The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-02 00:00:00

THE LATE MELANCHOLY AFFAIR ON

BOARD THE DAUNTLESS.

CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER AGAINST
LIEUTS. KNIGHT AND SEYMOUR.
PORTSMOUTH, SATURDAY.
SECOND DAY.
Popular excitement has somewhat abated, as the
witnesses in their examination fail to show that any
criminality attaches to Messrs. Knight and Seymour
with regard to the death of the 'unfortunate young
woman Matilda Jane Lodge. The court was not half
so crowded to-day, nor was that anxiety so visible as on
the preceding day.
At eleven precisely the mayor, C. Stigant, Esq., and
the following magistrates occupied the bench :—B.
Bramble, T. E. Owen, Major Travers, G. Gilman, G.
J. Seale, and Captain Sayer. Captain Ryder, of the
Dauntless, also sat behind the bench, and remained to
the end of the day's proceedings.
The court having opened,
Rebecca Lodge, mother of the deceased, was exa-
mined, and the next witness was
Henry Carter, Esq., surgeon, of Portsea, who deposed to
having attended deceased, and described at considerable
length the appearances, external and internal, of the
body. It is unnecessary to the general reader to more
minutely report this evidence, than to say that it was to
the effect that death bad resulted from peritonitis, occa-
sioned by rupture of the bladder, causing its contents to
flow into the abdomen. He observed no mark of vio-
lence in the region of the bladder. He was of opinion
that pressure without violence might cause a distended
bladder to be ruptured. The impression of witness was
that there was ulceration of the bladder, and he had
stated so at the inquest.
Mr. Ford—Nature exerts herself to supply the injury
produced by a ruptured bladder ?
Witness—Yes, by throwing out an adhesive lymph.
This had commenced in a small degree. An enlargement
of the rupture of the bladder was made after it was taken
from the body, but it was plain to see the extent of this
by the difference of appearance between the original and
the new rupture.
Re-examined—There was more fluid in the abdomen
than the bladder would contain ; this would arise from
all the fluid taken after the rupture of the bladder on
Sunday night till death finding its way into the abdo-
men.
Thomas Singleton Gray, Esq., surgeon, of Gosport,
deposed to the appearance of deceased's body on a post-
mortem examination, and further proceeded—l did say
to deceased's sister, knowing that she was a woman of
experience, that "the appearances were not natural."
I saw deceased on the Wednesday morning, and she
asked me if she was going to die. I told her that if she
had anything to say or do, she must do it at once. I
used the catheter, but produced no urine. I believe
I prescribed toast and water for her to drink. I thought,
from not finding distention of the bladder, that it must
be ruptured. When I placed my hand on her belly on
Monday, and she could not bear it, I regarded it as a
symptom that peritonitis had set in. I examined de-
ceased's body. There was a discolouratten of the head.
The bandages were removed. There was a mark on the
outside of the right arm. There might have been
marks on the left arm without my seeing. I did not
see any marks under the arm. I did not raise the
arms, but somebody else did, and I saw no marks. On
the right and left sides of the body there were disco-
lourations. I could distinguish no difference as to the
amount of discolourations between the two sides. I
could discover no appearance which could have been the
result of violence during life. I saw a blow above the
os ilium, rather before it, and approaching the region.
It presented the appearance of occhymosis very slightly.
It appeared to me to be the result of violence inflicted
during life. There were no unusual appearances on the
legs ; there was one on the knee ; that was a bruise
apparently, the result of a contact with a foreign body
during life. Deceased's body was opened by Mr.
Knight, Mr. Lowe's pupil. I found the contents of
the chest quite healthy. I next examined the abdomen ;
the stomach and intestines were distended with air. In
the stomach was a fluid. The intestines were healthy.
I then examined the lower part of the abdomen, and
found nearly two quarts of fluid serum. I found the
bladder in a collapsed state, and a slight inflammation
in the peritoneum. The serum we found in the abdo-
men was urine. I agree in the opinion that death was
caused by the rupture of the bladder. I have no doubt
but that violence during life would produce that rup-
ture.
Mr. Ford—Might not pressure on the abdomen have
caused rupture of a distended bladder ?
Witness—It might. Concussion, however, would have
been more likely.
Mr. Ford—Did you take any steps when deceased
died to give information to the police ?
Witness—No. I think • that a fall from a bed two
feet and a half high might have caused-rupture to a dis-
tended bladder. Striking against the side of a ship
might have caused bruises to the head, which again
might have thrown her on her knee.
Mr. Ford—Would the same blow or fall that pro-
duced rupture of the bladderhave produced all the blows
that were found on the deceased's body ?
Witness—l believe all the appearances were produced
by falls.
Mr. Ford--But might not the same appearances have
been the result of blows ?
Witness—Yes.
Mr. Ford—What data have you for arriving at the
opinion that the bruises were the result of falls ?
Witness--I arrived at the opinion after hearing the
evidence at the coroner's inquest.
Mr. Ford—Exactly so ; from what you heard from
officers of the Dauntless. Now what was your opinion
before the coroner's inquest took place ?
Witness—l thought death was the result of ill-usage.
Mr. Ford—Was not a question asked you by Super-
intendent Harvey as to whether a fall from a bed 2.1_, feet
Li;li would be likely to cause death ?
Mr. Gray—l endeavoured to evade the officer, for I
saw he wanted to get everything out of zne he could and
carry it else; ‘ here.
Mr. Ford—Then you thought it consistent with your
duty as a medical officer to try to evade the efforts of
the police to carry out the ends of justice ?
Mr. Gray—l endeavoured to be guarded in my re-
marks.
Mr. Ford—Did not Superintendent Harvey tell you
he was sent by the coroner ?
Mr. Gray—He did.
Mr. Ford—Did he not say that it was reported that
deceased had. fallen from a bed two feet high ?
Mr.
.
Mr. Ford--It is very important. Gray—l cannot answer the question ;it is too
tri vial
anMswre.r it.
Gray—lt is so important relatively that I cannot
Mr. Ford—But did Harvey say se ? You are on
your oath, sir.
Mr. Gray—He might have done.
Mr. Ford—Did Harvey ask you this question :—" It
is said that she fell from a bed in Knight's cabin, which
had inflicted violence, and would this violence cause
death ?"
Mr. Gray—l believe be did say so, and I replied

" Yes."
Mr. Ford—But did you not tell him death from such
a cause was " imposfible ?"
Mr. Gray—l did not.
Mr. Ford—Now sir, on your oath, did you not say it
was "impossible ?"
Mr. Gray—l do not think I did, for Harvey came to
me in such a way that I was careful.
The Mayor—l cannot see how you as a medical man
could object to such a question.
Mr. Ford—Did not Harvey, with Serjeant Monck
with him, corns to you in a most respectful way, and say
they were sent by the coroner to make inquiries ?
Mr. Gray—l think they did. Still I did not under-
stand their manner, and was very careful with them.
Mr. Ford—You saw them twice ; were you so careful
on the first occasion !
Mr. Gray—No, I was not.
Mr. Ford--Did they not ask you in the most respect-
ful way what you could say in reference to this poor
girl's death ?
Mr. Gray—l cannot recollect the conversation.
Mr. Ford—l did not ask you for the conversation.
Now, did you not know at that time that the coroner
was prosecuting inquiries into the death of the girl ?
Mr. Gray—l did. not.
Mr. Ford—Well, did you see Harvey and Monck
before or after the post-mortem examination you made
of the body 1
Mr. Gray—l believe I saw them after the examina-
tion.
Mr. Ford—Did you not receive the order to make
this examination from the coroner ?
Mr. Gray—l did. Now I recollect myself. I saw
the officers before the post-mortem examination.
Mr. Ford—Well, do recollect yourself, and we will
try to arrive at the fact. Had you not the uterus and
bladder in your possession when Harvey and Monck
called on you ?
Mr. Gray—Very likely. Indeed, I know I had.
Mr. Ford—And did you not tell them that you had
discovered internal injuries sufficient to cause death ?
Mr. Grey—l recollect I did.
Mr. Ford—Then you must not have seen the police-
officers after the post-mortem. examination if you had dis-
covered this fact ?
Mr. Gray—l suppose it must have been so (marks of
disapprobation from the gallery).
Mr. Ford—Well, we have got at that fact. Now,
did you not tell Harvey to call in an hour and you
would tell him your opinion ?
Mr. Gray—l did, and I think be called ; but from my
many engagements I do not recollect.
Mr. Ford—Did you not tell him when he called that
you could not give him your opinion ?
Mr. Gray—l did so, for I felt that he did not come
as an honest man.
. Mr. Ford—This is a gratuitous insult to the officer.
The Mayor—This is very improper. Mr. Harvey
has done his duty in an excellent manner, and it is not
a disgrace to do that duty.
Mr. Gray—As a general rule I do not like the police.
I have been treated ill by them.
Mr. Ford—Well, did Mr. Harvey say he had heard
deceased fell from a bed feet hie; ?
Mr. Gray—He might have said so.
The Mayor remarked on the hesitation with which
the witness gave his evidence.
Mr. Gray—As the medical man of the poor girl who
is dead, you are pressing me very hard.
Mr. Ford—l am merely doing my duty. Now, I ask
you if Mr. Harvey did not ask in the presence of Monck
whether a fall from a bed might result in death, and did
you not reply " Certainly not ?"
Mr. Gray—l could not have said so ; I could not
have been in my senses to have said so.
Mr. Ford—Well, as this is your opinion las to the
cause of death after the inquest, what was it iiefore ?
Mr. Gray—l sympathised with the fe*le, for I
thought she had been ill•treated from her appearance,