The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-04-11 00:00:00

SAD CASE OF SUDDEN DEATH.

An 1111112• St was held at the Town Hall, on Saturday,
before Ur. H. Symonds (deputy-coroner). and a jury,
of whom Mr. J. Elwood was chosen foreman, upon the
body of Henry Case, of Beaminster, who diet some-
what suddenly at his niece's lodgings, in Belletreet,
Dorchester, n the previous Thursday evening.
Mary Hallett stated ob. was niece to deceased, she I
went to the hospital on Thursday and returns Iti her
home in Bell-street with dace wed about half-put one.
He had been in the hospital two w,nths, and belonged to
&ammeter, he was going leek the followirg morning
by train to Beaminster. When they reached home
be went into the sitting-room, and sat there until half.
past five. He was very weak and short of breath,
they had been treating him at the hospital for a
diseased chest. At half-pest five he Ind • cap of tea
at Mrs. Sergeant's, but he wouldn't eat anything.
Ile told her he ha I not eateo anything since the ;va-
rious Tuesday dinner-time. She saw him in the
hospital on Wednesday, when be oimplained of feeling
worse than he ha I been at all, since be went into the
hospital. He said he had pains in his file on the
provioue day, in consequence of which be had to go to
bed. He told her be was warned on the Tuesday
to go out on the Thursday, but he was not in • fit
Rate to leave. He said he did in it like what
the doctors said at his be lidde—Dr. Lush had
asked the boos.--doctor—" How many grains does this
roan take I" He replied, "Five." Dr. Lush mail.
" Give him eight grains ; nn, give him ten, and
force it on him." Deceased sak-d bet to fetch him the
following day, at one o'clock. He was 42 years of age,
and had a wife and six children living at Broad winsor.
Attar tea demand came down-dare. and sat in • chair
elms by the fire, with his right foot on the fender. He
asked her to write • letter for him to he wife, and
telling her what time he would leave here, and what
time they woul I hare to meet him Ha told her
(wittier') to tell his wife he was now moth worse than
when became up. After ,he had written the letter
be asked her to go and net him • bed for the night.
He told her in the hospital on Wednesday that be had
to come out f the hospital because his bed was wanted
for • worse eau. She went to the Star, acd got him
• bed there. When abs got hack, he was still in the
same place, and she gave him half • slew nf gin and
some peppermint. He took this, and said be was •
new man, as he had no vain in his chest. She went at
her uncle's request to the poet with the letter ; she
thou went to the Antelope and ordered • conveyance
to take him home the next day. When she wa, going
home she met Mn. Sargsent's little boy, who said her
male had fallen on the 1140 r. When she got there she
found him dead on the floor. She warn gone about 6*q-
m-hour ; be wee alone when she left.
By a Jurymen: Ile had medicine after Dr. Lush
left
Stephen Snook stated last witness was one of his
lodgers, and that on Thursday between seven and
eight, be WS, called by his wife to go Into Mrs.
liallett'• room and luip up deetessed. He was lying
on the floor, and on SW left side, with his heed towards
the window. He beard • gurgling noise in his throe',
and, thinking he was dying, he sent for • doctor.
Idle wide act f • doctor, and Dr. Day came in •
few =luau lathe mealtime be put deceased's head
on a pillow out unfastened his necktie.
Ellen Snook gave e irroboratire evidence.
Mr. E. J. Dav stated teat on Thursday evening a
little before eight he wee collet to see this man by
Mrs. Snook. He took some medh ine with him end
went down at once, and found the man lying on his
back dead. He criminal him, on I found a cut over
the loft temple, which wag bleeding, and which was
caused by his heviog fallen on • fender or something
id that fort. Tie face was very Om id, and there was
no appearance of • fit. The appearance was consistent
with heart disease, or • weak heart He o uld not
state positively the cause of death. Toe body we.
very well googabed, mod there were no marks of
Injury. 'rh• wound on the temple was an inch long.
end penetrated to the bone. He believed death WM
tweed through deceased basing taken raw spirits.
Mrs. Hallett, re-called, said deceased told her he had
Sot had anything to sat since Tuesday; but he had
milk.
Mr. H. C. Meaortney, house surgeon at the Dorset
Canty Hospital, stated that deceased was admitted
on the 10th of February. He ha I been 'offering from
a sears cough for the peel twelve months, and he had
been treated for that before he came to the Howital.
Dommert had a weak heart. Deceased underwent an
on•mination by himself and Dr. Lush, and they found
he was sollming from chronic bronchitis and weak
action of the hurt. There wa. also • hign of &tumour
in one of the vessels leading to the heart. He was
treated fer brocebitis, and partly for weakness of the
heart. He was nearly oared for bronchitis. lie was
glisobarged "relieved.' lie had medicine referred to
by tt,a Hansa, tee grains of fodite of potash, which
eras given him to relieve the dullness, The convenes.
ilea related by Mrs. Hallett wee substantially
eorrect., only that it took plane do the con-
valescent ward and not by the bedside of dammed.
We had made ettairies as to deceased falling down on
the Tuesday, but none of the nurse, base anything cd
the chintenst•noe. Deceived bed been on meat diet
all the time be was in tha hospital.
Annie Fordhand,head nurse .4 the mile ward at
the Dorset Gouty ll.tspltal, stated that she knew the
clooseeed, Henry Cue. Bite saw him after dinner on
Thla•dily Let, when he gaga for hie medicine. She
amid -have heard if deceased had fallen down He
had Dot fella dowa at ell to her knowledge.
The pry Monad • =did of " Death le= wind
seaneen.