The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-09-20 00:00:00

DI:OWNING AT OLD CASTLE.

An inquest was held at the Board room, Weymouth
Union, on Monday morning last, before If. Look, E .1,
deputy coroner, on the body of Simon Groves, • pauper
of Weymouth Union-house, who was found droww.il
near Old Castle, on Sunday morning last. Mr. T.
Bartlett, who resides at Marine-tense,. opposite Old
Castle, beard that a man w, in the water, and went
to the seaside. Here the poor felldw sc,s st ea or, r
board, but no one would bring the body to shore till
Mr. Bartlett guaranteed that whoever did Jur should be
pail. When recovered, it was evident that the pow
man but been dead about two houra. About a quarter-
past eight o' luck, P.S. Bile, stationed at Wy ace, was
sent for and arrived very boon. The body was Gan
lying at the edge of the water- but the Sergeant had it
removed to Weymouth Union-house on • stretcher. It
wan perfectly stiff. A quantity of bread d 14. in
money were found in his pocket, and acro-s was hung
round his neck,deocased being • Homan Catholic.

Mr. Ju'al Tdb forou,an or the jury, and the
fultori cri.lonoe vr,:s t.ke :

Mr. Thelma Bartlett att4 that yeit,rday morning
sheet e,eht -'clock he h•arrt th,t Mill W.Ri IR thu
VritOr drown:tin?, ml haatethal to the laqoh ii.!.a.,n

he could. One or two persons were there, and the
body was in the water where it was about four feet
deep. It was high water at the time, and the deceased
was about sin or seven yards from the shore. IVitness
said "This body mast be got ashore," and Mlle ntan
said something about paying. Witnera directed is man
named Stroud to go in and fetch the body, and guaran-
teed to see him paid. Stroud went in and brought the
body ashore. It had been in the water apparently
about a couple of hours. Part of his ear was bitten as
if by a crab or &It ; but there w,re no marks of
violence about Lim. Decease,Ps stick was stuck
in the bank, and his Ira wan on the stick,
with his al eve-waistcoat and handkerchief round it.
Ile bad on his trowsers, shirt stockings, and slip-shoes.
There were footmarks on the aanal fur about 40 yards,
where deceased haul walked back...ids sod forwards
b. tween opposite Ohl Castle and where his stick warn
stuck about two or three yards from the water. When
witness turned over the body L.: knew deceased directly;
but lie had not seen him for about a week or ten dajs.
ifo had previously aeemeal to be sound in his mind.
When Mr. Watkins came, his pockets were ex...mined,
ai.id they found a florin, one shilling, two three-penny.
pieces, and rkt, of coppers, also his shaving tackle.
Sidenharn Hill, of the Ferry-bridge, Wyke Regis,
said the &ceased came into his house on Saturday last,
about ten o'clock in the morning, when he had halt-a.
pint of beer. lie seemed very strange in his ways, and
wanted to go to Portland. Witness asked a man to
give hint a ride, to which the man consented ; but
deceased would not give answer as to whether he would
ride or not, and kept talking to himself... Ile walked
on to Portland, and cams back between five and sis in
the evening. lie had another half.pint of beer, for
which he paid, and walked across towards 01.1 Castle:
At this time he dial not speak to anybody but witness,
anal seemed reserved. _ .

Mr. W. Briar. t, master of Weymouth Union, said
deceased had been an inmate in the Union about 20
years, off and on. lie u.s entered as partly disabled.
having varicose veins, but was in other respects sound
in holy and mind. Witness bad no reason to believe
he had been ummund in mind previous to this. Witness
saw him on Friday morning, and deoes•ed left the
workhouse about hail-past four that evening, and had
not returned till he was brought bask dead. nee
often granted him and hour or so leave, as be assisted
at all the drudgery of tbo house.
In answer to a jurymen, Riles said the tracks
were found on the wet sand, showing that he was no
drowned till Sunday morning.
Mrs. Bryant said that in oonsequenoe of missing
deceased on Friday, she sent to the Roman Cetholie
priest, who wrote saying that he knew nothing of his
movements. Deceased seemed rather disturbed in his
mind, as he had beard Mr. and Mrs. Bryant were going
sway.
Verdict: "Found Drowned." _ _

It seems that the poor old man was deeply affected
by thiniane that Mr. and Birs. Bryant were shoat to
leave the Uniontteust., and had told seversl iteople that
he would not live there if they went away. This, it
is supposed settled into a permanent depression, which
caused hint to OUIBMit suicide.