South Yorkshire Times, May 5th 1933
Fall From Cycle
Wombwell Man’s Fatal Faint
A “Character”
George Graham (62), 298, Houghton Lane, Wombwell, died last Friday morning. The previous night he fell from a cycle while riding past the railway station at Wombwell Main and sustained injuries. At the inquest at Barnsley on Saturday a verdict of “Misadventure” was returned. Mr. Graham had a fractured skull and after the accident never regained consciousness. Mr. Graham, who was a bachelor, was something of a character in Wombwell for many years. He was known chiefly by his eccentricities but in certain branches of study his knowledge was wide and deep. One of his interests was phrenology on which he lectured. Mr. Graham also held “views” on diet. He was in the habit of fasting for long periods, believing that this “treatment” was an infallible cure for most ailments. He lived entirely alone in his little cycle shop and devoted a good deal of time to inventive patent devices. Mr. Graham lived a life of isolation but he would talk freely and interestingly on any subjects. At one time he took a keen interest in politics. By his death Wombwell loses an interesting personality.
A native of Heckmondwike, Mr. Graham was a son of Mr. William Campbell Graham who died in 1916. His only brother, Daniel, lived at Conisbrough for 24 years and moved to Castleford fifteen years ago. He had one sister, Mrs. Mary Littlewood, who formerly lived in Blythe Street, Wombwell but has lived in Australia for 25 years. She came to England three years ago.
The inquest at Barnsley on Saturday was conducted by the district coroner (Mr. C Haworth), who had a jury.
Mr. Daniel C. Graham said that as far as he knew his brother had had good health. Walter Kendall, miner, 25, Wombwell Main said he knew Graham well. On Thursday evening about 6 o’clock, witness was opposite the foundry near Wombwell Main station when he saw Graham descending the hill on his cycle. Graham was about 25 yards away when, without any apparent cause, he suddenly fell off his machine dropping on his left shoulder and rolling on to his head. Witness ran up to do what he could but Graham did not speak. Witness and another man carried him to an adjoining house and a doctor was summoned.
Coroner: what speed was he coming at? – very slowly sir.
Nothing ran into him or touched him? – no, sir.
So far as you can tell there was no reason why he should fall – no, sir.
Dr. Thomas I. Sibbald, house surgeon at the Beckett Hospital, said Graham was unconscious when admitted at 7.20 pm on 27th April. He had a penetrating wound and an area of abrasions on the right side of the scalp. Without ever regaining consciousness he died at 12.25 am on 28th. Witness said he had made a post-mortem examination. This revealed a fractured skull, fractured right clavicle, and fractured second rib on the right side. The injuries were the result of a fall. In reply to the coroner witness said he was quite definite on that point.
The coroner: was there anything in the organ condition that might account for the fall? Witness replied that Graham was a well-built man but the stomach was very distended and obviously he had been suffering from jaundice and gallstones for some time. His heart was small and in very poor condition. There was evidence of old pleurisy. The doctor said that in his opinion the fall was due to a sudden heart attack, and fainting arising from exhaustion through an over extended stomach. The witness said that had he not been riding a bicycle he might have survived the heart attack. The cause of death was cerebral compression following a fracture of the skull.
Edwin Barnes, miner, 21, Cobcar Street, said he saw Graham fall from his bicycle. There was no other traffic about at the time.
P.c. Hartley said Graham had been taken away when he arrived on the scene and the cycle had been taken into the house of Mr. Dennis, 54, Wombwell Main. The machine was in perfect order.
The coroner, having observed that the cause of death was clear, a verdict of “Death by misadventure” was returned. The interment took place at Wombwell cemetery, the body being brought direct from the Beckett Hospital. The mourners consisted chiefly of relatives but a few friends from Wombwell Main were present. Among the floral tokens were many beautiful roses. The funeral arrangements were by Mr. A. Marrison. The Rector of Wombwell, (the Rev. J. St. Leger Blakeney) officiated.