The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-03-07 00:00:00

ALLEGED SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF A

PUBLICAN.

'AIr. Miller Corbett, D. puty Coroner, held al in-
quest at the Angel Inn, Coventry Street, on Wed-
day night on the body of William Atkin (44),
eh diet on the 27th ult, at the Wheat Sheaf Inn,
Dr. Robsrt Elgar stated that he was called in to
see the deceassd before Christmas last, when he was
suff.rin ; from phthisis. He ceased his visits about
Chris!mas as deceased appeared better. He was
next called to deceased on the 25th ult. Deceased
was in he,l suff3ring lions excessive drinking, and
witness prescribed for him. Re did not examine
him ft:r anything else. He saw deceased again on
Friday afternoon about three o'clock. He was then
dad, and had been so about an hour. Witnsse ex-
amined the body, but found no marks of violence.
There was nothing to lead him to suppose deceased
died other than a natural cleat's. He made a psst-
mortem examination on Tuesday. assisted by Dr.
Daly. He examined deceased's mouth, and found
no appearance of irritation. He saw nothing to
indicate that deceased had died from poisoning.
The state of the heart was sufficient to account for
de eh. •
By the Foreman. When witness went to see de-
ceassd on Wednesday his wife wad in the room.
By the Coroner: He was suffering from an over-
dose of drink. His wife said he was only having a
little.
By'a Juror: It had not come to his knowledge
that the man had lain from Wednesday until
Friday without having anything to eat or drink.
Mary flanaah Atkin, wife of deceased, said the
(Ater IN :Li a j•dner by trade. She had been married
to him foar years. He was .generally delicate in
health, an I had for the last two years been under a
doc-or for most of the time.
A telegram was here put in from Dr. Bland, who
had a ten led deceased, stating that Lc had suffered
f r sears tr .in cardiac disease.
, Witness ',continuing) said deceased had been in
the habit of having bouts of Excessive drinking,
du ieg which he ate very little. He had a bout a
month asse aud continued it until he became ill.
The list time deceased was about was on Friday,
tho :lOth u't. lie was continually asking for
hr astl N't hisky, and from time to time she gave
hiss 50:05. He took very little food. She knew a
ma.: anii-d Henry Evans, who lived at the Wheat
She ,t,an i helped her to wait behind the counter.
Tie been there about four or five weeks, and
lived on te premises. She had been to Birming-
ham with him. Jane Underwood, her servant,
went w th them. She had only known him recently.
She sn I Evans did not pass as man and wife in
arrs:ngham, anti nothing improper:ever took place
itztwecii thcm thsre or elsewhere. She considered
it a eery impertinent question.
Tus Coroner said perhaps it was, but certain
tbirso had got about, nod it was better for her to
have an opportunity of denying them.
By the jury: She was not with her husband
when he died. She had been in the room a quarter
of an hour before, and he then fell asleep. He had
no ead any brandy that mornieg.
Bs the Coroner; If her husband had asked the
men slrving in the inn for brandy it would have
been their duty to have given it him.
The Coroner remarked that that Court was not
the pace for ventilating scandal.
Witness said so indal had been spread about be.
cause she had turned a woman out of her house.
Jalit? Underwood was called, but not sworn. She
said she had lived at the Wheat Sheaf Inn a
shart time, but left last Monday week. Tile man
Evan, had given her two black eyes. Deceased was
fond of drink, and when he asked for it he had it.
Ile used to pay for it.
By the jury: She never saw Evans strke deceased,
but Evans had helped him upstairs.
The Coroner pointed out that all the evidence
point d to the fact that deceas d had killed him.-
self by excessive- drinking ; but if the jury were not
sati fled he would adjourn the inquest.
The jury thsn returned a verdict '`That deceased
died from the effects of excessive drinking."

g