The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-05 00:00:00

Alleged Death from a Fight.

On Monday the coroner, Mr J. B, Grindon, held an in-
quest at the Infirmary, Birmingham, touching the death
of Charles Burdon, who had died in that institution, it was
supposed, from injuries caused in a fight with another man,
named Geo. Carpnter.
Mr E. C. Board, house surge n at the infirmary, said the
deceased was brought into the house on Tuesday last. He
saw him sborly afterwards, and observed symptoms like
those arising from an affection of the bladder. Ha was at
first treated for that disease, but in consequence of hearing
that he had met with an accident witness made an alteration
in the mode of treatment. He died on Friday afternoon,
and on Saturday a post-mortem examination was made.
Witness ascertained rupture of the bladder to have been
the cause of death. That rupture must have been the resul
of external violence. It was not an extensive rupture—it
was about an inch long. Surgical treatment could not have
caved life in a case of that sort. There was no other cause
of death apparent.

Tho 3. Lewis, landlord of the Bristol and North Somerset
Rrilway Inn, St. Philip's Marsh, stated that he knew
Chas. Burdon. He was a combmaker, about 39 years of
age, and a married man with five children. On Monday
last deceased was at witness's house. Between six and
seven in the evening witness was engaged in the front par-
lour, when he heard a commotion in the taproom. Ho went
there and saw Carpenter and Burdon. They were quarrel-
ling ab int the cards. He was very angry at the sight of the
cards, and he seized them immediately and sent for a po-
liceman. In the meantime he saw several blows with fists
pass between the two men. They closed together, and fell
heavily on one another on the floor. They fell three times.
The last time Burdon was undermost, and his head strrck
a leg of the table. His head bled, but not a great deal. Wit-
ness did not hear him complain of having received any in-
ternal injury. Witness left the room, and Burden was takex
home i❑ a cart by his brother-in-law.
By a Juror—They were not over remarkably gone with
drink, but they had been drinking together, and appeared to
be perfectly sensible. Carpenter brought the cards into his
house without his knowledge and against his rules, He
said he had fetched them at Burdon's desire.
Henry Cock, cooper Newtown, said he had a slight know-
ledge of the deceased. He was in his company on that day
week at the Bristol and North Somerset Railway Inn. He
was there at a quarter past six, and saw Carpenter and
Burdon playing at cards there. Carpenter was a coachman
out of employ. A dispute took place between them. They
had arranged that the first man who played a false card
should forfeit a chalk. It appeared Carpenter played a
false card, and the deceased took a chalk. Then deceased
played a false card, and Carpenter wanted to take a chalk,
but the deceased would not allow him to do so, and then a
dispute occurred. They began to fight, and when they had
had one round he stopped them, and one of them hit him
on the nose for so doing. They then sat down quietly for
a time, but again fought, and Mr Lewis came into the
room. They fell three times, and witness again separated
them. It appeared to him that neither of them had sus-
tained any serious injury; but on one occasion Burdon fell
very awkward—all of a heap on his face. He did not com-
plain of being hurt. Both men were tipsy. Immediately
after the fight witness found Burdon lying down moaning
in the yard.

George Carpenter, after being cautioned by the coroner,
said the evidence which had been given contained nothing
but the truth. He believed, however, that the deceased
since he had been in the infirmary had given his opinion
that he (Carpenter) had not caused the injury.
The deceased's wife was called, and she stated that what
her husband said at the infirmary was that ho felt hurt
before he was put in the cart, but the jolting of the cart had
not done him any good.
The Coroner 'summed up, leaving to the jury the ques-
tions—Was the rupture the result of violence? and, if so,
was that violence intentional or accidental ?
The jury returned a vordiet that the deceased died from
rupture of the bladder.

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ties of ulcerations, bad legs, sores, wounds, and eruptions,
can be cured by the diligent use of this cooling, soothing,
and healing unguent. The old and often-failing fashion
of strapping the edges of ulcers together with plasters has
entirely given way before the more reasonable treatment
by Holloway's ointment, which builds up from the bottom
of the wound with sound and healthy granulations; these
gradually grow till they reach the level of the surface, then
contract, harden, and immediately become covered with a
new and wholesale skin. The proper application of this
ointment diminishes the inflammation, causes the un-
healthy discharge first to grow thick then to cease. The
pills should be tat= so as to act ia twisoa With the oint-
ment.