The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-04-05 00:00:00

DEATH OF .1 ROY FROM EXCEMIVE
DRINKING.

On Thursday net an inquest was held at East
Luliworth, before Henry Lock, Req., deputy-coroner,
touching the death of James Styles, • boy ten yens of
an, the son of John Styles. under-keeper for J
Weld, Req. of Lad worth Code.
&pm a.; to go to Wneham on the 29th ultimo,
to gin evident+ in t p7Nhing ease, and t his ion
James, of whom it is said he u. very fond, to town
with him. The lad was so delighted Li the prospect
of going there with his father that he *odd inanely
eat any breakfast. They took some bread and aliens
with them. bat so much beer was given to the boy
before night that it brought on congestion of the brain
acid death.
John Styles. the father, ,pid that he left Fast
Lnlworth, for Wareham. at 20 minutes to 10 on the
morning of the 28th, with his son and P.C. Truelove.
They got to Wareham at 11.30. He went to the Brick-
layers' Arms, and celled for • pint of beer, of which his
son drunk one glast. He had another pint, of which
the boy hut about half a glen. He then went to the
oflioe of Mr. Lamy. solicitor, and afterwards to the Red
Li in tap, where he bad another pint. and foe
drank some of it. A second pint he called for, anS4
after drinking some, left the boy there with the rest,
telling him to stay till he returned. He went to Ore
evidence before the magistrates against a man named
Hunt and another for poaching. About mid-day he
ssw the boy in the street. The ens was not over till
between four add eve o'clock, and he then went to the
boy at the Red Lion Pp, Then they had some MOTO
drink—he weld not say bow mash. Joseph Edwards
and Thomas Hunt &auk with hint The next thing he
reeollected was P. C. Burn coming to him at Holrnbridge.
The lad was sensible. When be said to hins"NowJimui7,
come along with me," he said My dear father, ill
be stubborn." He then carried the boy on his bok.
Sometime. he seemed very heavy, arid sometime+ no
weight at all; and at one time he sprang out of his
Pen. After that hi took him on his shoulders mod
tarried him home, about three miles. He got boon
shoot two o'clock to the morning. On the way some-
times they fell down norther. On getting home be
gave the boy to his wife's charge. She said directly
that the boy was going to die, and he fringes) said
the boy had too much drink in hint.
Thomas Hunt took up the extraordinary narrative
where the father's recollection failed him. Hs said that
titer drinking with Styles at the Red Lion tap, he
went to the Antelope tap, and after he bad been there
some time Styles came in with his son. Styles was •
Little bit the worse for liquor. More bear was drank
by them all, and Styles gave some to his son once or
twice. Witness did not see much the matter with the
boy. Styles and his son left to go home about 10
°Wok. He followed halfan.hour later Between
Worgan hill and Holmbridge P.C. Barge IMMO up
with him, sod they walked on the road together. When
over Holmbeidge they beard a noise. The notable
went to it, and found Styles's boy, and brought him to
his father. Styles, seer, went to take the boy up, and
fell over him. Witness then tarried the lad about
half-a-mile to the bill at Holm° farm. He then gave
the lad to his father, who took him on his NIA. The
boy was in • bsd state. When • mile and • half from
East Lulworth, he and Mends who walked with him
from Wareham) went on before Styles, he saying that
he could manage all right, and they saw no more of
them. The boy mold speak, and said he was bad and
could not walk.

Edwards corroborated Hint, and said that he came
up to Style, before the polioeman, and found him
calling for the boy and the boy for him.
P.C. Burge spoke to bearing arks, and finding the boy
I 0 a meadow, about 100 ytrds from the road, kneeling
down, and with his bead resting on an empty rush
heakat. He lifted him up. sad asked him irks* was
lattee.. The 44 said h washed, sad *odd no
stud, Ho WWI Hut, 404'7 got lan lots the rood

spiv, whoa Heat geld it WM fgeyles'a krt. Mice
0,11.4 Styles. vb. come op with Edwards. He Mled
to est the boy to walk. bat he meld not Stylee Meet
to take up the boy and stonlblod. He lifted him on
Htlet'll beak, who carried hint some distaste*. Wit.
nem looked at Styled, and thought him not incapable
al taking tare of be boy. and he to/d Hunt not to
leave them till they were at home. They Went on.
Stelae tarrying the boy. mid he saw Do more of them,
Sarah Styles the boy's mother, said her husband
brought in the lad quite lesensible, and put him down
beside her. She took him in her mule In • few
Itiontes bolted • ooavalsion.and straggled so much este
Ifellftom her arms. She serried him upstairs. undreamed
him. and Put him to bed. He took no notice, sad ea
bear after he wec brought home. he died
111 r. Grainger, stir rem. al Wool, said he had
examined the deceased. There were otiPerfieisl
shrsimms on the fem. especially the right cheek, also
on his hack, arms, and elbows, and there Ist • that
contusion over the right eye. Should say 1
,
these were produced by falling on the ground,
but they wore not sufficient to Pr*duttu 1
serious remits. There was much nudity of the body. 1
Inaieating sudden death. From .bat the mother hsA
Mated as to the condition of the boy he bed no doaltt
he had an epileptic fit, hroacht on by oongeetion o' tlr•
brain, through excessive drinking. and that that yrs.
the tense of his death. He should think the quantity
of beer drank, ao stated in the evidence, was suffieient
to produce the effects shown.
The Coroner summed an the evidence, pointing otit
that lithe jury were of opiaion that the boy' death bad
arisen through tbe neeligenoe of the father they would
be junified in returning • verdiot of manslaughter
against him.
After some consideration, the jury returned • verdict
that the boy died from congestion of the brain mused
by exegesis* drinking. sod wished the Coroner to
reprimand the father for hie conduct.
The Oorocier censured Styles for his thouchtleseness
in giving the boy so much drink, 110 d he also blamed
the policeman for leaving the led in charge of the father
when he saw that be was intagliated.