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Article taken from an original newspaper cutting dated 1899, transcribed by Sarah Gilbert.

Sad Fatal Accident to a Burton Youth

It is with the deepest regret we have to chronicle a distressing accident which occurred at Bulwell Station, near Nottingham, on Monday evening, and resulted in the untimely death of Arthur Donald Fox Boardman, eldest son of Mr. J. Boardman, the popular headmaster of the Burton Latimer Church of England Day Schools.

Prior to leaving Burton Latimer, deceased was engaged as pupil teacher in his father’s school, where he was always a great favourite amongst both teachers and scholars. As a scholar he was particularly clever and studious, and being of a bright and cheerful disposition his loss will be felt keenly and his death deeply deplored by all who knew him.

Deceased, after successfully passing his examination, left Burton just over twelve months ago to take up a position as clerk in the goods department of the Midland Railway Company at Bulwell Station, and it was while carrying out these duties that he met with his painful death. It appears that part of deceased’s work, before leaving off in the evening, was to carry letters from his office to Bulwell Station. On Monday evening deceased, probably thinking that he was a little behind time, placed the letters into the guard’s van himself, and with the intention of riding to the end of the platform, stood on the footboard of one of the carriages when the train started. How the accident really did occur will never be known, but it is supposed that in attempting to jump off the train, deceased must have slipped, with the result that he fell between the platform and the carriages, the wheels of which went right over his legs. He was picked up by a porter in an unconscious condition, and was immediately placed in a train and conveyed to the General Hospital at Nottingham.

On examination by the house surgeon the poor fellow was found to be suffering from severe injuries to his thigh and feet and from shock to the system and great loss of blood. It was found imperative to amputate the injured leg, but there was a very faint chance of his recovery, and he died just before midnight. Deceased was unconscious up to the time of his death, and therefore never made any statement as to how the accident happened. The father was telegraphed to by the railway officials soon after the accident occurred, and proceeded to Nottingham by the first available train, but not in time to see his son alive.

The news of the distressing fatality was received in Burton with feelings of the deepest regret, and much sympathy was felt on all hands with the bereaved parents and friends, all of whom were utterly distracted on learning the news.


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