THE PENN STREET DOUBLE TRAGEDY

ADJOURNED INQUEST ON THE TWO VICTIMS

Yesterday, (Thursday), at the Guildhall, High Wycombe, Mr. A. E. W. Charsley, Coroner for South Bucks, resumed the inquest – (adjourned from Tuesday, September 24^th) – on the double fatality which occurred at Penn Street on the night of Saturday – Sunday, September 21^st – 22^nd. The victims of this sad affair were:

DIED

Southwood, Walter Archibald Bruce, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. B. Southwood, of “Rose Cottage,” Penn.
Cook, George, 31, Finchers Lodge, Amersham, son of Mrs. Emma Cook, a widow.

INJURED

Lawrence, Dorothy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. Lawrence, “Penn Wood View Cottages,” Penn Street.
Page, William Frank, Tylers Green, Penn.

The story is a familiar one by now. All the parties concerned – deceased, the injured, and the witnesses at the inquest – attended the first dance of the season at Penn Street Village Hall. After the dance, at about midnight, Miss Dolly Lawrence and Mr. Cook strolled a short way up the road towards the Church, and the couple had just turned and were making for her home, which faces Penn Wood, when a motor cycle driven by Mr. Southwood, with Mr. Page as pillion-rider, collided with them. As a result of the collision Mr. Southwood and Mr. Cook received such terrible injuries that they died shortly afterwards at Wycombe Hospital, where they were taken: Mr. Page was detained in Hospital with injuries, but was released during the week; Miss Dolly Lawrence, who was taken home, received such head injuries that she was seriously ill for several weeks, and the adjourned inquest was held in abeyance until her recovery.