The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-05-23 00:00:00

DEATH OF A FALMOUTH PILOT.

Snne considerable curiosity, not to say excitement. was
canned last week at Portland by the reported death of •
pilot from jumping over the si le of an Italian brig in the
Rudstead. On Thursday morning the brig hoisted her
national flag ha'fniast, and on the vessel !wing boarded by
a pilot from the Scilly Islands, the captain reported that
the North Sea and Channel pilot, Capt. henry Davie
who had lirouitht the venni from Falmouth. had been
picked up that morning between five and nix o'clock near
the vessel : he supposed he mist have jumped overboard.
The Scilly Wands pilot saw the body of Capt. Davis, quite
dead, and it seemed to him there was • bruise near the
right eye, and he further said that it was very remarkable
for a body to float immediately after immersion in the
water. On Thursday evening Supt. Ratty and Sergt
Florence boarded the Italian. and brought the body on
shore ; it wu already stripe& •' hut the captain stated
that this was done immediately the body was recovered,
in order to have it rubbed fur the purpose of restoring life,
if possible. The brig's name was the Margherita, of
Genoa. from that notorious place Salonica (where the last
massacre of Christians by Turks took place), and was
bound to Allot Scotland. with barley It was explained
that the Margherita arrived in Falmouth on Sunday, and
there took in the deceased as pilot he was an elderlyb:,:rat
an cam d, it is said, he was ill at the time he e on
The shirt and trousers of deceased could not be found, and
as they spoke Italian only on board, it was difficult for the
poilce to make their wants understood.
The matter was investigated at an inquest held by Mr.
R. N. Howard, coroner. on Friday afternoon, at the
Breakwater Hotel, before Mr. R. Brixton', foreman. Mews.
Thin. Radeliffe, T. Conaben, C. Gibbs, Charles Warren,
Joseph Hodedon, Henry O. Mahey, Moses Moore, Thos.
Elliott, John Roberts, Thomas, Gibbs, Frederick Smith,
! W. Jolliffe, Robert White, and W. B. Drake.
, Mr. De .ode, an !tabu. working in the service of Mr.
' Webb, was sworn as interpreter of Italian.
Dr. Frederic Parsons said he wita called in at noon to
examine the dead body of the donased, found it cold and
aand it
careful
must Isatios hut found no ructs. at least,
Mads red bones
and no marks exortging on the cheat and abdomen,
he found a thickened stite of skin of • yellow colour,
extending over • circumference of nine inches; and there
was on the nose an abrasion and bruise covering an area
of about half-an-inch, and on the left leg midway between
the knee and ands there was • eh:atrial, the result of ea
old wound, that had been there probably for weeks. The
upset of the body generally was that of • well-conditioned
man ; there were no melte of violence on it. If he had
not known by rumour that the body had been taken out
of the water, he should not hays imagined that the death
had come by drowning.
Upon this the Coroner directed the doctor to make •
post-mertgat
Stephen Riven°, captain of the Margberita, had been
master of her for upwards of nine years, and was on the
voyage from Salonica to ARoa in Scotland. Had called
at Falmouth for orders, and there shipped deceased.
Captain Henry Davis, as North Sea and Channel pilot,
to pilot him to Allot, for which he arranged to pay him
LSI Ilk He came on board just before seven o'clock on
Sunday morning last, and the vessel sailed directly. They
arrived in Portland on Wednesday afternoon, but the
deceased did not go ashore. On Wednesday evening they
had supper together ; deceased was then sober having had
but two glasses of wino and half a glue of mastic. During
the night wittier beard him talking to himself, and
several times going on deck and bade. Thought he was
lad and asked him, as well as he could, if he was I In
the morning he heard • noise and came on the deck, the
little boat was then in the big boat, and he ordered the
boat to be launched. Went to the side of the vessel, and
looked over, and there saw the body of the deceased on
its beck. Never beard him make any noise, but his
fingers were moving • little. Saw the crew get into the
boat, but could not tell how they got deceased in.
Hoisted the flag half-mast for • doctor.

The captain was subjected to many questions blhytlie:
th jury, and answered to e following effect. v
deceased was overboard, be bad all his clothes on.
Witness thought he went to the bows of the yawl, and
threw himself over on purpose Deceased had not much
rest in the night, and was talking to himself all night.
The deceased, he thought, was bad, but not that he was
out of his mind. Spoke to him about it, and deceased
said "I thank you, no, captain." When he started from
Falmouth deceased complained of being bed in his
stomach. Did not think deceased got at any of the
aquavite, or white brandy ; but be could have done so, na
the spirits were in the cabin and not locked in. had not
missed any. . . .

The Forman: How did he conduct himself on Monday,
Tuesday, and Wednesday V— A..: He conducted himself
well; on the first night he could not do his work, but
afterwards he did his duty. Did not notice any perticular
indulgence after he was on board. The body was found
about half-past five on Thursday morning. During the
night he was up and down several times, and they told
him to remain quiet, because they wanted to sleep. On
Monday and Tuesday be slept very little. Deceased came
on boant just before they sailed.
Kr. Maboy thought it was very wrong for a man to go
and take charge of • ship when he was in a drunken

Carlo lesallo, a sailor on board the blarglunita, now
lying in Portland Roads, said on Thursday morning about
half-past firs, he was just putting his foot on the ladder,
to go down into his bunk, when he saw the dammed on
the rail, in the act of going overboard. This was near the
cabin. Witness ran and called the cook, and they thr.w
two ropes overboard. The deceased was on Ms back, and
did not seem to trouble about taking hold of the rope;
he did net try to save himself, or do anything. He and
the rest of the crew who had been called in the meantime,
went and launched the boat—the smallest—which was on
deck. Witness and three others got into the boat, and
get alongside of him. Deeeaoed did not splash or make
any struggle at all. They caught hold of him, and pulled
him In; hut he never spoke or moved, and witness could
not see any sign of breath. When in the water deceased,
lying on his back, did not sink. Deceased spoke to none
of them. It would be about 10ft or 12ft, from the top of
the bulwark, where he went over, to the surface of the
water. He must have got up on the side of the bulwarks
to have gone Over. None of the crew was near him at
the time. Wit:news and the cook were the only two on
the deck; the cook was in the galley, and want= was in
the fore part of the vessel. It was about 25 minute'
between the time they saw him overboard, and when
they got him on board They bad to rig tackles to get
the boat over. All the crew assisted, as by that time they
were on deck. Witness was the boatowain of the ship;
the worth is given tip at four o'clock, and then the nook
is supplied to keep a lookout; but witness gate up at
half-past five to regulate the work. He stayed about five
minute. no deck, but did not weak to the pilot, Or WO
him until he we. going overboard. The body was picked
up aboot, se or to yards from the vessel. They called the
sailors first to get the boat launched; the captain did nut
want to be called, and captain and all worked at getting
out the boat.
Supt. Batty desired the Coroner to ask where the shirt
of the deceased was, as they found him naked, and could
not account for the shirt
. . .

The witi;e;i: being examined am to the shirt said it
was In • dirty state, and therefore, having been cut in
to sot it off the body, the teems were thrown over-
Only the cook woe on deck from four to ball -peat
ere, se ter an witness knew.
Graoteno Fers, the cook, wee on duty at four o'clock,
and wee making in the galley. Whilst there the last
witness celled him, be went to the side of the weal, and
the pilot wag in the wiser. Had not mean him the whole
time before, Irani 4 &dock, did not see him fall into the
water. Each of them threw • rope to him, and Wit"..e
raps latched right on the top of : but he did not
attempt to b had of it, and then they did what they
could to save him. He wee on his back and talking wan'
'tlLterpgejer was asked about thia stebnoont, an
otottwood to all that been mid before as to the deosesed.e not
speaking in the water. He could sok however, make any
difilerent of the Italian than—" lath* nri,dstaldily."
Continuing, witness said the deoseeed not call out
for help, did-not hear any WWI, or know that deceased
was in the water till Crete called him. When
they found doomed did not case hold of the rope, they
got the bast out. There had never been an disturbance
between the motels or the mew end the pilot, the bake
sever raid anything to the crow and was very quiet,
When the body was_ brim& an deck they skipped
and the captain got Orme *ad had him rub, wit".
and the Mhos be but without any trd The
captain bobbed the nalienel tag half-way up wit for
• medical man, almost directly. They cut his shirt ot to
be able to rub him the quicker, end witness did not taw
what was dose with it Did not me any one on deck frees
fear Olio* unit Crete nailed to him that the Wet was
everbsad.

Dr. Parsons, having made the post ssertest, said h hal.
opened the abdomen. The chest and luisgs were it-seises"'
from obl tubercular deposits, the heart was very
and enclosed enclosed in a quantity of fat, the stonssch
mratively empty. and also the bladder, the kidney.
large, the lungs perfectly buoyant Had operician,s—
skull, and found no abnormal condition whatever. To tas—
tiest of his belief the reason of death was from a ',hock la--
the nervous and physical aystani, shock as might he--
caused by a person in hie state suddenly falling i 5 ikl.
water. From the state of the body. it being siiherile,"^
nature.—This witness was afterwards called tur
fat, it would he extremely likely to flnat, being of •
mated that what had been said about the 14: being on the surface of the water until taken on board would be a very natural having regard to the constitution of the Wyly. The 4
was nothing whatever to leol him to think from &ruination that the deceased had conic to hi. death hi.
y My
unfair means.
The Coroner, in summing up to the jury, toll them tola
guided by the evidence in coming to their verdkt.
when and where the deceased iliril, it we, ch.., that la died on the morning of Thurelay. in Portlan.l ,
the only question was—bow he came by h.O deeth i :oWu
be pushed in purposely. I did he fall in avideutelly. ! ..r 44
he jump overboard purposely, of iii a stue of tecipornr
insanity? It was quite clear from the doctor's evi.ta,s
ha _ there were no blows or marks of ellen,: oti ias
prem, to show there bad been any struggle %Lahti,
but there was direct evidence to chow that he die,l i:
AL, produced by a shock, ouch as would be caued by s
peruono(hiahabit of hod). falling in the water n..! .4.
theevidence of the sailors to .how t bat there au 310,,11p. ma
him when he went overboaritand there had been ill no ill-feeling between him and any of the crew or t.:.:.
iclutlmatusllsberpo:Lii.!aeo,r). to tail
ftNbrtareohean........ern spared to save theile,ra,t4
captain, on the contrary they .noke of him &I a or.l Lsj
pleasant man. Then, as to hiu huoping ovairdhiariteh,,,,a.
or the jury to say If they considered he had
fully, or in a state of temporary insanity. Theft, ll*
nothing to show that he had done either the .... ~, ti,
other, excepting • little strangeness of condu,t lois,
the night. Many of the jury were sailors •nd knew las,
might are gone up on the deck, and trod on • Port! .i, .4
yowypeir not a titUe of eridence t , lotia
cause of death was broueht about ,
:oitbt tfallenhek eb 'lappearopaccidentally
te4 that there
and sill was done to revive him, whereas if he hal Ie.?:
pushed over purposely, they would have let the body eat
.
away, ins tmid of trying to save hint
The jury, after consideration, decided the der,.,, ,j
must have fallen over accidentally, and thst the ,ii .A
caused thereby produced death.
The inquest occupied about four hour, od a !!
Shortly after its conclusion the wife of ti,.. j„,,,
..1
arrived. Captain Davis was 52 years of eg.,