Western Mail Friday April 16th 1926.
Exceptional interest was taken in an inquest conducted by Mr. W.R. DAUNCEY at Tredegar on
Thursday on Gwendoline Maud BURR 12, who died on Monday following injuries received when a
central wooden pillar of a giant's stride in the playground of the local park
collapsed.
The coroner was assisted by a jury.
Mr. J. Trevelyan PHILLIPS (clerk to the council) represented that authority.
Dr. E.T.H. DAVIES said the child was dead when admitted to the hospital. There was a scalp
wound behind the ear. The post-mortem examination showed a fracture of two ribs, which had
penertrated the lung, and a partial dislocation of the neck, but there was no fracture of
the skull. Death was due to shock following the injuries.
Margaret DAVIES 13, said she went with Gwendoline BURR and had a swing with two other
girls on the stride. Some boys came down and asked for a swing, and witness got off. The
boys started to swing, and the post began to rock. She told them it was rocking, and two
of the boys gave the swings back to the girls, but the other two remained on. Witness and
they kept on swinging. She then heard the posts cracking and let her chain go, "and
so did Gwennie." They ran away from it in different directions, but as she ran
Gwennie stumbled on a stone and fell, and the post came down on top of her. The post had
been rocking for a long time past.
In reply to Mr. PHILLIPS, witness said she thought the post was shaking a little last
year.
Answering the foreman, she said Gwennie was struck by the ring on the top of the post.
Charles BLAKE, park superintendent, said the post had snapped level with the concrete. He
examined it three weeks ago and reported to the council that something should be done to
steady it, as there was a quarter-of-an-inch play between the post and the concrete base.
He did not report from the point of view of danger, as the wood was apparently sound and
about 15in. thick.
The Coroner: Didn't you know that the greater portion of the post has absolutely
rotted and crumbles away when you put a knife into its soft spongy wood? Do you know that
it is a rotten piece of wood? -Witness: Yes, now.
Witness said the post, which was of elm, was erected in 1916. He should prefer oak for the
purpose.
James BARSON, the park-keeper, said there was rot visible on the outside of the post, but
he did not think at the time that it was more than bark rot. He himself went on it to test
it on April 2nd.
Summing up, the Coroner said the council was not bound to erect the apparatus, but having
erected it it had a duty to keep in good condition. It was common knowledge that big boys
used it, and this increased the responsibility of the council. The examination made by the
park officers were nothing more nor less than a farce. The dry rot could be seen by
looking at it. In his opinion BLAKE and BARSON had greatly failed in their duty. They
should have seen the rot and reported it sothat a complete test could be made.
The jury in returning a verdict of "Death by misadventure" said that with regard
to BLAKE and BARSON that they thought there was some negligence. They also thought after
the matter had been reported and the council had instructed the surveyor to make an
inquiry and report there was some negligence on the part of the surveyor; there was no
report, as the matter had gone by a month. They expressed sympathy with the relatives.
Replying to the coroner, Mr. PHILLIPS (clerk to the council) said that due notice would be
taken of the remarks made.
Lloyd COPPEN 50, a Cwm collier, was summoned at Ebbw Vale on Thursday for assaulting Mrs.
Caroline GRIFFITHS, whose eyesight is impaired and who had to be led into court by her
husband. COPPEN denied the offence.
Mrs. GRIFFITHS said that the man struck her and she fell to the ground. He kicked her, and
then threw two stones at her, one of which hurt her leg very badly.
COPPEN'S daughter married her son, but after three weeks they separated. Defendant
came to her house to thrash her son, and because she told him to get out he struck her.
A witness stated that prosecutor's son had a poker and COPPEN had a stone. They agreed
to drop the "weapons," and a struggle on the ground started immediately
afterwards.
COPPEN told the bench that there was a discussion about the difficulties between the two
young people. When they were outside the son struck him suddenly on the jaw. He fell to
the ground, and was then gripped by the throat, but wriggled free. The father and mother
joined in the struggle.
The Bench dismissed the case.
An assistant at Messrs. FANBURY'S costumiers, Queen-street, Cardiff, Miss Jessie
JAMES, of Moy-road, Roath, Cardiff, had a lucky escape from serious injury during the
lunch hour on Thursday.
It is believed that the assistant who was out on the roof, being unable to open a door to
return , attempted to get through a window when she slipped and fell backwards through a
fanlight into the shop. She must have fallen at least eighteen feet and crashed to the
floor with terrific force. She was attended by a nurse, but it is stated that she was not
seriously injured.
Finding the gate open William John CRAXFORD (2 years), son of a Panteg steelworker,
wandered off to a duck pond which his father had often taken him to see the birds, and
was drowned in ten inches of water.
Mrs. Elizabeth JONES, the child's grandmother, giving evidence at the inquest on
Thursday, described how she missed him from the garden. The duck pond was 250 yards away.
The Coroner (Mr. D.J. TREASURE): I don't want to blame you, but I do think you should
have exercised a little more care and kept the garden gate closed.
A verdict of "Accidental death" was recorded.
John Patrick