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A millwright by the name of Walter Cudbard, who had been for some
years in the employ of Mr. Smithdale, of King-street, Norwich, and had
lately been at work at Messrs. Delane and Magnay's paper-mills at Taverham,
committed suicide on Friday last in a most horrible manner, and without
any apparent motive. The deceased, who was a very steady and trustworthy
workman, had been engaged from an early hour that morning with another
millwright on a job in one of the machine houses, but he did not make
his appearance after breakfast, which excited considerable surprise, as
the job was an urgent one, and the deceased was scrupulously attentive
to his work. He could not be found in any part of the mill, and no clue
could be obtained as to what had become of him for three or four hours
after, when the pit wheel suddenly stopped, and the other millwright,
who had been sent to ascertain the cause of the stoppage, found the mangled
trunk of the deceased in the pit; the head, which had been crushed to
fragments, being completely severed from the body, and the cogs of the
pit and pump wheels, which work into each other, being splattered with
hair and blood. The tragic cause of the stoppage was instantly apparent,
and there could be no doubt that, whether the fatality was the result
of an accident or of a deliberate intention, the deceased had been concealed
in that obscure and unfrequented part of the premises from breakfast time
- about half-past eight - until the moment of the stoppage, which occurred
about a quarter to twelve. The pit wheel, which is of enormous size, is
shut off from a dark and narrow passage by a door which is raised up to
get access to that part of the machinery, which is, however, open at the
side, where it is fenced by an iron bar, so that there is no possibility
of any one falling into the machinery by accident, without first getting
in through the shutter or under the iron bar. In the next place, the circumstance
that the deceased had evidently met his death through his head being crushed
between the cogs of the two wheels precluded the idea that he could have
fallen in, as, from the position of the wheels, he would, in that case,
have fallen not exactly between the cogs of the wheels, but below among
the arms, which would have been equally fatal, but which would have injured
his body in a very different manner to that in which it was found, the
extremities being comparatively uninjured. The deceased, moreover, had
no duty in that part of the premises, but ought to have been completing
his work in the machine-house; and therefore, though there is nothing
to account adequately for the dreadful impulse which led him to commit
so horrible an act, there can be no doubt that, perhaps during some sudden
abberation of the mind, he deliberately placed his head between the two
wheels, where it was instantly ground into atoms.
The deceased, who was 40 years of age, was unmarried, but he leaves four
children by a woman with whom he lived.
On Saturday morning, an inquest on the body was held in a room adjoining
the mills before Mr. E. Press, Esq, the county coroner, when the following
evidence was taken: -
Robert Beales, carpenter, employed at the Taverham Mills, said - Deceased
had been employed at the mills for the last five or six months. He had
been at work at the mill on previous occasions and was well acquainted
with all the parts of the machinery. It was his business to attend to
any part of the machinery which required looking to. the machinery is
very extensive and complicated. the deceased was missed yesterday a little
after nine o'clock. I had not seen him at work at all in the morning.
Enquiries were made of the workmen whether they had seen him, and he was
looked for in every part of the mill, where it was thought he might probably
be at work. It was his habit, if anything was wrong, to go about the mill
and find out where it was and put it right without awaiting for orders.
The pit wheel where the deceased was found is fenced off by a shutter,
but there is an open space at one side with an iron bar round it. It is
large enough for a man to get in. A person who wanted to see the wheels
at work could do so if he stood outside the bar, which is three feet from
the wheels. The passage is lighted by gas, and lamps are used when any
one has occaision to examine this part of the machinery. I have known
the deceased about four years. He appeared to be a very steady man, and
very attentive to his work. I saw him on Thursday night, and he spoke
to me of some work he was on, but I did not observe anything peculiar
in his manner. I was the first man who found the deceased. The wheel had
stopped, and I was told to go and see what was the reason. The shutter
was not in its proper position. I had passed the place about an hour before,
and the shutter was then up, and the wheel going all right. I saw the
body of the deceased lying under the wheel. No lamp has been found in
the pit. If I had been sent there to do anything I should have got a lamp,
and should have previously gone to the engineer and asked him to stop
the wheels. No one has any business to do anything to that part of the
machinery without first going to the engineer, and getting him to shut
off the wheels.
John Wallace deposed - I have been in Messrs. Delane and Magnay's employment
eight or ten days as a millwright and engineer. I was working with deceased
on Friday morning. We worked together from about five o'clock at the paper
machine No.2 till half-past seven o'clock, when I was ordered to go to
the beating engines. I left the deceased at work. I saw him at his breakfast
when I left at twenty minutes past eight. On returning at nine o'clock,
he was not there, and at ten o'clock not having seen him at his work at
No.2 machine, where I had gone myself to work, I made some enquiries about
him of the other workmen. He had been working under my instructions, and
as it was a very pressing job, I was surprised at his absence. I asked
the manager whether he had sent him to any other job, and he said not.
After some time, as he did not make
his appearance, some alarm was felt, and nothing having been seen of him
in any part of the mill, some began to look about the river, and there
was some talk of dragging it. I felt apprehensive that something might
have happened to him as he left so urgent a job without saying anything
about it. He was very reserved and silent in his manner, and was not like
other men. I noticed when he was at breakfast that morning that he was
very flushed in the face, as if he had been at a hard job, which was not
the fact. I do not think that the deceased could have had any business
with the pit wheel. I have examined the wheel since this occurrence, and
find that the brackets which carry the wheel and the water-pumps are broken.
The stoppage of the wheel led me to examine that part of the machinery.
It was supposed that some foreign substance had got in between the wheels
- that perhaps a belt and fallen in between, and thus stopped the wheels.
The discovery of the deceased's body at once accounted for the stoppage.
The feet were upwards, and the head away from the body, and the latter
then dropped down below the wheel. The brains and part of the skull were
on the floor. There was some of the deceased's hair on the cogs of the
wheel. I have no doubt that his death was immediate, and that his head
was the first part that came in contact with the wheel, and that then
the wheel stopped at once. The only way that I can account for the occurrence
is that the deceased actually went and put his head between the wheels.
I do not think that he could have fallen in, or that he could have been
drawn it at that part. The place is too high up for that. If a man fell
in he would fall between the wheels and not on the cogs, and the nature
of the accident would have been very different. The shutter was fast at
the bottom, but the top part had sprung through the breakage of the machinery.
It struck me when I first met him on Friday morning, about five o'clock,
that there was something on his mind, for he crossed me, on going towards
the mill, and merely bowed, without saying "good morning," and
passed on. I thought it very strange that he should not wait for me as
he was within a few yards, and we were both on the same work. His mind
appeared to be occupied with something; he seemed to be full of thought.
By a juror. - I do not think that he felt any jealousy towards me. He
never showed the slightest signs of unfriendliness - merely reserve. As
he was a borrowed man, I do not think he could have considered himself
superseded by me.
Mr. Thomas Smithdale, millwright, of King-street, Norwich, deposed - The
deceased has been in my employ about eight years, and at different periods
he has been lent to Messrs. Delane and Magnay for weeks or months together,
whenever they wanted him. He still remained in my employment and was paid
by me. I considered him to be one of the most trustworthy men I had in
my employ. He was a sober and steady man, and was thoroughly to be depended
upon. I saw him last Saturday evening in Norwich, when he came for his
wages. He would often stop on occaisions for nearly half an hour, describing
the work he had been engaged in at the mill during the week. He made particular
mention to me of this very spot where he was killed. He considered that
the water-wheel wanted some trifling repair, and he said that he had occaisionally
gone there to listen if he could learn what was the matter with that part
of the machinery. I asked him if he had been sent there to examine the
wheels, and he said no, but that he had frequently gone over the mill
on his own account to see if there was anything wanted doing which might
save a great deal of expence if done in time. He was that sort of man
that if he thought there was anything wrong, he would no rest until he
found out what it was. He was not the sort of man to leave his work. If
I were going to examine the wheels myself I should prefer going round
at the back of the pumps to going through the door or shutter, as I should
not consider it so dangerous while the wheels were at work. He never expressed
and dissatisfaction at his employment; on the contrary, I have heard him
speak in the highest terms of many of his workmen, and especially of the
principals. Last Saturday night he asked my leave to come home to his
old work, as he said he was uncomfortable. I understood him to refer to
his being away from his family. I told him I though he had better stop
as long as Messrs. Delane and Magnay had anything for him to do. I have
never observed the least deviation in his temper all the time I have known
him, which is nearly thirty years. His general habits were not indicative
of the least mental unsoundness; he was a peculiarly even-tempered man,
and not at all excitable.
Frederick Randall. - I keep the Red Lion at Drayton, and the deceased
has lodged with me for the last three or four months. He was a very honest
and sober man. For a few days before his death, I noticed that he looked
very weary and out of spirits, particularly on Thursday evening. He used
to read to me in the evening, but the last few evenings he had not done
so. I asked him whether he was not well, and whether I could get him anything,
but he merely replied that he was not as well as usual. He seemed full
of thought and study. I have heard him say that he should like to have
the position of millwright at the mill, formerly held by Mr. Lumsden,
who died lately. I never heard him say that it was promised to him. I
asked him why he did not apply for it, and he said he did not like to,
lest he should not get it, and his master might be angry and think he
was dissatisfied with his present place. Last Wednesday night, when he
came in, he said to me - "Randall, they have got another Scotchman
down at the mill to take my place."
Mr. William Avery, foreman to Messrs. Delane and Magnay, said he had known
the deceased for about four years. He had always found him to be a very
steady, sober, and honest man, and never knew him to absent himself from
work. He never expressed any dissatisfaction to witness.
The CORONER, in summing up, observed that the jury had seen from the situation
of the wheels that there could not be the slightest reflection upon the
proprietors for not having their machinery not properly protected and
fenced off. The questions for the consideration of the jury were - first,
whether the fatality was the result of an accident or was a deliberate
act on the part of the deceased; and secondly, if they came to the conclusion
that he had committed suicide, what wasthe state of his mind at the time.
The jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict to the effect
that the deceased committed
suicide, but that there was no evidence as to the state of his mind at
the time.
Norfolk Chronicle - 10th March 1862
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