Joseph Clarke Laurance
Bluff Pioneer Cemetery Devonport
DEATH
LAURANCE – At West Devonport, on April 30, 1900, Joseph Clarke, dearly loved eldest son of Thomas Arthur and Alice Laurance, aged 10 ½ years. Accidentally killed.
The Advocate 2 May 1900
FUNERAL
LAURANCE – The funeral of the late Joseph Clarke Laurance will leave his parents’ residence, Rooke Street, West Devonport, for the Bluff Cemetery, at 3 p.m. today (Wednesday) H. Weller, undertaker
The Advocate 2 May 1900
FATAL ACCIDENT AT WEST DEVONPORT
A sad accident, which terminated fatally, to a little boy occurred yesterday afternoon on the Esplanade, at West Devonport. As a steam roller came down the Esplanade, several youngsters were seen riding astride of the pole of the van attached to the crusher. They were merry enough until one of their number was seen to fall off the pole and young Bert Rudd (a telegraph messenger) made a dash to rescue the boy, but unfortunately could not reach him before one of the wheels of the van had passed over his neck and the back of his head. The victim of the accident was Joseph Clarke Laurence, son of Mr. T. A. Laurence, of Rooke Street and when picked up the poor boy was insensible, with blood gushing from his mouth, nose and ears. Mr. Halley and Mr. Joliffe picked him up and placed him in a float to convey him to his home. Meanwhile the news had quickly spread to Mr. Laurence, who mounted his bicycle and too quickly realized the sad truth that his son was so severely crushed that there was no hope of saving his life. Drs. Smith and Richardson were sent for and when the last named gentleman arrived he found the boy still breathing, but a few moments afterwards he was a corpse. The boy was a bright, smart little fellow, about 10 ½ years of age, somewhat venturesome, as a year or two ago he fell in the river and was rescued from drowning by a companion named Mansfield Burr. The accident occurred about half past 4 o’clock and although the poor little fellow breathed for nearly half an hour, the base of the skull was so badly crushed that there was no hope of his life being saved from the moment he was picked up from the ground. Superintendent Scott has arranged for an inquest to be held this afternoon.
The Advocate 1st May 1900
THE STONE CRUSHER FATALITY AT DEVONPORT
A coronial enquiry into the cause of the death of Joseph Clarke Laurence was held at the Sea View Hotel on Tuesday afternoon, before Mr. W. Aikenhead, M.H.A. (coroner), and the following jury:- Messrs A. Smith (foreman), J. Thompson, G. A. Good, W. Powell, W. G. Curwen, N. White and J. Lathey. Constable Filby conducted the enquiry.
Thomas Arthur Laurence deposed that he was a chemist at West Devonport.
The deceased was his son aged 10 1/2 years. Saw him about 1.30 on Monday afternoon, when he
was going to school. About 4.30 p.m. witness received information of an accident.
Took his bicycle and in Stewart Street he met a party conveying the boy to his home.
He was just alive at the time. Telephoned to Dr. Payne, who was not at home. Dr. Richardson
arrived shortly afterwards and he pronounced the case to be hopeless.
Deceased lived for 10 or 15 min after he was brought into the house.
He was badly bruised about the back of the head and was bleeding freely.
B. Rudd, telegraph messenger, at Devonport, deposed that he saw deceased about 4.30 p.m. on
Monday hanging on behind the steam stone crusher. Two or three other boys were also hanging on.
Saw them first near Cocker’s weighbridge, going towards the railway station. Further on he saw
young Laurence and the other boys got to the front of the van and play about on the pole, which
was behind the crusher and engine. Young Laurance fell off the pole and had no chance of escape.
He was on his hands and knees on the road and trying to recover his feet, but before he could do
so, he was knocked down by the van and two wheels passed over his head and neck. Witness ran up
to help him, but had no chance as deceased was quickly under the wheels. Witness held his head
up until Mr. Halley and Mr. Joliffe came and together helped to put him in a float.
Two or three other boys, including Bertie, the brother of deceased, were on the pole at
the time of the accident. The two men on the engine could not see the pole or the boys.
Alfred Joliffe saw deceased lying on the road bleeding with young Rudd holding his head.
Witness and Mr. Halley carried deceased to a float. He was unconscious and bleeding freely from the left ear. Was of opinion the driver of the engine could not see the boys when they were on the pole.
William Fannon saw some children hanging on the back of the van at about half-past 4 on Monday afternoon. Two men were on the engine, one driving and other steering. Did not see the accident. Saw deceased being carried to the float. The men on the engine were busy looking ahead, as teams were on the road at the time. They could not see the children on the pole.
George Tasman Cutts said he was in charge of the crushing plant. They left Finlayson’s foundry about 4.30 p.m. on Monday with the traction engine, crusher and van used for sleeping in. Witness was driving and George Walsh was steering the engine, two men being necessary for those duties. Some children followed them down from Finlayson’s but were well out of danger whenever he looked around. Did not know any of them. Had to stop the engine once to let a team pass. Was traveling slowly, about 2 1/2 miles an hour. Could not see the whole of the pole, children might be on it without his knowledge. Stopped the engine a few moments at Cockers weighbridge, then went on and just past Edginton’s, someone called out, and he at once stopped the engine. He had looked round just before to see if any children were about and those he saw were out of danger. His attention was then engaged with horses at the station. He could see very little of the pole, even if her leaned along way out of the engine. Got off the engine and saw deceased being carried away. Knew that something had happened and felt shocked, so that he did not want to look at the boy’s injuries. Was told that a child was run over and was badly hurt. Walsh also got down off the engine. Could not say whether Walsh saw deceased – To the foreman :- It was their practice to remain on the engine when going through townships. Never had an accident before. Perhaps it might be advisable to have someone to walk with the engine through streets. There was no regulations to provide for that. He was always careful to try and keep children off, but often when he cleared them away they would keep about the crusher when he had started the engine again. The van would weigh about a ton. It was not requisite to have a driver’s certificate for driving one of those engines. To the coroner: The work was too much for one man to do, especially when there were horses about as on Monday. They were going to do some crushing at the Don. Were not crushing for the town board. Only two men were required to work the crusher plant.
Charles Sydney Richardson, medical practitioner residing at Devonport, was called on on Monday about 4 or 5 p.m. to see deceased at his father’s residence. Found him unconscious, but still breathing. The pulse was very feeble and life ebbing. There had been considerable bleeding, but there was then only weeping from the ears and nostrils. Examined the injuries and found a extensive depressed fractured of the skull on the right side and a lesser one on the left side of the head. Had hot water bottles applied to the extremities, but breathing soon ceased. The wonder was there was not more injury.
The jury brought in a verdict that deceased came to his death accidentally, by the wheels of a van attacked to a stone crusher, crushing the skull. The following rider was added :- That an extra hand should be employed with the crusher when going through towns, to walk alongside it and keep the children away.
The Advocate 3rd May 1900