Arthur Whetton - Photographer

   It is with much regret we have to chronicle the death, from injuries sustained by being thrown from his bicycle, of Mr. Arthur Whetton, only son of Mr. J. Whetton, Postmaster, Deddington. The deceased, who was thirty-nine years of age, a married man with two young children, carried on the business of a stationer at the Post Office, Deddington, and was agent for the Prudential Assurance Company. He also assisted his father in the postal work, and was in the habit every morning of taking letters to North Aston. On Wednesday 9th inst.Mr Arthur Whetton left home as usual some time before seven o-clock, on his bicycle on his bicycle, carrying the letters in his pockets. To the handle-bar of his bicycle was strapped a small tin "bottle"can, in which it was his custom to bring milk from North Aston for the use of his family. It is believed that in descending a hill near the brickyard outside Deddington, the can by some means caused Mr. Whetton to be thrown from his bicycle, for very soon afterwards he was found in the road near the centre of the hill, within a few feet of his machine, bleeding from a wound on the head and suffering from a fracture of the base of the skull. Although there was some rain on Wednesday morning, the roadway at the spot where the sad mishap occurred was stated to be comparatively dry, there being trees overhead and there was no trace of the bicycle having skidded, nor was any obstacle observed in the roadway likely to impede the machine. The fact that the bicycle was lying within a couple of yards of the injured man, and that it was undamaged, points to the conclusion that he was not riding at a fast pace. Mr. Whetton when first seen appeared to be crawling on his hands and knees in a dazed condition, but almost immediately he lapsed into unconsciousness. With all speed he was removed home, and attended by Dr. Jones, but medical skill was of no avail. The case was hopeless from the first, and death took place, without the slightest return to sensibility, just twenty-four hours after the accident happened.

THE INQUEST
  Mr. G. Coggins, Coroner for North Oxon, held an enquiry into the circumstances attending the melancholy occurrence, at the Unicorn, on Friday morning. Supt. Sutton and Inspector Hope were present, and the following were sworn on the jury:—Messrs. Jos. Hopcraft (foreman), W.H. Dodwell, T.A.Manchip,  F.R. Cowley, H.C. Mason, S.French, W.Page, W.J.French, J. Baines, B.W.Hicks, J.T.Higham, and F.Finch.
  The Coroner, in opening the enquiry, spoke in feeling terms of the sad nature of the occurrence, and said the deceased was well known and very highly respected in Deddington and the neighbourhood. He was sure they all sympathised deeply with the father and wife and family of the deceased, whom they had looked upon as succeeding his father in the duties of Postmaster at that place, an office which Mr. John Whetton had so ably filled for very many years.
  The jury having viewed the body, the following evidence was taken:—
  John Whetton deposed: I have been Postmaster at Deddington since October, 1869. The deceased, Arthur Whetton, was my son, and was thirty-nine years of age. He was a stationer, and also agent for the Prudential Assurance Company, and lived with me, carrying on his business at my house. With the exception of a cold, from which, however, he had recovered, he has been very well of late. He has been used to riding a bicycle for many years and was an experienced cyclist. He had assisted me in the Post Office for some years, and was my only son. He has been in the habit every morning of going to North Aston,  a distance of between two and three miles, to deliver letters. On Wednesday morning he left the Post Office on his bicycle a little after six o'clock. It was raining a little at the time. He had not more than a dozen letters which he carried in his pocket. Strapped in front of the bicycle was a small tin can, holding about a quart, which he was in the habit of taking with him to bring back milk from North Aston. A little before seven o'clock, Mr George Beesley came to me at the Post Office and said my son had had an accident on Deddington Hill, and that a doctor had been sent for. I immediately accompanied Beesley to the spot, and saw my son lying on the right-hand side of the road, about half-way down the hill. Someone was holding him up. He was unconscious. I wiped his face, there being a little blood on the mouth. A trap was there belonging to Mr Charles Bennett, and I gave orders for my son to be removed home. He was taken home at once. Dr Jones came out of his house as we passed and walked up with me. The doctor subsequently made an examination, and attended deceased until his death, which happened between saix and seven o'clock yesterday morning. My son leaves a widow and two infant children.

  Joseph Callow deposed: I am carter for Mr. W. Hawkes, the Earl's Farm, and live in New Street, Deddington. On Wednesday morning, about eighteen minutes to seven, I was returning from breakfast, and saw Mr. Arthur Whetton on his bicycle coming from the direction of the back of his father's house, down the lane into the Market Place, by the corner of Mr Tucker’s grocer' shop.  He said "Good morning, Joseph," and I said "Good morning, Mr. Whetton." There was a tin can either in his hand or fixed to the handle-bar of the bicycle. Mr Whetton went in the direction of Hudson Street, riding at a slow pace having only just started. It was raining at the time. I did not see him afterwards.

John Austin, Deddington, deposed: I take some keeping of Mr. Dodwell on the Downs, and to get to the field, which adjoins Plumdown Lane, I have to go along the Oxford Road. I was on the road, near the second brickyard, coming in the direction of Deddington, just before seven o'clock on Wednesday morning. It was raining a little. I was riding horseback, and going down the hill, near the gate leading into Mr. Hopcraft's dairy-ground, I passed a young man named Arthur Wilkins or Gibbs. Before getting to the first brickyard I saw Thomas Smith sitting under a tree on the left-hand side coming along, close to Mr. Roddis' land. I was trotting the horse, and drew up to a walking pace on getting to Smith. On going round the bend of the road, looking up the hill for Deddington, I saw a man lying in the centre of the roadway about half-way up the hill. I went along about twenty or thirty yards, and then saw the man go on his hands and knees to the left-hand side of the road. I did not know who the man was until I got close to him. Before he moved he appeared to be lying on his right side, and there was a bicycle lying opposite to him on the right-hand side. On reaching him I found it was Mr. Whetton, who was then near the gutter, lying on his left side, his head pointing up the hill and resting on his arm. There was blood on his face and also on the ground about two yards from where he was lying, the bicycle being in the road about two or three yards away from him. I asked him whether he was much hurt. He groaned but did not speak, and I found he was unconscious. There was no one else present. I saw no stone or anything in the road likely to cause an impediment to the bicycle. I waited till Smith came up, and he remained with Mr. Whetton while I went for Dr. Jones. I afterwards requested Mr. Beesley, with whom I lodge, to go and tell Mr. John Whetton what had happened.
  By the Jury: The deceased was lying in about the steepest part of the hill, under some trees. I have no idea of the cause of the accident. The road was damp, and I should say it was greasy. The time was about ten minutes to seven. 
  Arthur Gibbs deposed: I live at the old toll gate house, on the Oxford Road, Deddington, and work for Mr. H. R. Franklin, builder. On Wednesday morning, about ten minutes to seven, I was going to my work, and saw Mr. Arthur Whetton close to the ditch on the left-hand side of the road as I was going to Deddington. He was on his hands and knees, moving about and groaning. I spoke to him but he made no answer. His head was pointing up the hill. I do not think he understood what I said when I spoke to him. There was a bicycle lying in the middle of the road, a short distance away in the direction of North Aston, and I removed it to the side of the road. There was a bottle can strapped to the bicycle. There was blood in the road, and Mr. Whetton's mouth was full of blood. There was in the road no impediment of any kind. The ground where Mr. Whetton lay was dry and hard, the rain not having dropped through the trees. There was no mark on the road of the bicycle having "skidded." I went to the first brickyard and got some cold water, thinking it might do Mr. Whetton good, and told Mrs. Matthews, who followed me to the deceased. I tried to give him some water, but he could not take it. He moaned, but made no effort to drink the water. There was a scar on his head. I waited for a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes, and then Mr. Percy Bennett came with a cart. Mr. John Whetton also came up, and I helped to put Mr. Arthur Whetton into the cart. There was a mackintosh cape lying on the side of the road, two or three yards from the deceased. On the road, about a couple of yards from where he was lying, I found a threepenny piece and three pennies.
  By a Juror: I heard the deceased say two or three times "Oh, dear; oh, dear." I did not notice if the mackintosh was torn. Deceased's cap was lying in the road.
  George Horatio Jones, medical practitioner, Deddington, deposed: I knew the deceased very well, and on Wednesday morning I was informed that he had met with an accident. Between seven and eight o'clock I saw his father in the New Street and accompanied him and the deceased, who was in a cart, to the Post Office. Deceased, who was thoroughly unconscious, was removed into the house, and I subsequently made an examination. There were radiating fractures, four in number, proceeding from the base of the skull, involving the ear of the right side, the eye socket of the right side, and the back of the throat. There was a smaller fracture running to the back of the head, and one on the left side running up to but not involving the left ear. It was impossible to do anything, and deceased never recovered consciousness, but died about twenty minutes to seven the following morning. There was haemorrhage from the nose and ear, and also an escape of brain fluid. The injury was quite consistent with being thrown from a bicycle on the highway.
  This was all the evidence, and the jury at once returned a verdict of "Accidental death," several of the jurors expressing the opinion that the tin can attached to the front part of the bicycle was the cause of the accident, probably by the deceased's knee coming in contact with it. 
  The Coroner said he thought the jury would agree with him in expressing their deepest sympathy with Mr. Whetton, and Mrs. Whetton and family in the great loss they had sustained.
  The Jury unanimously endorsed the Coroner's expression.
  The Foreman said the jury wished to ask the Coroner to write to the Cyclists' Touring Club, requesting that a notice board to ride with caution be placed at the top of the hill on which the accident happened.
  The Coroner said he should be pleased to comply with the wish of the jury in that respect.
  The Foreman added that he did not know whether that was the proper time and place to mention the matter, but the speed at which motor cars travelled in the neighbourhood was a source of great danger to the public. He had seen one going at a rate of quite thirty miles an hour.
  The Coroner said the jury could not go into that subject. 
  The Foreman said action ought to be taken by somebody. The proceedings then terminated.

THE FUNERAL
  Deceased was Noble Grand of "Ye Olde Castle" Lodge of Oddfellows, and had taken great interest in the Lodge since its formation. He would in all probability, had he lived, attended the annual Movable Assembly to be held at Portsmouth this year in Whitsun week. He was also a trustee of the Lodge, and a most successful brother in introducing new members. Between eighty and ninety brethren attended the funeral on Saturday, including representatives from the Cherwell Valley Lodge, Aynhoe; Walton Lodge; Prince of Wales Lodge, Oxford; Grenville Lodge, Buckingham; Britons' Lodge, Market Harborough; St. George's Lodge, West London; and Court Robin Hood Foresters was represented by Bro. H. C. Mason, C.R. Some beautiful floral wreaths were sent, amongst them being one from the officers and members of Ye Olde Castle Lodge, No. 7,474, "with affectionate regard and deepest sympathy." Other wreaths were from Mrs. Whetton, Frank and Harry, Mrs. Turner, Mr and Mrs T Bennett,  Messrs. E. and P. Street, Mr. and Mrs. Barnaby Churchill, Mr. C. Bennett and family, Flo and Charlie and little Queenie, Mrs. W. Churchill and Misses Churchill, and several others, including relatives. The funeral service was choral, with the 39th Psalm, the hymns being "O God, our help in ages past," and "Days and moments quickly flying." The Vicar (Rev. T. Boniface) conducted the service. The brethren of the different Lodges wore sprigs of thyme in their button-holes, and, according to custom as they filed past the grave, they deposited the sprigs upon the coffin. The funeral arrangements were under the direction of Bro. T. Smith, the secretary
  The Vicar, in his sermon on Sunday evening, made a touching reference to Bro. Whetton's sad death, and paid a tribute to his memory. At a meeting of the members of "Ye Olde Castle Lodge"  on Monday night, a resolution was passed conveying the Lodge's heartfelt sympathy with Mrs. Whetton and her family in their great bereavement.