[Beds & Herts Tuesday Telegraph: May 27th, 1919]

An inquest was held at Hitchin on Monday touching the death of John Edward Phillips, aged 25, an ex-Beds Yeoman and a Mons Star soldier, who was fatally crushed at the Great Northern goods siding, Hitchin, on Saturday morning.

The deceased, after being demobilised about a month ago, returned to work at Luton G.N. Station as a porter, and had only been working at Hitchin about a week as a horse shunter when the accident occurred.

Florence Phillips, of Mount Street, Mayfair, wife of deceased, said he worked on the railway before joining up in 1914. She last saw him on Sunday, May 18th.

Dr M. Gilbertson, who examined deceased after the accident at 7.40am on Saturday, said death was caused through sudden pressure over the heart.

Ralph Baines, a Hitchin man working with the deceased, said they were unloading a waggon. They required the waggon moving, and deceased started the horse. The waggon was moving pretty freely and witness told deceased to stop it.

Deceased rushed to put the brake on. Witness shouted to him to be careful as it was dangerous work. The next thing he noticed was that deceased had been caught between the waggon door and the wall. Deceased could have got away from the waggon by some steps, and there was room for a man also to walk between the wall and the waggon.

Francis Henry Hill, superior foreman, said the accident happened at 7.30am Deceased was pinched between the door of the waggon and a pier of the wall. Deceased did not speak after the accident.

The weight of the waggon would be about six tons.

A jury returned a verdict of accidental death.