The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-12-04 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUESTS

LAMENTABLE ACCIDLNT.—DEATH OF MR. WINDSOR.
On Wednesday last au inquest was held before P. F. Curry,
Esq., and a highly respectable jury, on view of the body of
Mr. James Windsor, surgeon, late of St. Anne's-street. As
some erroneous impressions exist on one point—the alleged
warranty of the horse—which wrongfully reflect on the party
who sold the horse—through the running off of which the
accident occurred, we give the evidence more at length than
we should, otherwise deem it necessary to do.
William lialsall, being sworn, said :—I was servant with
the deceased, whose name was James Windsor. He was a
surgeon, and resided in St. Anne-street. He was constantly
in the habit of going his professional rounds in a gig. On
Friday morning last the deceased told me to go to the stable
of Mr. Atkinson, in Newington Bridge, to see a horse, the
property of Mr. Stringer, which he had some idea of pur-
chasing. I went there and saw the horse, and asked Mr.
Atkinson what character he would give it. He said that he
would warrant the horse steady in harness, and that he had
known the horse for twelve years previous. The same day I
rode the horse up to my master's stable, and put him in the
gig. The deceased and I then went into the gig. The de-
ceased drove. We went along St. Anne-street and turned
into Islington, and were proceeding at a comfortable trot,
and did not push the horse by any means. We had not pro-
ceeded far before the horse began kicking, and reared once
or twice and kept on kicking. This was when we were near
to the corner of Christian-street. Whilst the horse was
kicking this way the gig rocked a great deal, and the deceased
either made an effort to jump out or was thrown out. The
moment the deceased was out of the gig the horse started off,
and the wheel caught against the stone-work of the railing of
the Institution, (Dispensary) and, with the jerk, I Was
thrown out of the gig. I cannot say anything more about
the deceased until I stopped the horse, and the deceased was
then being conveyed to the Dispensary. He was taken to
his own house the same evening, where lie was attended by
several surgeons, and died yesterday morning. I bad fitted
the traces myself, by letting them out three holes, and there
was nothing at all defective about the harness. There was
nothing in the street that I could see to startle the horse.
The deceased was 41 years old.
Alice Jones said :—I am a servant in the employ of Mr.
Adam Norris, who lives in Islington. On Friday last I was
at my work cleaning the bedroom windows, when I saw a
gig coming from towards St. Anne-street, with two persons
in it. When just opposite my master's house, the horse
began kicking ; it then fell down, and one of the persons in
the gig was thrown upon the parapet. The horse jumped up
again, gave a kick at the gig, and then started off. lam sure
the deceased did not jump out, but was thrown out.
Mr. James Long, surgeon, said :—On Friday afternoon
last I was going down Islington, on the right-hand side,
when I saw a horse and gig proceeding down the street.
The horse was plunging and kicking, and I saw an individual
in the act of falling upon the parapet, but whether he jumped
out or was thrown out I cannot say. I escaped within the
rails surrounding Islington-flags, being under the apprehen-
sion that the horse would run over me. As quick as possible
I proceeded to the assistance of the injured individual, whom
I found to be Mr. Windsor, the surgeon. I assisted to con-
vey him into the Dispensary. I made an examination, and
found that he had received a compound fracture of the right
leg. At his request Mr. Halton. the surgeon, was sent for ;
and on his arrival, which was within a very few minutes after
the accident had happened, the sharp ends of the bone were
removed, and several loose pieces of bone were extracted.
Everything was done that the case required, and deceased
was attended up to the time of his death by Mr. Halton,
Mr. Marshall, Mr. Windsor, surgeon, of Manchester, and.
myself. lam of opinion that death was caused by the inju-
ries which the deceased had received producing a shock on
the nervous system, in a constitution of extreme susceptibility.
John Atkinson, being sworn, said—l keep a livery stable
in Newington-bridge. Last Thursday afternoon the deceased
came to the stables, and saw a bay horse, the property of Mr.
James Stringer, and which I was commissioned to sell. I
had known the horse previously from 9 to 12 months. I
told the deceased that I did not know a better horse, and
that I had seen him pass and repass frequently, and that I
knew him to be steady. I was not aware at the time that the
horse had any vice. The following day the servant man of
the deceased took the horse away for the purpose of trying
him. The same afternoon (Friday) I was informed of the
accident. I did not receive any directions from Mr. Stringer
to warrant the horse. Twenty-five pounds was the price I
asked for the horse.
Mr. James Stringer said—l am a merchant, and reside at
Aigburth. About a year ago I purchased the horse which the
deceased had on trial. From that period up to the last ten
days I was constantly in the habit of driving the horse, both
in single and double harness. I have driven him frequently
in a gig with my wife and child, and I was not aware he had
any vice. I had no other reason for parting with the horse
than that I did not wish to keep three, having recently taken
another up from grass. I would not have hesitated to war—
rant the horse steady in harness to my own brother. The
horse was what I call a slug, and I never knew him to rear
or run away.

The coroner summed up the evidence, and the jury returned
a verdict to the effect, that the deceased had died from inju-
ries received by an accidental fall from his gig.