A legal matter stemming from an aviation accident at the Norwood Airport reached its conclusion yesterday, July 08, 1937, as Norfolk Probate Court Judge Joseph R. McCoole granted a petition allowing for an $800 settlement payment. The case involved S. Tudor Leland of Milton, the son of the prominent local architect Joseph D. Leland. The settlement was requested by Haven Parker, the youth’s guardian, to address financial claims arising from the destruction of a rental aircraft the previous winter.
The incident occurred on December 30, 1936, when the younger Leland rented an airplane from the E. W. Wiggins Airways Inc., based in Norwood. According to the original rental agreement, the youth was permitted to fly from East Boston to Peterboro, New Hampshire, with instructions to return the aircraft to either East Boston or Norwood. However, factual records presented to the court revealed that while the flight to Peterboro proceeded, the return trip culminated in a landing at the Norwood Airport after dark. This nocturnal flight and subsequent landing were documented as direct violations of the airway corporation’s explicit instructions and were conducted without the company’s consent.
Upon landing in the dark, the aircraft overturned, resulting in significant damage. The E. W. Wiggins Airways Inc. initially assessed the repair costs at $1,201.15. Following negotiations, the company agreed to a compromise, accepting $800 in full settlement for the damages sustained. Haven Parker, acting as the guardian for the minor’s estate, recommended the compromise to the court as a prudent measure to discharge the legal claim against the youth. Joseph D. Leland expressed his assent to the petition, and Judge McCoole formally authorized the guardian to disperse the funds from the boy’s estate to settle the bill.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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