A terrible fatality.
Motor-cycle crashes into timber carriage.
Ross jury and need for rear light.
The death of two youths, caused by a terrible motor-cycle crash, was the subject of an enquiry by the South Herefordshire Coroner (Mr E. L. Wallis) and a jury at Ross Cottage Hospital on Wednesday evening. The youths were Clifford H Vine (16), of the Market Place, Ross, and Ronald Henry Dazeley (17), of 1 Cowdor-villars, Ross, and they were killed when the motor-cycle which Vine was driving, and on which Dazeley was riding pillion, crashed into the rear of a horse-drawn timber carriage on the Monmouth-road a mile outside Ross, on Tuesday evening.
Jesse Charles Vine, draper, of 9 Market-place, Ross, said his son was a very clever and cautious driver. Sidney Tatman Dazeley, a journalist, said that at 7.5 p.m. on Tuesday night he was in High-street, Ross, and heard of a terrific smash the other side of Wilton Bridge. In the course of his duties he proceeded to Wilton, not then knowing who was involved in the accident, and in going to make inquiries as to who were the two young men, Superintendent Hutchinson, who was on the spot, said, “I believe one of them is your boy.” He (witness) said, “Let me have a look at him.” Both the lads were on the lorry by the roadside, and when the Superintendent removed the handkerchief he saw it was his boy.
William Harris (38), 23 Brookend-street, Ross, the driver of the timber-wagon, which was going from Llangarron along the Monmouth-road, said that at about 6.30 p.m. on Tuesday, when near Hall’s barn a car passed him, and the next thing he heard was a crash at the back. He brought his horses to a standstill, and went to the rear, where he saw a motor-cycle half over the brake of his timber carriage on the near side. He called to h is mate in front, and when they looked they saw the two young men, one nearly in the ditch and the other by the side of the road. It was dusk at the time.
The motor-cycle was wedged against the left-hand brake of the wagon. There was a white light with a red back in front of the timber carriage. On the back of the timber carriage he had fixed no light. Answering a question, witness said the headlights of the car which passed him just before the accident dazzled him, and he considered they were dazzled and lost their heads.
Evidence was also given that the motor-cycle was being driven at a moderate speed, and that Vine was found 30 feet from the timber wagon, and Dazeley 33 feet. P.C. William J. Brown considered the red glass of the light in front of the wagon would be seen at the end of the stick. Notwithstanding the car lights he thought it could be seen by the boys behind.
Vine’s skull was said to be sadly shattered and Dazeley had apparently been struck under his throat, dislocating his neck.
After some ten minutes’ deliberation, the jury returned a verdict that death was due to misadventure, and added a rider that they thought the provision of an extra lamp at the end of the stick would have prevented the accident.
Cheltenham Chronicle, 25th February 1928.
Family’s uncanny experience.
A double funeral took place at Ross Parish Church on Friday, when two youths, Ronald Dazeley and Clifford Vine, who were killed in a motor cycle accident on the previous Tuesday, were laid to rest. Since this sad occasion strange happenings at Ross have been recorded at the home of Ronald Dazeley, the third son of Mr and Mrs S.T. Dazeley, of Candor Villas, Ross.
During the latter part of the week no fewer than 19 pictures fell from the walls at night time, until Saturday night when Mr Dazeley and one of his sons took down all the pictures. The next day the pictures were rehung firmly, but while the family were at church eight had fallen.
Other peculiar happenings were the tearing of curtains, a broken candle, and the jumping of a glass plate on to the floor.
On Sunday night hats which had been placed on a bed had been placed under the bed and the sheets crossed from corner to corner. There was also an impression on the bed as though someone had rested there.
The final incident was on Sunday night when a nurse on going to the kitchen to make tea screamed, dropped the tea pot, and said she had “seen Ronald.” The nurse, who was attending Mrs Dazeley, has been given a holiday and is with her parents, and Mrs Dazeley is now staying with friends in the town.
Kington Times, 3rd March 1928.
Pictures fall and a dish jumps.
Widespread discussion has been caused in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, by reports of strange happenigs in th ehouse of Mr S T Dazeley following the death of his son, Ronald, in a motor-cycle accident. Mrs Dazeley was prostrate with grief at the death of her son, and a young nurse from the Ross Cottage Hospital, a friend, went to visit her to comfort her. At midnight, day after day, 19 pictures fell from the walls of the house, until, to ensure calmness of mind during the night, Mr Dazeley and a son took all the pictures down before retiring to bed.
The following morning, to put the matter further to the test, they re-hung the whole fo the pictures. The cords were in good condition, and each cord was wound round the hook several times. They then went to church. When they returned home they discovered that the pictures had again fallen in their absence.
Curtains were torn from the windows; candles jumped from the candlesticks and broke in two pieces; and a glass dish jumped to the floor.
In the evening, with others, Mr Dazeley again went to church, leavign his wife in the house with friends. The friends had placed their hats on a bed in an upstairs room. When they went to the bedroom later they found that the sheets had been turned in, corner to corner, and tied, and there were on the bed impressions as if someone had been sleeping there.
The culminating shock occurred the following night, when the nurse went into the kitchen to make tea. Upon entering the room she was heard to scream and to drop the teapot. When she recovered she told the family that she had seen Ronald, the dead boy, standing in front of her. The nurse was so upset by the incident that the matron of the hospital sent her to her parents. Mr Dazeley decided that for his wife to remain longer in the house might entail serious consequences, so she was sent to friends.
Diss Express, 9th March 1928.
Repeated fall of 19 pictures.
Fright for bereaved parents.
Considerable attention has been given of late to weird happenings attributed to psychic causes in more than one part of the country, and from Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, comes information of occurrences which have caused a well-known and recently bereaved family to leave their home and to take refuge with friends.
A few weeks ago two Ross youths lost their lives in a motorcycle collision. One was Ronald Dazeley, of Ross-on-Wye. His mother was prostrate with grief, and the services of a nurse from the Ross Cottage hospital were obtained.
During the latter part of the week the family were disturbed by no fewer than 19 pictures falling from the wall at midnight. This continued night after night until one night before the family had retired to rest, Mr Dazeley and one of his sons took down all the pictures in the house in order to gain some sleep.
On the following morning, to put the matter further to the test, they re-hung the whole of the pictures thus ascertaining that the cords were in good condition, and each cord was wound round the hook several times. Then they went to church. On returning they discovered that the pictures had again fallen down in their absence.
One Sunday evening Mr Dazeley and others attended a service, leaving his wife in the house with other friends. These friends had placed their hats on a bed in an upstairs room. When they went up later they found that the sheets had been turned in, corner to corner, and tied, and there were impressions on the bed as if someone had been sleeping there.
Civil and Military Gazette (Lahore), 24th March 1928.