe. When I recovered I was in a motor shop opposite.
You drove your car away afterwards? – No. I was taken in a police car to the police station. After remaining there for one and a half to two hours, I was allowed to go.
The Coroner: Do you mean that you were taken to the police station on account of your dazed condition? – I suppose so.
Witness added that his name and address were taken at the police station, but particulars of the accident were not then taken.” I was not feeling myself then, and they gave me a drink of water,” he added. Proceeding, he said that later, when he had somewhat recovered, he examined his car at the side street, where it had been left, and to which he was taken in a police side-car. The offside headlamp was bent back and the glass broken. Apparently the deceased had been struck by the headlamp.
Mr Backhouse, junior, Blackburn, who represented the witness: I think you are actually a teetotaller? – Yes.
P.C. Mellows said that on Saturday night about 11.20, he was on duty at Duke Bar when he was informed that a woman had been knocked down by a motor-car near to Lee Street and that she had been seriously injured. He proceeded to the scene of the accident. The deceased was lying on the footpath close to the kerb, on the opposite side to Bank Hall gate. Dr Chadwick was then in attendance. He found that the deceased was suffering from a wound about the temple. He rang up for the ambulance, and later had the deceased conveyed to the Victoria Hospital, where she was detained. After the woman had been taken away he spoke to the driver of the motor-car, Walter Crabtree, who was lying on the running board of his motor-car. He appeared to be in a dazed condition. Witness took him into the motor-shop. When he had somewhat recovered, witness asked him what had happened. All he could get out of him was, “I have knocked a woman down with my car”. Witness remained with him until he was removed to the police station, and accompanied him there some ten minutes after the motor-ambulance had taken the woman to the hospital.
The Coroner: When you got up to the scene of the accident, did you make any inquiries from the crowd? – Yes. I inquired at once if anybody had witnessed the accident.
You did not find anyone? – No. No one would come up to say that they had seen the accident.
Proceeding, witness said that the driver was quite sober.
Dr Jas. Greig Thomson, resident surgeon at Victoria Hospital, said the deceased was in an unconscious condition and suffering from shock, and also to injuries to the left side of the head and fracture of both bones of the lower part of the left leg. She never regained consciousness, and died on Sunday morning from shock and injuries.
The jury, without retiring, returned a verdict of “Accidental death,” and exonerated the driver from blame.
Mary Jane Whittaker was my grandmother, she was said to be only 4' 8" and was known as Little Polly and Little Mother. While I accept that it must have been a traumatic time for the driver of the car, who was the son of a Mill owner in Todmorden, the Coroner did not seem to offer much sympathy to Frederick Whittaker and their 7 children.
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Maggie
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