The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1864-11-22 00:00:00

DEATH ON PORTLAND BEACH.

On Sunday and Monday, the 13th and 14th inst., the
inhabitants of this t.iwn were mUch •iii-prused and
alaroma by • report that Mr. Jaines Hall, • clerk in he
engine d.partment of the Chest Western Rail • sy. had
bcen discovery' on the Chesil Beach, dead, the night
pra. ions, and •. • cup and ;mule, containing more
I,quid were found or. bin. t was neon .tated tliat h.-
1,.d comini el streide Ay The
in dims' • mason., ho • ever, aldseed at the inquest
held at 1,. N. • Hut. I, on HOtplay bef-re
F. C. S • ga:l, q that the rumour wall ne•
I d. , ..t.4 t eath tesul:ed from ty
C.a.% IS re; ) mitten us, ad to. I eta es. he
hest alran d from ill.. !ono . rd. um adduced .t toe
Coftbittell toqur p.
Joint Reynolds . I aisi roster of t`ie Comma:lore
'moaner. (hi Saturday I .1 the vowel left Welmouth
at four o'clock in the afternoon. I observed the d.-
erased on board. 1 brow him wail by ;date, but never
saw biiii in such • deapooding Mat. as he then appeared
in. When I went round with the tickets he gave me •
four•penny-piece and • peony, stating it was all he had.
I thought there was something different in hia ir.anner
from umal When be left the steamer it was about
haf-past four, as be did not do so until all the Wey-
mouth passengers were embarked.
William Gibbs said I am • Isherman, and reside at
Portland. I was on the Chesil Beach on Saturda
afternoon, sad saw dreamed omelet over the curb. I
cannot state exactly what the tins* was, but it wad be-
tween half-part four and v. o'clock. I saw him lay
down on the beach. I wee shout 500 yards distant
when I saw him do this. I did not go sear him, hut
afterward.; told Robert Flaan et the cirearnstaaes, who
went to him. I watched decemed from the top of a
boat near John Way's house.
Robert Dryer Plana mid I am • fisherman, residing
at Portland. I was on the Basch about half-past four
on the afternoon in question. The hat witness told me
that there was • rasa laying on the Week, arid that
the water nue coming up to biol. I west to the Naos
and said to him "Rollo, old fellow, what are you &dug
hen; this is • pretty place for you to lay down in. I
then took him by the collar and lifted him up, when I
foetid he was dead. I then went to John Way's, and
told him of it, and we eith Masers went to the beach,
and brought the deceased to tbe New Inn.
Francis Ashton Bucknell said 1 as. the superin-
'trident of the Locomotive Department of the Wilts
and Somerart Railway. I know the dece..,ed. and his
age is. I believe, 65 years. H.,1. in the employ of
IL Grist wagger. Refleray Company. I bed frequent
opportunities of seeing biro. Auseeded Mums had been
bt into use,witieli demesed appeared to be vexed at.
Cbt y last Weald le me" the work required of me
Ii mote than 3-- do." He thee appeared tabs ouch
vexed at having the Mores to IR up. Hewn. if ast
excitable temperaamet, sad at this time esested mare
than lhad ever sem Ids& I have semee to belies* that
his aoreenste are esereet. Hasse km= Ithe Myers;
and he bad =a la the =pity si the Oempsay fee

nearly HS years. He we. at Swindon previous to big
appolatanent hem Ido not know anything respecting
hi. penaniary Astra
James Rua" said: I am the foreman of fitters in the
locomotive department at the Oren' Western Station.
1 knew the deameed very well. I was frequently
euiployed in the same °dice with him, and had
opportunities of noticing bit conduct.. I have known
him 10 years. Within the last two or three months I
have notloed that he was very excheable, and easily pot
out of temper. Previou.l7 he we. • very cheerful, good
tempered man. I new him on Saterday lest, .boat 12
o'clock, when he left the office for the day. He am
not then appear to be anything diffuse{ from usual.
William John Reddy said lam an assistant to Dr.
Rmadribh. 1 we. salted to me deceased about rig
o'Coell on Saturday evening. I found him dead lying
on the sofa in this inn. He appeared ti ha, beep so
en
hour. The exposed parte were quite odd.
but under the clothes there was • certain
degree of warmth. I smelt his breath and
theught it smelt f brandy. Ile we. pale, and hie
mouth wide open, the lower jaw having dropped. This
morning (Rendiy) I examined the body internally, and
found no marks but thou which ere generally seen after
death. I aftererar le made • post secreen examination
of the body. I opened the cheat and the greeter part of
the abdomen. I 011110i110.1 the stomach and ',mug tn.
greater part of it concreted internally. It contained •
small quantify of undigested food end liquid, and smelt
of brandy. I have applied the usual teats to endeavour
to ascertain whether deceased heel taken primes)
acid or oxalic acid, but could not di-cover any
trace of poison whatever. I cannot my whether
any irritant poison bad been taken. I examined
the heart and found it we, perfectly normal in
it* structure. with • larger quantity of fat than is
generally seen, bet there were no nppearenoes in the
organ to emus sudden de lb. On examining the lungs
I found they were quite normal in 'Moisture, but con'
jested with blood, and in the windpipe • small quantity
of sea water. On removing the upper parte of the
;skull, sad examining the bram, I lolanda& extravasation
of blood about three inch". long and an inch and a
half wide, which would be caused by a rupture of a
' blood vessel. On the hue of the heart I found extra.
vasation of the sroatieles, and found them distended
, with serious Raids. lam of opinion that apoplexy was
the cease of death, produced by eztravaaation of blood
on the surfsee of the brain. These !symptom, might
appear after poisoning, but I don't believe the taking of
irritant poison would produce the symptoms I have de-
scribed. I have not analysed the brandy found on de.
coasted, bet Ido not think poison is intend with it. The
symptoms I have mentMeed would cause depreseion 04
spirits sad melancholy.
At this slap of the proceedings the Coroner and jary
appeared to be very morn dissatisfied at Dr. Rroadribb
allowing his assistant to make • poet reorient examina-
tion of the body instead of himself, and the Coroner
intimated that if the jury thought negestary he would
adjourn the inquest until another medical man had
nude an examination, but this they considered
unneeeimary.
U. P. Breedribb corroborated the statements
made by hie assistant, and said he believed
death wee ceased by apoplexy, brought on by
excitement and ethitustion ceumid by climbing
the Pebble Beech. He expremed himself an being quit*
estielled with the ability and skill of his amistent. on
whom be peered • high Inelogiuna, remarking that Dv.
Reddy had had Feat experience in anatomy and in
poesy/torten examinations.
P.S. Pitfield said in consequence of information which
he received respecting•cup having been found by the w&
of deoeued, he went to the deceased's house, and them
received front the servant girl the cup he now produced,
which corresponded with the coo found on the beach,
one Of the set being missing from the tiou•e
P.C. Roper proved to taking the articles found on the
declaimed, with the eleeption of the bottle and brandy,
which were found by Dr. Reddy previous t • making •
post-memees examination.
The Coroner, in the sours., of summing up, remarked
that it was • most euirsordivary thing that the deceased
should have gone dimet from the steamer to the beach,
and in the course of ten mina's" after he we. seen there
should have biome a corps. If they thought the
unfortunate man had destroyed whilat in • elate
of temporary inann.ty, they were bound to ucermain
bow be did it but f the medical eel fence could be
, depended upon the,. MIA nothing to show that be had
I poisoned himself, hut that death had resulted from
natural causes. If timy w, ro wit'. that evidence
they would have to retorn their verdict accordingly.
The jury return.- 1 • verdict that deceased dirt froni
apoplexy. althougn the whole of them were not
, unanimous in that necision.

PORTLAND.--TuzWzguralllcturv..-Tta 'I.-open-
ing genie.. in aonn..ai.ot with thi• pleat of w,dahip, •t
Fortune'. Well. we, ouutinued on Fr,d..y. The Rev.
Peter Maekonale, of Cbippenhatn, pre...ctied in the .ft ,r-
-nom and eeenino,and • tee uoteting era.. held. The collo,-
tidos during the d• , and the Imo.- .8 drrived from the
i.e ens- t no. anion led su..ra than elo, ci h •311
ni•ke i.e •um deed fro. the whnle of is., -err, es
ranted i'so.