Killed by a Pig

At Galway on Sunday night a child named Mullins was, during the absence of its parents, attacked by a pig.  Its throat and chest were so lacerated that it died in a short time.  The pig dragged the child out of the house by the throat into the street.  This is the second fatal accident of the kind at Galway within a month.  (Yorkshire Post, December 2nd, 1873)

Signalman's Fate

    Colleague Shuts His Eyes to Grim Spectacle.

    A verdict of "Accidental Death" was returned by the Leeds Coroner at an inquest today on George Arthur Appleton (46), railway signalman, of Nowell Parade, Harehills, who died at the Leeds Infirmary yesterday as the result of being knocked down by a train on the North-Eastern railway line just outside Leeds on the previous day.

    Richard Herbert, signalman, who relieved Appleton at the signal-box, said he saw him go towards Leeds station on the four-foot way.  He noticed that a train coming from Marsh Lane was almost on top of Appleton, and he shouted, "Look out, George!" but it was too late.  When he saw the engine would inevitably go over Appleton, he momentarily shut his eyes.  He looked again after the train had passed.  Appleton had been pushed about 15 feet by the engine.

    Witness said that at the time a train was passing from Leeds, and probably the noise of this train drowned that of the other.

    The driver of the engine said that he had no idea that he had run over a man until he arrived in Leeds station.  He then found a piece of brown jacket hanging to one of the exhaust pipes.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, November 22nd, 1922)

Low Life in Birmingham

At Birmingham to-day, the Coroner's jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against John Patchett, cabinet brass worker, who on Friday night, in his house in St. Luke's Road, stabbed his wife in the neck with a pocket-knife, causing death within an hour.  Both were addicted to drink and led an unhappy life, the wife having pawned almost everything in the house.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, April, 1891)

Caught by the Reaping Machine

On Saturday evening, a girl aged three or four years, daughter of John Hay, cotman, Holms Farm, Dalrymple, strayed into a field of grain where reaping operations were going on.  Being unobserved by the driver, she was caught by the reaping machine, which completely cut off one of the poor child's feet, and lacerated the other.  She was taken to Ayr Hospital, where she is doing as well as can be expected.  (Leeds Times, September 22nd, 1877)

Bitten by a Snake

    Serious Condition of English Tourists.

    NEW YORK, Monday.—Mr. Edward Bosanquet, son of the well-known English banker, was bitten on Saturday by a rattlesnake while he was out shooting near Dayton, Florida.  The snake struck him on the inside of the leg above the ankle.  Mr. Evelyn Walker, who was with Mr. Bosanquet, immediately applied his mouth to the wound, and endeavoured to suck out the poison.  Then having tightly bandaged the wounded leg, Mr. Walker raised his friend upon his shoulder and carried him to Dayton.

    It is feared, however, that all these gallant exertions to save the life of Mr. Bosanquet have proved of no avail.  He is reported to be in a hopeless condition.  Mr. Walker himself is also seriously ill.  It seems that he had a slight sore on his lip, and absorbed some of the poison into his system.  On his arrival at Dayton, broken down with fatigue, he was seized with an attack which resembled partial paralysis.  Last evening, however, he was rather better, and it was believed he was out of danger.

    Mr. Bosanquet and Mr. Walker were spending the autumn and winter at St. Augustine, Mr. Walker having his family with him.  Mrs. Walker only sailed for England on Thursday.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, February 2nd, 1891)

Electric Disaster in Liverpool

(Yorkshire Evening Post, February 5th, 1901)

Girl Drunk at Fifteen

    Exemplary Fine on a Colne Landlord.

    At Colne yesterday, Richard Smith, landlord of the Jovial Hatters Inn, was charged with supplying intoxicants to a girl under 16 years of age.

    The evidence showed that the girl named Clegg, who is only 15 years of age, went to the defendant's house, where she had two small glasses of port and a small rum hot.  She went out and was found lying on the flags in a state of speechless intoxication.  An emetic had to be administered before she regained consciousness.

    The girl said her father had first taught her to drink, and she had since purchased rum in bottles at hotels.  She had sent boys for it, drunk it in the street, and thrown the bottles away.

    The defence was that the girl had been given the drink because she was ill.

    Fines amounting to £6 and costs were imposed, and the licence was endorsed.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, April 30th, 1901)

Gross Cruelty by a Pupil Teacher

The Sheffield School Board on Thursday investigated a gross case of cruelty to a lad eight years of age, named Turton, at Newhall Board School.  The boy was taken home by some of his schoolmates in a state of great agony.  A medical gentleman who examined him found the boy's head discoloured from the back to his eye, and both ears swollen and black.  Punishment was inflicted by a pupil teacher, named Sykes, in the absence of the head master, who wrote, "I never saw such marks ; it appeared as if the teacher had used his fists.  The child must have received many severe blows.  His face for a couple of inches on each side in front of the ears, and the ears themselves, were quite blue.  The injured boy is a most harmless, inoffensive, and gentle boy, not too intelligent, and very delicate."  Legal proceedings are instituted against Sykes.  (Yorkshire Post, April 6th, 1878)

Only a Cyclist

    A Tale of Two Ladies and a Dog.

    A few days ago two gentlemen were cycling from Guildford to London and when proceeding down Effingham Hill at a fair pace they overtook a carriage and pair containing two ladies.  A small fox terrier belonging to the ladies was gambolling about in the road.  As the cyclists were passing the carriage the dog got in front of one of the machines, was run over, and the unfortunate cyclist was pitched with considerable violence into the road.

    The ladies got out of the carriage and ran to the assistance of the dog, which they fondled and made a great fuss of, and then they got into their carriage and drove away without so much as casting a glance at the ill-starred cyclist, who was lying in a ditch, bruised and bleeding and nearly unconscious, and whose bicycle was doubled up beside him.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, April 30th, 1901)