The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-01-15 00:00:00

TUE DEATH OF MIL V/. POUNCY.
. .

Mr Pannet died about a quarter to four on Sunday
afternoon. Ilia wife and atveral friends were with Men
at tile titan

The inquest Wal bel4 et the lioapitil Bent room no
Murphy at teremul. hue e Mr. H. Igrir. &platy coreser.
end the following jaryturn :—Mesire. W. Peer. Cherie*
P. Gee. James it eel. Jo.epit George, Setuuel
JalUe. Whittle. H. nry fto,r. Chariot Stu, th, Elamite!
Vincent. Thomas Bishop, J.
Mr V. t:e wee f.r.,rriutut.

"-j.,1;;; ifiqs7;q-uare. said that on Wednesday.
&hoot a quarter to IL ar as locktud up the stores at
Itincloarro, ballaugiaa to Mr. Doireniala, awl saw
Mr. W. Ramey, in up the footpath. Ile MO passed the
stones prey musty two Or three times a week; hut not
that way. Oa that day be want on tho path towards old
Mad previously always seen him In the roadway.
and not in the path. H. was waticitag try steadily and
stooping. but woo wit near enough tuck:ik ra him—afoot
90 art. off; he bad • round parcel under his aros, and au
umbrella ale
. _

Walter Slummed.' : I live at No. I. Yount-agreer,
wry a,,uth, and letwenn 12 awl one. I was in on Or Mr.
Kyilatt's DOM/ OD MIDI, 41re% ..11141,11Z, 441 1414 11104
apparently dreininti in !lark. lying elm. ti the edge i.f
cliff. I went to go act...to him, and 14114 what I then
ink t it. ocgr, )41t h Le%l helieve •ioce fie have been
a is. p :per rarr,l Wheu 1 tiaw thi% 1 thnuc it, was
111141. 1..1-catching. mil turned to gi toward. Ilfr.
loser. 1 at the man tanve sever .1 fiance
whii.t I at there, turning over on hin side, and not
netting up a. all. 1 did wit fancy aeything wait the
matter; hut having heard amce what I have. I believe
he mu.! hay., bern bum 11t.

ItvMr Smv the: ll.lying on his side. on the top
of the cliff ; I could distinctly sea him move, within a
yard of the cliff.
Wifliow Rawles: I live at Wakehsni. Partland, and
am a shepherd. On this day I w,e tint fr the Ferry
Bldg.', round the edge of the glut to the N Abe, alt eat
two 0 vioek. *WI pas.ed 1414),1t a V•A Of deoessed.
He was lying on his right pule, with his head on hi. right
hand, and his elhow on the gr .und. 11. 'sort or torned
mend and looked up at eit", and I passed on without
spetking. I did not think there was anything the
mitt-c; I knew the man very well by sight, and that
was
_

Str.ythe: I did not observe anything tlie matter
with his eye.
Charles McKinnon •. I lire at the coastguard station,
Weymouth. Ahout half-post two on Wednesday after-
noon, while in. impala?' with a feiirde friend, I observed
a man under Binclsaves, continually falling down; he
mold not walk a yard without mumbling. It was low
tide then. I thonabt the in.,n Lad bmn
found out afterwards I was wron.i. I went to his assist-
ance, took hold of him ml said "Why in the world did
you come this way r He gave ice no answer. tried to
sneak but could only articulate "I. ist last r ..d
"Gilhelp me r 1 1.1 h... ,hot 2io yards over the
ricks, with great difficuly,
_when this man (Byrne) came
to my assi-tiance. We WA him to the base of the cliff,
which is not very hiah, and cot hilt on this mates back.
We got him un, anil he was then going to make for the
lushes, being unconecious. We lid him from there to
Hope-square, and sent foes polimung who took him in
charge. While naming on the way, I SAW his bundle and
umbr-Ila neatly laid down on tho cliff above, sad his bat
easily under.

Hi the : Ile was roinr towards Old C.astle
when I saw him, hut be was wandering at the time; he
was soin4 toward* the sea, and it •11i low tide pt the
time. I get anon over the side path. Where he fell was
alsnat 701 t. high, an I there *IN • great clot of Idoral ii
a r We found his bat and could not Cr. much the
insit•or with it.

. -•... •••
With: On Wednesday afternoon. &hint three
o'clock, a female C4lon to the station and said a OMR had
fa 11.% over the cliff at Min.-leaves. I went and found hint
in welkin,, lint rather weak in his welkin,.
Brine save ine the web. ells and Parcel. and call be could
not etay. and I helped the man to the Infirmary. I
thoacht it was the bent pl dal, as be hail • large cot on the
head, and hi, left eye ninth swollen. in fact be could not
nee not of it a hit. I did not he ir hint 'peak. he walked
pretty well WI be wes near Mr. llodder's e•dree then.
when he seemed to know where lie was, and looked at It.
at If be esnte.l to no ID; Irlt the servant 61W-01:letter
take I. itu to thv Intimacy.
. • ... _

It 7 Mr. :;;.—yeih:,7"ii7f;l;u think he wag fit to be taken,
or rtther dr teed, as I.e WSW Peet my house?
Mr. Smythe continued that be had to ask the question,
and the nuldic also want d to know. lie thought it
would he quite as humane if there had been some convey-
ance far the poor man, he did nut wilh to he at all
prejudieial to the policeman hot he wiaheil to know.
P.C. English sahl the noon apparel sendhle, and Canoe
iiionX pretty well tiU be came to Mr. Hodder's shop, when
he scenic I to want. to go in. . _

you to yaw jialzment use what you
enna4erv.l to he the beet Au ail removing him to the
11.wpitalt—.1:.Yes, sir.
• - -

Q You did not coneidcr it necessary to hire airy
conveyanee 7-- A. N.., cur.
Q. You say he seemed t rennin along nretty
Y.& sir. only one had hold or it.M
Mr. Smythe • .i 4 th on passim; hi. (Zr. Smythe's)
house, &armed au rather draziced than brought along.
When lar asked a question he expected a plain answer
he harl taken an irrtere.4 in the deceased. nod had Ives
with him from the time he we. Unit hroirght in, and
when ho diul. A tutu that fell that dist inee on his head
and had nue ern entirely elosnd, yet to he thought mporh,
of walking up to the Infirmary! Ifs though it was • very
ineautrop affair. mind rather inhuman.

t ey were not there to enqiiire into
the conduct of the policemen but if it attPe4red thr•r•
wan anything cruel in A, the jury might take notice of it
by awl by. The police ante belled to perform their duty
in • pr-per manner, and if any one thought thy id nut
do Fo, it WU hia duty to briug it forward. At he tame
tim, the police were bound to tue their best judgment.
Mr. Superinientient Vickery raid be thought Mr.
Smythe au rather unfair in his remark.. If he meant
to Fay what he had, be ought t have let him (the Super-
intendent) know. he might Lave refused to serve on the
jury and asked tot.. called.

.
Mr. Smythe said he only did what he had done on • pure
principle, and for the general good.—Mr. Vickery repeated
that he might have coonounicited fa hint.
Mr. Alfred Nurser wke.l whether his father's hat was
on hi, head when he WM ilrOllght through the street.
The an.wer was " N., " "Then," said Mr. A. Pouncy„ " I
think Mr. Smythe is &mistily right in his remarks
P.C. Euglish ',Aid they bad • difficulty to get the
deceased through the gate at Mr. Pullers.
Dr. Manheul had learned tbat the policeman would
hare had • cab but be thought he should get the man
quicker to the Heepital without waiting.
PC. English: irlid ti ease time.

Dr. Moorhead •. It would have looked better to have had
• rah oi a chair, but they thought it would save tune.
P.C. English said be thiniztat while they were going to
th.. btaail for a ial i or a chilr they woold be twine time,
and they could get deeeo.ed to the Hospital in the time.
He said "Don't hurry hint let him come along quietly."
Hy the C r net: We did not drag hint at all. I said "Do
°hull on, Mr. Pouney." We had no occasion to drag him
at all.

By the C,roner : What assistance we we was to support
him in wsisina.
_ _

The witness McKinnoe wits recallel by the Cormier,
and said they had no dillioulty in fatting deceased along,
, at one part be Id ted him on homes bark. and he curried
him. Withers had hold of ono of Weer:lla and at Intervale
• led him along.
The Coroner : When you left him in charge of the pollee
did you think he wail in. position to walk from Hope-
square to the Illosp,tal /
Witnems said he did; but he thought • cab would have
done very well.
Dr. Moorhead : On Wednesday afternoon last I saw the
deceasist Dr. Griffin had seen him previouslv. When I
maw him be was in a state of midis' insensibility, lying on
his back in bed; he was uuslulo to answer any questions.
The first thing that struck we was that his left under eye.
lid was dark and livid and great!, issoUen, and concealed
the eyeball. I found the right pupil sensible to light,
showing that ho was not uncon eIOUL On examining his
bead I tiund a contused nod lac srated wound, between
three and four inches in lenztb, at the upper end back
part • slight oozing of blood going on at the time. I
found no fracture. The scalp at the central portion
of the wound was in • pulpy condition, owing to
contusion. I ordered lint and carbolic acid Lotion to
be applied; but he oat no restless that it was imposelble
to keep It, and I fastened the edges; of the wound with
sticking planter. I diSCOV•red • few abrasions below the
knees, I louud abrwdons and ecchymals on the lower pert
of the lanai vertebras, and ecchymosis on some other
parts. I attended him, and all Friday morning, his
symptoms seemed to improve, when the matron informed
me that en torniox on time right tide him breathing became
oppressed. Ou examining with a stethoscope, I dl.-
covered physical signs of incipient pleuro-peimmuia and
this inflau.mation gradually increased, until he finally
succumbed, notwithstanding most active remedial
meaning's. I attributs the inflammiation id the limas, to
a fracture of the 10th castal cartilage, the rib itself was
11,4 fractured ; Isti4 tbe cartilage was cracked probably in
his straining back. The cause of death was inflammation
of thy left lung, lied the cartilage of the rib not been
fractured, I thiuk he would have recovered, as he had
recivered consciousness, and bad begun to take food.
114Vill• heard the evidence Dr. Moorhead could not say
whether he wee in • At when lint seen.

----•- - --
Haulm. re-called. could milt my that he did not think
there was anything the matter when he saw him Inkhe
thought he was looking at the 'hips.
The witness &man-Ault, rec•lled, said he hail misstated
the height of tee clift at the place where the deceased
must have fallen, and be found it was gift.
Mr. George thought it was very unusual for • man to
tin lying down on the cliff, e•pecially in this damp and
dirty weather. He also stated that the deceased came
hi,o him sating house between 11 and IS on Wednesday,
and asked loa • cup of tem, A 8 he usually did when he
came to Weymouth. He (11r. George) did not observe
anything at all ihiferent oi his manner.
In order to ascertain anything about the dectated's
state of mind previous to the occurrence, his son was

Kr. Alfred Vouncr. deceased's .on. saw him on Tuesday
eight about 8. and there did not WWII to be aaything the
matter with him; there was no reason to sluice." he was
mentally ill. and • Ravel serer !ward that he was
subject to fits. He was not a teetotaller: hut a very
nexierate man. Witnesis uncle died semettme ago in
IhJecheeter, who had never been in a Si in his life before:
hut be had three hefore his death.
lir. Superintendent Vickery said there were marks on
the aids of the cliff 1.4 if deceased had struggled toss,.
himielf as be went down. If he bad taken • clean leap,
he would have pitched clear on the rocks.
Mr. Pouncy. Jun.. spoke of decease! being *say in his
mind on the night before. Ile not in his easy chair. and
boomed all right.

I --fie-preoe—o^fru- arshosallow WZA produced whichdeceseed
bad clutched and brought out of Yr. Fuller's rudest, as
he peased through.
The Coroner said the canoe of the death was inflamma-
tion of the lungs but they had not only to enquire into
tho rause of death, hut if • perivin's death is muse I Icy
other than natural GUM the circumstances plot be
7:lrni redo
over the !ear? ani'd $
w6="r fa to irngedist 116ann7
dentsl or whether it we. inhostional on the part of the
pers in who fell they had to enquire, Of he might have
been thrive,. over. In the first place, would be bete
thrown himself over unless he had an intention to destroy
himself I They found that his son saw him last night,
• when he wan eatishie to do hie ; and there was
nothing to iitstify the jury In believing be destroyed him-
' self. There sem no indication to show that be woe out of
bis mind, end, therefore, the Coroner thought the reason-
able elncluaion to come to we, that he was In • fit
and that he fell over, or that be fell over, by accident
otherwise. He presumed the jury wool.' find that
dimmed fell over by accident, and that hi. death MN
caused by infiammation of the leap, prothmed by the
fracture of the eartilage sad weed by the tall