FATAL CASE OF DROWNING

Last evening about half-past six, two boys by the name of Veale, one aged five and the other aged eight, were playing on the banks of the river Kennet, near what is known as the “First Hatch”, when the younger, whose name was Walter, had the misfortune to fall into the water. An alarm was given and a crowd soon collected, but all efforts for the immediate recovery of the body were unavailing. After about an hour's exertions by means of the drags, which were handled by Mr. Cullum, the body was dislodged from the hatch, where it had become entangled, and was lifted out of the water. Life was of course extinct..

The body was removed to the house of the chap's father, who is a painter, living in Bayer's-yard, where it awaits the inquest. There is no doubt it was purely an accident, but the melancholy incident will afford another warning (which will perhaps be very slow to be taken), to boys not to play on the water's edge. The “First Hatch” is near the Marsh, opposite the Wharf.

Newbury Weekly News 21 March 1878

Not in Mrs P.

Died 20 March 1878 Buried 25 March 1878

Reading Mercury

Dated 23^rd March 1878

SAD CASE OF DROWNING. An inquest was held at the “Jack” Hotel, on Thursday evening, before Dr. Watson, the borough coroner, on the body of a little boy, aged 5 years, son of Henry Veale, a painter in the employ of Messrs. Boyer & Co. The jury, of whom, Mr. R. Rapson was foreman, having viewed the body, the following evidence was taken. Alfred Wernham, a painter living in Wither’s yard, deposed that about half-past six o’clock on the previous evening, when he was passing along the towing path of the Kennet and Avon canal, he saw three children playing at the Fourth Hatch. He told them to go home. The eldest boy said he should not. Witness had proceeded about 400 yards father, when he heard the children cry out “mother.” He ran back as quickly as he could and found that one of the children had fallen into the water and had sunk to the bottom. He called for the assistance of Mr. Payne’s men who were on the other side of the canal. They came across, but could not get the child out. Witness ran up to the Police Station for the drag, and assisted in recovering the body. He was not a swimmer, and if he had been he could not have got the body out. The water was very deep there, and there was but little space between the bridge and the hatches. Mr. Henry Cullum, a builder, of Northcroft Lane, deposed to seeing Wernham with the drags. He ran with him to the hatch. They tried to get the body out, but it was locked under the hatch, one arm showing through the other side. He proposed to raise the hatch and let the body through, as there was no means of getting it out. After they had let the body through the hatch, it was three-quarters of an hour before deceased was recovered. The Jury having expressed a wish to learn from the eldest boy (who was 8 years of age) how the accident happened, he was sent for, and on arriving, with his father, stated that deceased, was leaning to reach into the water, when he fell in by the towing path and passed under the foot bridge to the bottom of the hatch.

The Jury were unanimous that the occurrence was purely accidental, and returned a verdict to that effect.