BOYS LET MATE DROWN

Evening Star, Issue 20538, 17 July 1930, Page 14

BOYS LET MATE DROWN

" DIO MOT WANT TO GET WET " Ah extraordinary story of how *wo eight-year-old boys watched a boy oi lour with whom they had been playing drown in a canal at Birmingham, and went on with their play without telling anyone, was revealed at an inquest on John 11. Larvin, Tho other boys'were Geoffrey Sharpe and John D. Docker Sharpe maintained an attitude of indifference throughout the proceedings and tho coroner, summing up, said that while ho had no power to punish him ho advised tho parents to whip him soundly, as ho showed characteristics which wore far from pleasant. Sharp© said that he and Docker went down to tho canal, where they san Larvin and asked him to play “ pick.” While running about the tow pat Docker pushed Sharpe into Larvin, who foil into the water. Sharpe said ho did nothing to srr the child, and stated that Docker could swim, but refused to get wet. They then left the boy, who was throwing up his arms and crying, and upon seeing a man whom they thought was the “schoolboy man,” ran away to play somewhere else. Neither of the boys told their parents. Docker, however, became alarmed and told a man for whom he ran errands. A verdict of accidental death was returned.