WALKED TO DEATH.

Temuka Leader, Issue 255, 10 April 1880, Page 3

WALKED TO DEATH.

The rewards of lone distance walking (says the London Daily N- vi-.s) are generally believed to I’*’ considerable, else why should any rational nui! submit himself to l.ii>‘ tortures of that 'find of competition ? Wi'lb.m Hill, however, a ‘‘night mail man ” at Welwyn, in Hertfordshire, appear to Have walked ; himself to death, merely in the way of duty, and without the encouvagem. nt of popular applause, for 18s a week, Ihe of his exertions as given at the Coroner’s jury which examined his body ■is really painful reading. Hill’s wife to waken him at five minutes to ■'l in the morning on Saturday and found r that he was dying. He presently expired of heart disease. No one who looks at this statement of his duties will be surprised at his disease. At 9. 15p.ra. he met a- mail to take a bag from the train at Welwyn station, t 1.80 a.m. he did t e same, and met the mail again at 2.35 a. m. That was his night duty, which, roughly speaking, occupied ' him from nine at night till half-past three in the morning. His day duties began about three hours later. He bad to be at'the post office at six or seven in the morning to carry letters to Danesbury, at half-past six in the morning ; and at a qnarter-past eight in the morning and about noon In had to meet,two other trains,. He was thus tramping with scarcely an.intemipf hm from nine at night till some time after moon. The place in whicli he had to •wait for the mail on rainy or .snowy was “ a slight box,” wbiolihaii no ■-stove in it. For all this, as we said, Hill was paid 18s a week. It is obvious that only very strong persons can hope to be night mail men at We wyn for any length of time.. The crews of the sultan’s caique are said to break down every two years, but we have no statistics as to the length of; life ‘ enjoyed by the. not overpaid night' ,mail men at Welwyn. It, is said that the iiight mail man is not allowed to decline *= day duty, which is paid for at the rate four shillings a-week, in addition to the ' fourteen shillings given for night work. Here seems to be a clear case of a man driven to death.