This report of the death of George Froggatt, who drowned in the beck at the bottom of Westgate, Wakefield, was published in the Wakefield Express on 27th October 1927. I am grateful to his great grand-daughter, Sharon Lamb, for providing me with this story. Sharon adds that a wall was erected all along both sides of the beck as a result of him drowning.
THE DANGERS OF A WAKEFIELD BECK.
CAN IT BE FENCED IN ANY WAY?
TRAGIC DEATH OF A WAKEFIELD MAN.
HOW A DOUBLE FATALITY WAS AVERTED.
The dangers of pedestrians walking into the open beck at the bottom of Westgate, Wakefield, has again been emphasized by the death of a Lupset miner and the narrow escape of his mate through walking into the stream late on Saturday night. The unfortunate man was George Froggatt (57) of 39 George a Green Road, Lupset, and the more fortunate man Edward Lane, colliery by-worker, 71 Flanshaw Lane.
The inquest was held at Wakefield Town Hall on Monday morning by the Deputy Coroner (Mr. S. H. B. Gill) and a jury , and Mr. T. N. Grimshaw (deputy Town Clerk) attended the proceedings, and produced a plan of the place.
The evidence was to the effect that Froggatt left home on Saturday afternoon to go to a football match, and the next information his wife received of him was about eleven o'clock, when a police officer came and told her that he had fallen in the water. It appeared that at 6.30 Froggatt met his friend Lane in a public-house, where they had two pints of beer each. They later visited another hostelry, and there had another two pints each. The proceeded home at ten o'clock. They got near to the Westgate beck about 10.30, and, according to Lane, made to go towards the back of the public convenience there. It was rather dark, and Froggatt went too far and went into the beck, while Lane, who got hold of his friend's coat, was also pulled in. The stream was high at the time, and both men went towards the culvert which takes the water underneath Westgate, Lane tried twice to grab the hand of his friend, but it slipped away, and through the suction of the water Froggatt was dragged under the culvert. Lane, in answer to the Coroner, said they were not drunk, but he admitted they were unsteady.
The most important witness was Harold Atkinson, upholsterer, 18, Roundwood Rise, Lupset, who was in the public convenience when he heard a splash in the water, and on investigating saw Lane walking in the water up to his waist . The man was in a staggering condition and was calling out, 'O my pal, where's my pal? Save my pal.' Lane then went towards the archway of the culvert, and Atkinson called of him several times to come back. Just as Lane was going underneath, and appeared to be collapsing, Atkinson was able to get hold of him by getting hold of the piping which goes across the to of the arch. When brought to the bank side the man collapsed, and was later taken to the police station, where his clothes were dried. Atkinson just prior to this incident had seen two men staggering on the opposite side of the road near by the Prison, as though they were making for Plumpton buildings.
P.C. Irving, who was called to the spot, after attending to the man Lane, shone his light under the culvert, but was unable to see anything. After taking Lane to the police office, and P.S. Siddle had informed Froggatt's relatives, the two officers made a search from Brooksbank down to Cradock's but saw no signs of anything. It was at 8.30 on Sunday morning that Thomas Froggatt, son of the deceased, went to the police office and said the body of his father was in the beck near Salt Pie Alley. P.C. Mavir went down and recovered the body. Froggatt's son-in-law, Walter Midgley, was there at the time, and the jury seemed puzzled as to why the two men could not have pulled the body out without first having to go for the police.
The coroner in summing-up, said he did not think he could carry the matter any further. The two men had evidently had more drink than was good for them.
Members of the jury had previously mentioned the danger of this beck and the lack of any fencing, and the Deputy Town Clerk, while stating that the public had rights to the beck from the olden days of cattle drinking and watering the horses, said he would convey any recommendation that the corporation should consider the advisability of fencing off the beck if such a course was practicable.
Published in the Wakefield Express, 27th October 1927