FATAL ACCIDENT TO A RAILWAY PORTER AT KING’S-CROSS,

 Dr. Lankester, the Coroner for Central Middlesex, held an inquest on Tuesday last, the Royal Free Hospital, the body of Samuel James Butler, aged 24 years, of 83, Bingfield-street, Caledonian-road, servant the employ the Great Northern Railway Company, who expired in the hospital from injuries received under the following circumstances.

Charles Dalby a constable, Alfred Barnes, porter, and other servants the employ of the Great Northern Railway Company, stated that between and 9 o’clock Friday night deceased, a porter, was on the arrival or up platform of the King’s-cross Station. When the Manchester train came in deceased ran along the platform and endeavoured to catch hold of the handle of a First-dass carriage, missed it, and after stumbling along some yards fell between it and the train, which was still in motion. The carriages had single steps with a broad step below'. The witness further stated that many carriages on the Great Northern Railway had long steps reaching from one end of the carriage to the other. They would not say whether in this case, providing the carriages had the broad steps, that deceased's life would have been saved, because they believed he might have fallen in the space for the coupling irons between the carriages. The company had a rule prohibiting porters taking hold carriages before the train had stopped, and many men had been discharged for breaking that rule. It was through breaking the regulations the Company that deceased lost his life.

The Coroner remarked that this accident would not have occurred if continuous footboards had been used. Notwithstanding the rules and regulations the company, the men would break them, and, considering that their chief could not always be looking after them, their protection would to a great extent be provided for by the adoption of these footboards ; besides, he thought the compensation annually paid to the public and the expense would fully pay the cost of altering the carriages and be the means of saving many valuable lives, and to a great extent prevent those shocking accidents which made many hundreds of persons cripples for life, and in consequence burden their relations on the ratepayers.

Mr. Wontner stated, behalf of the Great Northern Railway Company, that the alteration of the steps and footboards suggested by the Coroner was being made. The Jury returned verdict of “ Accidental death.”

Islington Gazette   Friday 11 July 1873