The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-13 00:00:00

/f

2"

the stock of Mr. Hammond's marshland off the line.
I sent him to Mr. Durrant, who dismissed him very
cavalierly. Up to the 15th of May I had called
upon Mr. Durrant, and complained to him, among
other things, of the fence. I subsequently called.
upon Mr. Valentine.
Mr. James Platt was next examined. In reply
to the jury, he said no break-power could have
stopped the train in the 40 yards.
Mr. E. E. Durrant, Borough Treasurer of Lynn,
and a director of the line, sworn, stated that be had
never had a single complaint from those persons
about the fences. He had received a letter of Mr.
Baggy, through Mr. Simpson. He went down to
the place indicated, and found that the fence had.
been deepened, and it looked to him to be in a very
fair and proper condition. He had frignently bleu
a passenger on the line, but bad never seen any
cause of complaint, nor had any, either through
their own people or the Great Eastern. Most em-
phatically, he never had any complaint from Mr.
Sw annul on behalf of Mr, Hammond as to the
fences. Thompson, a shepherd, never complained
to him. _ _

Thompson, -recalled, said he had spoken to Mt%
Durrant in his office as to the water and the

Fencing.

Mr. Durrant said he might have had conversa-
tion as to the water—the culverts. In his opinion
a nine-foot dike with a rail was a sufficient one. It
was supposed the ditches never would be dry.
The inquiry is still proceeding.

Inquest on the Body of the late Sir F. W.
Slade, Bart, Q.C.

Yesterday an inquest was held at MaunsellHouse,

near Bridgwater, by W. W. Munckton, Esq., coro-
ner, on the body of Sir F. Slade, who expired sud-
denly on Sunday morning. It was mentioned ,in
the course of the inquiry that the deceased felt the
death of Sir Cresswell Cresswell exceedingly, and
mentioned the circumstance to Mr. Fitzgerald in
the assize courts at Wells on Friday morning last.
In the course of conversation he said that no ono
knew who had a diseased heart, and God only knew
who would die from it next. About two years ago
a favourite servant of his died from diseased heart,
and that circumstance also affected him. On Satur-
day, during his walk in his garden with his medical
attendant, Mr. Summers, he repeatedly referred to
the death of Sir Cresswell Cresswell.
Marcus Slade, sworn, said—l am the son of the
deceased. He returned to Maunsell from Wells
Assizes on Friday night last, apparently in good
health. The following morning, about half-past
seven, he rode out on horseback, and on his return
he walked to the dairy. On his way back, when he
got to the coal house, he said he had a pain in his
chest. He returned and had his breakfast with
Lady Siade and the family_ He did not eat much.
He drank a cup of hot coffee, and said that it did
him good. After breakfast the pains came on
worse. Mr. Summers saw him between ten and
eleven o'clock that morning. After he left he went
upstairs and lay down on my brother's bed, where
he remained until half-past three o'clock, when he
came down stairs and went out into the garden,
and said that he felt better. At half-past seven
o'clock he came into dinner, but did not eat any-
thing excepting some dry toast and hot brandy and
water. He said that he felt better during the
evening. He had a cup of tea about a quarter-past
nine. He said he would go to bed early, but he
changed his mind and did not go until after we had
gone ; at dinner time he said his left hand was cold.
which he considered as a sign of gout coming on.
About halfpast ten o'clock that night I last saw
him alive. I was then in the drawing room. In
the night I was awoke up by bells ringing and
mamma screaming. I ran into his bed room. He
was lying near the edge on his left side. Mamma
and a gentleman who was staying with us (Mr.
Cantillu) were with him. Cold water was applied
to his head, but it fell down again. He never spoke.
Mr. Summers was sent for immediately. I felt
him and he was quite warm.
William Alexander Summers deposed—l am a
surgeon residing at North Petherton. On Satur-
day morning last, about ten o'clock or a little
after, I was sent for to see the deceased,
and found him at Maunsell in the drawing room.
He complained of an intense pain in his chest and
stomach. His face was much flushed, and ho was
in a great perspiration. His left hand and arm wars
considerably colder than the right ones. I examined
his heart, and found its action very laboured, al-
though regular. I attributed the symptoms to in-
digestion. I gave him some remedies, ordered a
mustard poultice to be applied, and his arm to be
rubbed. I saw him again at about half-past five
o'clock in the afternoon, when he told me that the
pains in the stomach and chest were almost
gone, but that he had a slight headache. I found
animation in the arm quite restored. He walked
about the garden with me for upwards of three-
quarters of an hour and seemed very cheerful. I
ordered the medicine to be repeated and left.
About a quarter to twelve o'clock at night I had a,
message to come to Maunsell directly, Sir Frederick
was in a fit. I immediately went down and
found him in his bed-room, lying rather on his
left side, and quite dead, although still warm. I did
not see any marks of violence about it. I attended
him about 16 months ago for a similar attack, from
which he soon recovered. Lady Slade informed me
that she was awoke by his making a rattling noise
in his throat as he was lying in bed, and that his
face and neck were suffused with blood • when I
saw him he was very pale, as he had been dead some
20 minutes. lam of opinion that he had fatty de-
generation of the heart, and that the immediate
cause of death was, apoplexy, the result of natural

causes.
Remain Bouroon sworn—l am the butler at
Maunsell, The family went to bed on Saturday
night at 10 o'clock. Sir Frederick Slade remained
up sitting in the drawing-room reading the limes;
directly the family went to bed he called me to
put out the lights, which I did and left him in
the drawing-room. I heard him go to his bed
room about 10 minutes to eleven o'clock. About
forty minutes afterwards her ladyship's bell rang.
I went to the bedroom and found Lady Slade out of
bed, and Sir Frederick lying in bed on his left side.
lie was insensible. I sent immediately for Mr.
Summers.
Sir Alfred Frederick' Adolphus Slade, Bart.,
sworn—l am the eldest son of the deceased. The
letters which I now produce are in the handwrit-
ing of the deceased. They were delivered to me by
Lady Slade. They were sealed and stamps put on
them. I opened them :
" Maunsell, Bth Aug. 1863.
" My dear Sampson,—Will you be so kind as to send me
here the name exact of the preparation of taraxacum, and
the address of the shop in Loudon where it is to be had.
You will remember having told me that I ought to take it
for a series of weeks or months. I have lately had a severe
bilious derangement, which brings your advice to my mind.
We are looking very beautiful here now, all the flowers out
and the harvest in full progress. We go to the nee at
Faignton, near Torquay, for three weeks on the 19th of the
month, after which we shall be here, and hope to see yoti
and Mrs. Sampson—Yours very truly,
(Signed) " F. W. SLADE.
" George Sampson, Esc'!" Fisherton, Salisbury."
" Maunsell Grange, Bth August, 1863.
"My Dear Lord Bishop,—l was in Wells on Friday, but
so busy in court that I could not pay my respects to Lady
Auckland and yourself as I had wished. Business over, I
returned here, leaving everything at my lodgings, ready for
me to return to-morrow to have the honour of dining at the
palace. L' honzme propose, litais Dieti dispose. I got up as
well as any man this morning, rode out early before break-
fast, but was seized with what they call indigestion, but
what I call the pains of hell, and have been in all day.
Under these circumstances will you and Lady Auckland
kindly excuse me, and believe yours very truly,
(Signed) " F. W. SLIDE.
" The Right Honourable the Lord Bishop,
Palace, Wells, Somerset."
The Coroner, in summing up the case, considered
the jury could not have the slightest hesitation in
coming to the conclusion that the deceased died
from natural causes, and it appeared to him that the
proximate cause of death was similar to that of Sir
Cresswell Cresswell's—fatty degeneration of the
heart. Possibly faintness came on, the heart put
in increased action, more blood was sent to the brain
than was normal, and a bloodvessel gave way, pro-
ducing apoplexy, which, as the surgeon truly
stated, was the immediate cause of death.
The jury returned a verdict of "Death from
Natural Causes.",