MOTHER'S TRAGIC FATE

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVII, Issue 4461, 24 October 1933, Page 3

MOTHER'S TRAGIC FATE

KILLED BY £3 MOTOR CYCLE. WHEELING PERAMBULATOR. Tragedy followed the purchase of a "crock" motor cycle for £3 by a young man at Widnes, Lancashire, who wanted to commence business as a garage proprietor. z The story was told to Mr. Justice Atkinson and a jury in Manchester, when William Smith, aged 23, was charged with the manslaughter of Mrs. Hilda Morgan, and also with causing bodily harm to three other people. He was further charged with dangerous and wanton driving. Smith pleaded not guilty to all the

charges, but was convicted by the jury, who, however, added a recommendation to mercy.

Prosecuting counsel said that Mrs. Morgan, accompanied by her mother and sister, Mrs. Annie and Miss Kitty Vickerstaffe, was wheeling her baby in its pram across the street at Widnes, when Smith on his motor cycle knocked her down and killed her.

The child was thrown across the street and injured, and both Mrs. and Miss Vickerstaife were flung forward, and also received injuries. All three had since recovered.

Contrary to the Road Traffic Act, continued counsel, the motor cycle, instead of having two independent brakes, had only one, and a very inell'icient one at that. Nor was there a horn on the machine, which was entirely unsafe to be used on a public highway. After the accident it was found that the rear and only brake was broken. Smith, in the witness box, explained that he bought the machine for £3 and had dismantled it with the intention of reconditioning it for sale. The repairs had not been completed when two youths came to discuss buying it. After running the engine in the garage he took the cycle out to demonstrate to them. He was travelling at only 12 miles an hour when the brake snapped. After the jury had found Smith guilty on all counts, the judge observed that had Smith taken the motor cycle out in the streets in the ordinary way it would have been his duty to punish him very severely. "I am satisfied, however, that you only contemplated running up and down the street to show the prospective buyers what you thought the machine could do," the judge added. He passed sentence of six months' imprisonment in the second division.