FELL THIRTY-SIX FEET

Northern Advocate, 21 August 1929, Page 3

FELL THIRTY-SIX FEET

WELLINGTON BOY KILLED. TRAGEDY AT HARROW SCHOOL. London dies to hand state that the friends of Mrs G. Elgington, of Lowry Bay, Wellington, will feel deep sympathy for her in the bereavement she has suffered in the accidental death of her son, Michael Williams, at Harrow School.

Young Williams, whose age .was 15, died after falling 30ft. from a. window. Mr Arthur W. Siddons, housemaster of Rendall’s sehoolhouse, Harrow, said at the inquest that, the boy was always bright .and happy. His* father was dead.

Williams had boon excused'*’school ou the day of the accident. The window from which they believed he fell was a narrow one, not one out of which a boy could fall accidentally. The boy was keen on bird-nesting and had told two other boys that he would look to see if there were any nests under the caves of the roof.

"I have since .found," said Mr Siddons, “that there is a bird's nest there. On the window ledge, which is very steep, there is a new scratch, apparently made by the nail of a boat, and when Williams was found on the ground one of his hands was dirty as though he had been feeling along the gutter. Near the body was an eggshell. The window was not in Williams' room, but he w*»s quite free to go there. He had done a lot of birdnesting during the term and had collected many eggs."

The coroner said there was no evidence to show that it was anything but an accident, and expressed sympathy with the boy’s mother, who was not present. A' verdict of accidental death was returned-

Michael Williams was the grandson of the late Mr and Mrs T. O, Williams, for so many years well-known residents of Wellington,