The Sun.
London, England, 1827-10-22 00:00:00

INQUESTS AT DOVER.

On Thursday, the 4th instant, an inquest was
held at Dover, before JOHN SHIPDEDI, Esq., Mayor
and Coroner, on the body of John Weston, one of
the packet porters of that place. The deceased,
who had been labouring under a rheumatic affection,
had obtained a presentation ticket for relief at the
Dover Dispensary, an institution chiefly under the
care of a Mr. Sankey, surgeon in ti,lat town. Bleed-

ink was prescribed :Which operatiOn was performed
on Tuesday, 2d October, by Mr. Sankey's assist-
ant,
and the arm bound up as usual. In the course
of the night the arm swelled, and the poor fellow
(who had formerly lived as servant to a medical
man) was heard to express his strong doubts as to
the scientific performance of the operation. Be-
coming worse, his wife fetched Mr. Sankey, who,
with his assistant, examined the arm, in private, and
continued with the patient some time; he, however,
gradually sunk, and expired about four o'clock on
Thursday • morning. A Committee of the Sub-
scribers to the Dispensary was convened, and
many persons having stated that they should not
be satisfied unless an inquest was held, a precept
was accordingly issued by the Mayor and Coroner.
At the inquest, the Surgeon to the Dispensary, (Mr.
Sankey) and his Assistant alone were examined !
The substance of Mr. Sankey's evidence was, " that
the artery had not been cut (as was reported), but
that he had tied it !" The jury returned their ver-
dict—" Died by the visitation of God." This,
however, was far from being satisfactory to the pub-
lic, and an application was made to the Coroner to
have it re-investigated; in consequence, he deputed
two medical men from Deal (Dr. M'Arthur and Mr.
MAO with another of the profession at Dover
(Mr. Norwood), to examine and report on the body.
The report stated—" The medical inspectors had
found that about one inch of the brachial artery had
been removed from below the vein which had been
opened in bleeding, and that they found two liga-
tures above the part of the artery which had been
cut away ;" of course they were 'unable to decide
whether the artery had, or had not, been punctured
in the bleeding. On this report the Coroner did
not see occasion for another Inquest, and the body
was buried on the Sunday. Public feeling, however,
was excited still further, rather than allayed, by the
knowledge of the substance of this examination, and
rose to such a height that the Coroner was obliged
to yield to the general wish; and after some delay
another Inquest was summoned, the body being dis-
interred for the inspection of the jury, which was
not entirely composed of the same individuals
as at first. The medical witnesses were examined,
and Mr. Sankey deposed, that " he thought after
the man had been bled, an internal arterial bleeding
had occurred, and he therefore tied the artery above,
and adopted the usual means to prevent inflamma-
tion ; that after death he had ascertained that the
artery was not cut; that with regard to the portion
of the. artery which was missing, he had directed it
to be ",cut away, and slit up longitudinally, to
ascertain if disease existed." It was not prodaced
in Court. [On calling for the evidence of the wife,
it was stated in Court that she was in strong fits,
and her attendance was therefore dispensed with;
but the next day this was discovered not to have
been the case, as the poor woman was actually wait-
ing in expectation of being summoned, as was also
the lady who had recommended Weston to the dis-
pensary, to support her in Court. She states that
she was not sent for. How this arose is not pre-
cisely understood.) The evidence here terminating,
the jury retired, but could npt agree in opinion, se-
veral refusing positively to sign the verdict deter-
minedestheto say
that on by the rest. However, on the principle
of the opinion of the majority constituting a legal
visi-
tationmuch
h greater of God
satisfaction Plt is needlessixts at verdict, it was again recorded, " Died by the
not
n
mo-
ment than before the second Inquest; and in justi-
fication of those public spirited individuals who ex-
present
ex-
erted themselves so laudably in endeavouring to
throw a light on this mysterious affair, we have given
such particulars of the proceedings as have trans-
, pired. Reporters were not allowed by the Coroner !
It is rumoured that a representation of the whole
business will be laid before the Secretary of the
Home Department.—Kent Herald%

On Monday a partridge flew through the
window into the kitchen of Mr. Harries, of New Town,
Montgomeryshire, and was secured in a cage, apparently
contented. Probably it was pursued by a hawk.— Shrews-
bury Chronicle.