Printed 18 December 1915.
Treorchy inquest.
Deaf Mute’s Fate.
Mr. R. J. Rhys, district coroner, on Monday afternoon, at the Treorchy Institute, inquired into the circumstances attending the death of a deaf and dumb tailor, William Merriman, aged 44 years, of 19 Clark Street, Treorchy, whose body was recovered from the Taff river, near the Dunraven Hotel, Treherbert, on the previous Friday.
Arthur Merriman, deceased’s son, said his father left home at 5-30 p.m. on Thursday, for Blaencwm, to do some tailoring business, and he never saw him alive afterwards.
Morgan Rees, licensee of the Hendrewen Hotel, Blaencwm, said that deceased left the hotel at about ten o’clock that night, and that he appeared quite cheery.
The Coroner: Was he sober?
Witness: He had had some drink.
The Coroner: Where do you think he fell into the river?
Witness: Somewhere near the Tydraw Farm, I think. As the night was very rough deceased sought the wall for shelter, which is situated at the side of the river.
William Angel, rag and bone collector, Treorchy, spoke to recovering the body from the river by the assistance of his horse and cart, as the current was too strong for a man. He immediately summoned the police, and afterwards conveyed the body to its home.
P.S. William Evans said he searched the deceased, and found three threepenny pieces, two coppers, and a tape in his pocket. He wore a heavy overcoat, and his arms were above his head.
The Coroner: That appeared to be caused by being pulled out of the river?
Yes, sir. Dr. A. M. Robertson said he examined the body on Friday, and there were slight abrasions on the face and hands, probably caused by being rolled against stones in the river.
The jury returned a verdict of “Found Drowned,” and a rider that something might be done at that particular district to make it more secure for the safety of the public, and that a letter be sent to the Rhondda Urban District Council on the matter. It was stated at the inquest that if the Treherbert Police Station was in connection with the public telephone, the assistance of the police could be got in a very short time, but it so happened that calls had to be passed to Pentre Police Station and then back to Treherbert. Therefore the assistance of the local police was rendered practically unnecessary.
