as he was in the habit of doing. He appears to have accidentally missed the second step, or to have slipped thereon, and he tried to secure a footing on the third step, but failed. He clutched at the hand-rail but, unhappily, he could not regain his balance, and he fell head-long down the stairs, at the bottom of which he lay unconscious. Blood was oozing from the mouth, nose, and ears, and it was evident from the first that there was no hope of recovery. Mr. Franklin, from the offices of Messrs. A. C. Palmer and Co., chartered accountants, of Northampton, who was in the factory at the time, investigating the books of the firm, was the first to reach the unfortunate victim of the accident, and others were on the spot in a few seconds. The services of Mr. F. Tassell and Mr. F. Webb, of the Ambulance Division, were at once procured, and Dr. Baker was immediately called in, every possible means being adopted to save the life of the sufferer. Dr. Baker, however, saw from the first that there was

whatever, the base of the skull being fractured and, as a matter of fact, part of the brain was slowly oozing from the unfortunate gentleman’s ear.

Mr. Nurrish, was carefully removed to his residence on the Higham-road, and, despite every attention, he gradually sank, passing away at about six o’clock, without having regained consciousness.

The sad event naturally caused a painful sensation in the Rushden and Higham Ferrers district, in which the deceased was so well known.

Mr. Nurrish, who was 50 years of age, leaves a widow and two daughters, one of whom assisted him in the business. A native of Higham Ferrers, the late Mr. Nurrish spent some years in London. Subsequently he

He was a partner in the firm of Messrs. Nurrish, Nurrish & Pallett, boot and shoe manufacturers, of Rushden. After the serious fire of a few years ago, in which the factory in Shirley Park was entirely demolished, the firm was re-constructed, and the deceased started in business in a factory in West-street, taking into partnership with him Mr. Flawn, and the new firm traded at Messrs. Nurrish and Flawn, boot and shoe manufacturers. The firm does not appear to have met with the financial success which had been hoped for. Indeed, at the time of the accident, the factory was being closed and the books were being investigated, as stated, by the firm of Messrs. A. C. Palmer and Co., chartered accountants, of Northampton.

was held on Wednesday evening at the Queen Victoria Hotel, Rushden, by Mr. J.C. Parker, deputy Coroner. The jurors were Messrs. Fred Knight, J.P. (foreman), C.E. Bayes, A. Gadsby, A. Sargent, J. Northern, G. Tailby, S. Powell, O. Claridge, T. Watson, H.O. Miller, H. Cartwright, and J. Roe.

The Coroner said into the death of John William Nurrish. It appeared that deceased was going downstairs at the factory on Tuesday when he was seen by a witness to fall and stumble. He was picked up unconscious and was attended by a doctor but died later in the evening.

The jury then viewed the body, which was lying in the residence of the deceased, Higham-road, and then proceeded to the factory in West-street and inspected the place where the accident happened. On the return of the coroner and jury to the hotel, the inquiry was proceeded with.

called was Miss Alice Elizabeth Nurrish (daughter of the deceased), who said : The body the jury have just viewed is that of my father, who lived at Hill Cottage, Higham-road. He was a boot manufacturer, and was 50 years of age last May. Yesterday afternoon, at about three o’clock, I was in the office at the factory, and I had some conversation with my father. He appeared then to be in his usual health, and did not complain at that time of feeling ill, though he has complained a good deal lately. I have never known him to be seized with dizziness or faintness, or to fall down.

Alfred Flawn, of Higham Ferrers, partner with the deceased, said : I was with deceased yesterday between 12.30 and 1 o’clock. He was then

though he had complained of pains for some time past.

The Coroner : Was he a strong man? – Witness : No, he was rather delicate.

Have you ever known him to have a fit or to become dizzy? – No

Have you ever had an accident down those stairs before? – No.

Has anyone in your factory had an accident there? – No.

William Burgess, foreman of the finishing room at the factory, said : On Tuesday afternoon, at about three o’clock, I saw the deceased come through my room. He passed me at my back. He was not carrying anything at the time. As he passed me he would be about three or four yards from me. I saw him take the first step down the stairs all right, and then he turned round and looked towards me, as he always did, and then he seemed as though he

to the third. Then he tried to save himself upon the rail, but missed it and seemed to lose his balance. Then I heard him go down the stairs with a thud. He laid at the bottom of the stairs, with his feet near the staircase and his head near the door. He laid on his right side. He was unconscious. I and another man ran out for assistance, one of us arranging to go for the ambulance man and the other for the doctor. The deceased was removed to the inside of the factory – on the bottom floor.

The Coroner : What made him look towards you? – Witness : I do not know, but that was generally his practice; when he left our room he always looked round.

A sort of final look round? – Yes.

And you think it was

that made him miss his second step? – I do.

He seemed to miss the rail at the top? – Yes.

Then there is a space without a hand-rail for a few feet? – Yes, about four feet, I think.

These stairs are not steep? – No, not extra steep.

You have examined the first three or four steps at the top carefully? - Yes.

Are they worn very much? – No.

And there was nothing projecting, against which he could catch his foot? – No.

You do not think he had

or anything like that ? – No.

Did he speak to you as he went down? – No, and I did not stare at him; I merely glanced at him.

Dr. H. S. Baker deposed : About three o’clock on Tuesday I was called to the factory, and I went at once. The deceased was lying on the bottom floor of the factory, quite unconscious. Blood was flowing from the mouth and nose and right ear. I examined the ear and found a great amount of matter oozing from it, and found this was part of the brain. The deceased was removed home, where he died about six o’clock. The cause of death was fracture of the base of the skull.

The Coroner : Probably he had

against the wall? – Witness : Yes.

Were there any other bones broken? – None of the limb bones.

Had you attended him at all? – No.

The Coroner, addressing the jury, said there was no question that deceased missed his footing, which was a pure accident. The jury had seen the stairs, and in his opinion they were quite good stairs, of easy gradient, and there was a hand-rail where it was possible to put one. There was a short space without a rail, but it would be impossible to put one there, and, he thought, unnecessary. He thought the jury would be satisfied that the stairs were not of a dangerous character.

The jury at once returned a verdict of “Accidental death.”

The jury expressed their sympathy with the widow and family in their bereavement, and handed over their fees to the Ambulance Corps in recognition of the services rendered by the members.