PETERSFIELD.
FATAL ACCIDENT.—On Saturday afternoon last an inquest was held at the Queen’s Head Inn, Sheet, before Edward Hoskins, Esq., coroner, and a respectable jury, touching the death of George Tigg, aged 23 years, a carter, late in the employ of Mr. Thos. Amey, of Steep, who was killed on Friday from being run over by a cart loaded with oats.
The jury having assembled and the usual forms being gone through, proceeded to view the body (lying in an adjoining room), and upon their return to the inquest room, the first witness called was
Robert Lintott, who deposed—I live at Liss. I am a carter in the employ of Captain Cardue. I saw the deceased, George Tigg, yesterday about 12 o’clock, standing on a little nap near the railway bridge at Steep, talking to a young man. He stopped at the tail of my waggon till after I got through the arch. When I stopped to rest my team going up the hill, I saw the deceased; he had the horse by the head, and was running, and when he got under the arch the horse broke into a gallop, and the deceased fell down. He had hold of the rein; he fell on his face, and the wheel went over his back. I then went back and lifted him up and out of the road. He could not speak; blood was running out of his mouth. No one was with him. Another man came up, when I left, and saw no more.
Thomas Wells deposed—I am a grocer and baker in Steep. I was going up the road yesterday and when I got to the bridge I saw a man lying by the side of the road. I then saw a waggon and a cart behind. The man in charge held up his hand, and I went to him. I said ‟How did this happen.” He said the horse came. down full speed from the brow and the cart ran over him. When I got to him he was insensible; blood was running from his mouth; he was breathing. I called Mr. Swaine and P.C. Hayter, who returned with me. He was still breathing. The doctor came before he was removed.
Mr. Robert Shackleford Cross deposed—I am a medical practitioner residing at Petersfield. I was called yesterday (Friday) to the deceased; he was lying by the side of the road. There was a large quantity of blood flowing from his mouth. I observed as he laid a smart abrasion on his right cheek bone, and also over the right side of his face, and he had a fracture of one of his ribs. My opinion is that he died from a fracture of the liver.
The coroner briefly summed up, and the jury being satisfied from the evidence given returned a verdict of ‟Accidental death.”
Hampshire Telegraph — Wednesday 20 March 1867
PETERSFIELD.
Agent—MR. G. DUPLOCK
FATAL ACCIDENT.—On Friday last a young man named George Figg, aged 23, in the employ of Mr. Thomas Amey, of Steep-marsh, was returning from Petersfield with a horse and cart heavily laden with grains and oats, when, on approaching the railway-arch near Sheet, the horse, from some unexplained cause, started off into a gallop. Figg seized the reins, and held on as long as he could, but at length fell, and one of the wheels passed over his body, causing such internal injury that he died on the spot in a very short time. An inquest was held on Saturday at the ‟Queen’s Head,” Sheet, before E. Hoskins, Esq., coroner, when the following evidence was adduced :—Robert Lintott deposed, I am carter to Capt. Cardew, at Liss. Yesterday, about twelve o’clock, as I was going to Liss with my waggon and horses, I saw the deceased standing on a little bank near the railway-arch at Sheet, talking to another young man. He followed on with his cart at the tail of my waggon. After I got through the arch I stopped to rest my horses on going up the hill, and on looking round I saw the horse and cart coming very fast. Deceased had got hold of the horse’s head, and was running. Just as they got under the arch the horse broke into a gallop. There was no train passing at the time, and I did not see anything to cause the horse to start. Deceased stumbled and fell on his face. His legs were under the horse, and the wheel seemed to me to pass over his back in a slanting direction. I went back and lifted him up, and spoke to him. He could not speak. I lifted him out of the road, and took charge of the horse and cart. Blood flowed from his mouth. Another man came to him, and I left deceased with him and went on, taking the horse and cart with me. The cart was heavily loaded with sacks.—Thomas Wills deposed, I am a grocer, and live at Steep. Yesterday, about noon, I was going to Mr. Hedger’s. As I got to the railway-bridge I saw a man lying by the side of the road. I saw a waggon, with a cart behind it. The last witness had charge of it. He held up his hand to me. I went to him, and said ‟How has this happened ?" He said, the horse came down full speed from the brow, and the wheel went over the man from his shoulder, across his body. I went to the man, and touched him on the shoulder. He appeared quite unconscious. Blood was flowing from his mouth. He was breathing at the time.—Mr. Cross (of the firm of Whicher & Cross) deposed to being called to deceased, whom he found lying by the roadside, as described by the previous witnesses. The witness added, ‟I found an abrasion on the left cheek bone, and also on the right temple and on the right side of the face. On stripping him I found a mark on his right side, towards the back, and a fracture of one of the lower ribs on the same side. My opinion is that death was caused by rupture of the liver.” Verdict—Accidental death.