RIVER TRAGEDY – Inquest on Mosbro’ Man

A verdict of “Death by misadventure” was returned at an inquest at Eckington on Monday on William M Batty (35)209 High Street Mosbro’ whose body was found in the River Moss Eckington Woods.

 

John Batty father of deceased said that his son had suffered from epileptic fits for the last eighteen years and they had become more frequent in recent years.  He had not worked for some time.

 

Mrs D Batty 64 Chapel Street Mosbro’ said that she last saw her brother-in-law alive at 1.45 on the previous Thursday when he was going out for a walk with his father’s dog.  He seemed quite cheerful and normal.  At 4 pm the same day witness saw the dog in a wet condition and unaccompanied.

 

Chas Gee, 76 Clowne (Chapel I think)  Street,  Mosboro’ said that he noticed the dog running about the fields on in previous Thursday.  When he was told that Batty was missing be searched for him near the spot where he had seen the dog, and he found the body lying face downwards at a point where the River Moss was about two feet deep.  There was a steep bank there.

 

Pc Lofty said the body had just been recovered when he arrived.  Marks on the bank indicated that Batty had fallen down the slope.  Dr J S Sinclair said that death was due to asphyxia by drowning.  He had attended Batty professionally for 12 years.  Batty had suffered from epileptic fits.

 

The Chesterfield district Coroner (Mr F D Worthington) returned a verdict that Batty died from asphyxia by drowning when he became unconscious during an epileptic fit which caused him to fall into the river.

 

A native of Mosbro’ Mr Batty was popularly known by the name of “MAC”  his parents were former licensees of the Blue Bell Hotel  Mosbro’. Deceased was employed at Beighton Colliery until the age of 17 when illness caused him to give up.

 

THE FUNERAL

The interment took place at Eckington Cemetery on Tuesday.  Mourners were Mr and Mrs John Batty (parents), Mrs B Rodgers Mr and Mrs T B Batty Mr and Mrs John Batty junior, Mr and Mrs A V Thompson (Killamarsh) Mr and Mrs C Batty, Mr and Mrs F Merryman, Miss I Rodgers, Mrs E Littlewood, Mr A Redfern, Mrs E Storey (Harthill), Mrs D Broadhead and Mrs A Harris.

 

Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald – Friday 27 March 1942