How a brilliant young man crashed one hundred and fifty feet to his death, was told the County Coroner (Mr. Barrie Bennetts) at an inquest held at Hayle on Friday afternoon, when he returned an open verdict on Joseph Holman Barrington Sleeman, aged 18 of 11, Copper-terrace, Hayle, who was found dead on Tuesday morning at the foot of Angarrack viaduct.

It was stated that deceased had been chosen for a University course for an R.A.F pilot, for which he had volunteered, but had had to leave after a few days, and had subsequently been discharged as medically unfit.

The police were represented by Sgt.  Woolcock and P.C. Wherry.

Evidence of identification was given by deceased's father, John Silvester Sleeman, of 11, Copper-terrace, Hayle.

Witness said his son had been a student until July of last year, when he was selected for a short University course at Durham University, with a view to his becoming pilot; deceased had volunteered to join the Royal Air Force.

He went to Durham on October 5th last, returning home four days later suffering from neurasthenia.   He was attended by Dr. Stanley Jones, getting a clearance certificate after six weeks.

On 21st November he was called to London for another medical examination and was then graded "four," and eventually discharged on Dec. 13th.   De-ceased had since done a little temporary work.

On the day of his death, witness had not seen deceased, having been on duty.

Deceased had told his mother he was going for a walk and would come back to lunch at 12.30 p.m.   He did not say where he was going.

In the last week or so deceased had appeared to be quite his normal self, and , there had never been any question of his son taking his life.  The word "suicide" had never been mentioned.

Dr. W. H. Palmer, Hayle, said he found deceased lying on the roadway beneath the bridge at Angarrack; life was then extinct.   He attributed death to shock following injuries to the skull and brain, consistent with a fall from the bridge.

Mrs. Ethel Rae, of Angarrack Hotel, Angarrack, Hayle, said that between 11.15 and 11.30 Tuesday morning she was at the door of her hotel.

She saw a figure on the railway line and he appeared to be acting unusually for a railwayman.   He would take two or three steps forward and then look back.   An engine passed him and deceased stood holding on to some bars in recess on the viaduct on the "up" line.   After the engine had passed him, deceased had gone back to the line.   She saw no more of deceased, who must have crossed the line, as he was found on the other side.

Replying to the Coroner, she had seen deceased after the engine had passed him. The Stationmaster at Hayle (Mr. W. Reynolds) explained that deceased had not actually been standing in a recess on the viaduct on the "up" side of the line when seen by Mrs. Rae, but back off the line just before the start of the viaduct itself.

Mrs. Rae, continuing her evidence, said that after some ten minutes she heard that, a man had fallen from the viaduct.   She saw no other trains pass, and would have heard them from indoors if they had.

Replying to the Coroner, she was outside about three to five minutes.

SAW SOMETHING FALLING.

Mrs. May Perry, Primrose Cottage, Angarrack, said she was in the road about 100 yards up the road from Angarrack viaduct.   She did not see anyone on the line.

She saw something falling, and had screamed that a man had fallen from the viaduct.   Her scream had attracted Mrs. Chirgwin, a neighbour, who had found the body of deceased.

Witness stated she had seen the 11.15 a.m. train go up, and the accident was at least a good ten minutes after.

The body fell the right-hand side going to Camborne.   The accident had occurred nearer the Hayle end of the viaduct. Mrs. Cecilia Chirgwin, Riverside, Angarrack, said she heard Mrs. Perry's scream, followed by a bang, which sounded like a gun.

She went to the viaduct and found the body.   She ran and telephoned for help.   Deceased was dead when she first came on his body.   When she returned after seeking help, the body had been turned over.

It was about two minutes after the light engine passed that the accident had occurred.

She thought deceased must have gone right across the line after the engine had passed him.

P.C. Wherry, in evidence, said he arrived on the scene at about 11.45 a.m., and made the necessary arrangements regarding the attendance of the doctor and ambulance. Deceased was on his back on the Gwinear side of the down line.   It was 10 feet out from the pillar on the down line and seven feet on the Hayle side of the pillar over the fifth span of the viaduct.

LACED SHOE SIX FEET AWAY.

The left shoe, still laced, was six feet away from the body.

He inspected the bars of the recess at the top of the parapet above the fifth span in company with the stationmaster.   The parapet was four feet in height, and there were two pars, one 23 1/2 ins. from the bottom of the parapet, with 20 1/2 ins. between the bars, which were wet.   Deceased was 5ft. 10 ins. in height.  The total height of the viaduct from the ground, inclusive of the parapet, was 150 feet.

The light engine referred to had passed Hayle for Gwinear-road 11.30 a.m.   The driver had seen deceased as he passed.

There were marks of mud on the lower bar.

It would have been easy for a boy of deceased's height to overbalance by standing on the lower bar.

Witness was deceased's next-door neighbour, and had always found him very reliable.

Sgt. Woolcock drew attention to the possibility that deceased might have got on to the bars in a panic when he heard an engine approaching and have overbalanced.

There had been a train due on the down line a few minutes after the light engine passed on the up line, it was stated, and P.C. Wherry added that it had not been possible to establish the exact time of death.

The Stationmaster said that the driver of the down train had not seen anyone in the recesses on his side of the line, though he might not have been in a position to see anyone.

Returning an open verdict as stated, the Coroner said the cause of death was in accordance with the medical evidence, but there was not sufficient evidence to show whether the fall was accidental or intentional.

In recording his verdict, the Coroner drew attention to the danger of people walking the line, which many were in the habit of doing, though they were not allowed to do so.

The Coroner expressed his deep sympathy with deceased's parents, as did Sgt. Woolcock on behalf of the police and Mrs. Rae for the people of Angarrack.