Fatal Fall at Rushden
Down Dangerous Stairs

The circumstances attending the death of Ada Emily Minney, aged 13, daughter of a shoe hand living in Pemberton-street, formed the subject of an inquest by Mr. J. T. Parker (Coroner) at the Oakley Inn, Rushden, on Tuesday evening, Mr. H. Sparrow was foreman of the jury.

The first witness called was the mother of the deceased, who said that at about twenty minutes past nine in the morning she left deceased upstairs dressing. About five minutes afterwards witness heard something fall downstairs and on going out found deceased at the foot of the stairs lying on her side with her head on the bricks. Witness held her up while the grandmother came, which was about a minute afterwards. Witness and the grandmother got deceased in a chair and Mr. Knight, a neighbour came in. There was no injury that witness could see, but deceased did not speak. Deceased was then put to bed and apparently went to sleep. At about three o’clock she woke up and said

“Oh Mother, My Head.”

Deceased knew her father and afterwards asked for a little milk. After drinking a little milk she relapsed into unconsciousness. Deceased had a little milk again in the night. Witness went for a doctor in the afternoon, but did not get one, though she went for Dr. Owen and Dr. Panton. When witness got back, deceased seemed better and witness did not go for a doctor again. At about three o’clock that (Tuesday) morning there was a change in deceased’s appearance, and witness sent her husband for a doctor, but deceased died at about ten minutes past three. Witness also sent for Mr. Knight and Mrs Harrison, neighbours, who were present at the death.

In reply to the Coroner, witness said the deceased had fallen down the stairs about a year previously and hurt her head. The stairs were very steep and had no rail.

The Coroner: Why didn’t you

Send For a Doctor Sooner?

Witness: We thought she would get better when she had had a little sleep.

The Coroner: Weren’t you advised to send for a doctor?

Witness: Mr. Knight said it would be the best, and I did go to Dr. Owen’s and Dr. Panton’s

The Coroner: But this would not wait. Dr. Owen and Dr. Panton would not have been offended if you had sent for some other doctor in such a case of emergency.

Isaac Minney, the father of the deceased, said he was away from home when the accident happened but was sent for at about 10.30. When he got home, he found deceased in bed and thought she was asleep. He had to go out during the day, but sat up with the deceased during the night. Deceased asked for drink, and had some milk. From hearing her speak, witness thought there was not so much the matter. If he had thought there was anything serious the matter he would have sent for a doctor at tea-time.

The Coroner: It’s always as well

To Err on the Safe Side

Walter Knight, finisher, Pemberton-street, said he had had some ambulance training. He saw deceased at about twenty minutes to ten. She was sitting in an arm-chair, unconscious. Witness found a bruise on the right side of the girl’s skull, and he bathed her head but she did not come round. Witness carried the deceased to bed and advised the mother to send for a doctor. Mrs. Minney said she would wait a little longer and see how she went on. Later in the day witness told the mother she ought to have had somebody in sooner. Mrs. Minney did go for a doctor, but did not get one. Witness was fetched in again just before the girl died. She died quietly, apparently without pain.

In reply to the Coroner, witness said he had heard it mentioned that the parents were not in a club and he gathered that they would have sent for a doctor if they had been. Mrs. Harrison advised the parents to send for a doctor.

Dr. Panton said he was fetched to attend the deceased that morning between three and four o’clock and

Found Her Dead

on his arrival. Mrs. Minney had called in the afternoon and was told to come back in an hour’s time if she still wished him to attend. She did not return, and in such cases a doctor took it for granted that another doctor had been called in. Witness examined the body of the deceased both when he was called in and later. He found the body well developed and healthy, but saw no trace of a bruise on the head or fracture of the skull. It was possible that the bruise spoken of by Mr. Knight might have disappeared. The only internal mark was a slight bruising of one of the fingers. There was no appearance to account for death, but deceased might have sustained severe concussion and laceration of the brain, followed by internal haemorrhage.

In reply to the Coroner, the witness said he could not say that if he had been called in earlier he could have prolonged life to any appreciable degree. It was quite possible that the unconscious state in which the deceased was

Might Be Mistaken

for sleep, especially having regard to the unusual circumstance of her coming round.

The coroner in the course of his summing up said he thought a little more alertness might have been shown in getting a doctor but he didn’t like to say too much on that score as the poor people had lost their child. They were deceived by the child apparently falling asleep, but it was well to err on the safe side.

The Foreman of the jury observed that the stairs were very dangerous.

The jury found that deceased met her death as the result of an accident and requested that the owner of the house should be written to and asked to fix a hand-rail on the stairs.