The
wailing of the dead march and the echo of the parting shots over the last
resting place of Major Ryerson have scarce died away. Bitter tears
have scarce died away. Bitter tears were still dropping from the
eyes of her who most mourned and missed him, when with a suddenness that
was appalling, and under circumstances that wrung sympathy from scores of
friends and even from those who were little nearer than strangers, the
grief stricken widow has once more been called to go down into the shadow
of the dark valley of sorrow.
Nothing
that has ever happened in Norfolk County has so come home to our people as
the awfulness of Mrs. Ryerson’s tribulation. Husband snatched away
in the prime of manhood and vigor, all the subsequent anxiety and
suspense, and now her one child, the solace of her widowhood, the hope of
coming years, the one pledge of her dead, last of five children given them
– his young life horribly crushed out between cruel cars – surely she
has drank of life’s bitterness to the dregs.
The story is told in
the evidence given at the inquest. What it was that brought poor
Jack to the place where he met his death will never be known. He
apparently had no companion, and except Conductor Algie no one seems to
have witnessed the accident.
the
inquest
was held
in Mechanics’ Hall on Saturday evening last by Dr. James Hayes, coroner,
and a jury composed as follows: A. D. Ellis, foreman; W. J. Thompson, John
McColl, Thos. Horton, Thos. Marshall, James Cutting, Frank A. Brown, John
Lennox, R. A. McGill, Ed. Collins, Joseph Brooks and John Hill.
The jury proceeded to view the body of the deceased at the residence of
his mother. Sleeping the sleep that knows no ending, all that
remained of the boy was exposed to sight. The face was calm and
beautiful, without the faintest hint of pain or distortion. Indeed a
slight smile appeared to be playing about the lips.
Returning to the hall, a somewhat prolonged and exhaustive enquiry
commenced. The train men were examined, also employees of the
company at the Simcoe station; then a wider range was taken and evidence
produced as the dangerous location of the switches, and the hindrance to
school work [produced] by the proximity of the trains and the frequency of
shunting. Strange to say, the only eye witness to the accident was
the conductor of the train. No one else appears to have seen the boy
in the neighborhood of the cars previously. This conductor was the
first witness.
Matthew Algie, deposed: I am a conductor on the G.T.R. About 3.35 p.m. on
Friday, 11th September I arrived at the Simcoe station with my train. I
had to cut off some cars from the train and run them in on the side
track. There was a loaded car standing on the side track, about in a
line with Jackson’s warehouse. The cars I put in on the switch
stopped at least two feet from this loaded car, leaving room for any one
to pass. The engine went out and brought in another car to couple on
to the cars I have spoken of. The shock of coupling drove these cars
back against the loaded car. At this moment I first saw the little
boy between the cars. I was standing about eight feet away.
The boy was coming along as if he was looking on the ground. He
appeared to come from the direction of the coal sheds. I saw no
other children with him. He was quite alone. Before I had time
to say anything, the boy was caught by the head between the
drawbars. I think death must have been instantaneous. His arms
rose, one dropped suddenly, the other was lowered gradually. His
feet did not seem to move. I gave a quick motion to my engineer to
move ahead. It is about two hundred yards from Jackson’s crossing
or Union street to the School House crossing. I frequently see
children on the track here, and am continually troubled with boys climbing
on the moving cars, and it does not seem as if one man could control all
the children who cross the tracks or walk upon them between these
crossings. The train men warn them off very frequently.
Walter Rutherford, brakesman on the train, saw nothing of the accident, or
the boy. First suspected that something was wrong by seeing his
conductor give a quick motion to the engineer to pull ahead.
Immediately threw the switch to permit the engine to pass out.
Wm. Thompson, of Port Dover, a car repairer, put in a good deal of his
time in the Simcoe yard about the cars, and found it a difficult matter at
times to keep children out of danger. Knew of no accident having
occurred before, but was aware that the danger was continual and only
averted at times by the care taken at the crossing by Mr. Haddow, the
watchman.
Adam Clark, station agent at Simcoe, testified that he had occupied his
present position for nearly ten years. Children congregated about
the station and switches. The danger has been increased since the
construction of the Port Rowan branch. If the trains merely passed
the station there would not be as much danger as the present practice of
shunting occasions. Had always noticed that the watchman at the
crossing was attentive to his duties.
Thomas Haddow, janitor of the school and watchman at the crossing, deposed
as to the difficulty he experienced in guarding children from accident,
particularly in the afternoon. Thought a watchman at and in the
neighborhood of the station would do good.
Chas. Fountain, formerly a watchman at the school house crossing, gave
evidence to the same effect.
Messrs. J. D. Christie and I. S. Rowat, respectively principals of the
Union and Public schools, related the obstruction and delay occasioned
school work by the noise of shunting trains. From forty-five minutes
to an hour and a quarter a day would be a low estimate of time lost.
The Port Rowan train did its shunting about the time the Primaries were
dismissed, and the danger was constant, not only at the school crossing,
but on the tracks north and south of it. Mr. Christie had even seen,
when the watchman was on the other side of the track, children attempt to
crawl beneath the cars.
After deliberation the jury returned a verdict acquitting the railway
officials of any negligence, and strongly urging the removal of the Simcoe
station to a safer location.
Throughout the enquiry, great interest was manifested by the jury and
pertinent questions were frequently put to witnesses by the foreman and
jurors.
the
funeral
took
place on Sunday afternoon, when, in the presence of a number of
sympathizing friends, a brief service was held at the residence of the
deceased by Rev. Richard Hicks, B.D. The melancholy procession was
then formed. Dr. Stanton, C. E. Barber, Esq., Mr. Vandeburg of St.
Catherines, and Mr. Jesse Ryerson, of South [h]ampton, acted as pall
bearers. Very slowly the remains were borne to Trinity church,
within which, in the dim, religious light of the Sabbath afternoon, the
casket was placed by reverent hand. The church was filled. The
rector read the grand stately burial service of the church of England
solemnly and impressively, while here and there plaintive dirge-like hymns
were sung. At the conclusion of the service the long cortege,
including Trinity Sunday School in the body, proceeded to the
cemetery. There, with saddened faces and heads bowed by grief, the
vast concourse beheld the closing scene in the tragedy which had so
affected our people. As the coffin was lowered into the grave and
the words pronounced "Earth to earth and dust to dust." the
uppermost thought in the minds of the spectators was voiced by one lady
present, who exclaimed sobbingly, "He was the only son of his mother,
and she is a widow."
