The Northern Guardian. — 1897-08-21 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

THE HARTLEPOOLS & DISTRICT.  LATEST NEWS.  THE DROWNING FATALITY IN WEST HARTLEPOOL.  A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY.  At the West Hartlepool Police Station this afternoon. Mr Coroner Dodds held an inquest concerning the death of George Dunning, who as reported in the "Guardian," was found drowned near the South Pier yesterday afternoon. Thomas Kelly, labourer. residing in Furness Street, West Hartlepool, said the deceased was also a labourer, and witness had known him for four years. Witness saw Dunning last Saturday, but had not heard anything of him since. Arthur Aldridge, labourer, said he and the deceased had lived at Mudd's lodging house, Mainsf6rth Terrace. Witness last saw Dunning alive about ten o'clock on Wednesday night. About six o'clock on Wednesday evening they went to the Old Town together, and had a glass or two of beer at Mrs Brown's publio-uouse. Afterwards they had some beer at the house of deceased's old landlady. On coming away from there, witness left Dunning near the railway, deceased, who was slightly drunk, saying he would go back to his old landlady and lodge there. Deceased "reckoned' h. was 34 or 35 years of age. Robert Tripp, seagoing fireman, also residing at Mudd's lodging house, said he was reading on the beach near Bridge Street yesterday afternoon, when a man came through the tunnel, jumped off the sewer, and ran alone the beach and tried to climb on to the pier. Witness then lost sight of him. About ten minutes afterwards, a woman came to witness and said, "Do you know there is a, man drowned" Another woman came un and stated that a poor man had committed suicide, but she thought they had got him. From the description which the woman gave of the man, witness came to the conclusion that he was the one whom witness had seen running along the beach.  The Coroner, at this point. said he thought there was something more in this case than appeared on the surface, and he directed one police officer to take Tripp to see the both- and another to go with Aldridge to fetch the deceased's former landlady.  Dr Samuel Biggart, Scarborough Street, said he had made a post mortem examination of the body, which appeared to be healthy. 'Mere was a general lfruising on the head and the exposed parts of the body. It appeared as if it had been rolling about amongst stones. The eyes had lost their original glass colour, and the lobes of both ea..-s were partially eaten away. There was one slight cut on the right side of the head, and a fracture of the skull, 31 inches long, probably produced by a fall or a heavy blow. The fracture was the cause of death. A curious thing was that no external sign of the injury to the scalp was visible.  Soseph Pace and Thomas Hanlon. boys, derased to seeing the body in the water yesterday afternoon.  Robert Tripp, having returned from viewing the body, said it was that of the very man he saw running along the beach yesterday. The Coroner pointed out that Dr Bigg,art hial stated that the body must hare been in the water some days, but Tripp persisted in his contention. "It's the very same man," he repeated emphatically. The Coroner said he was sure lie did not know what the jury were ,roing to do. It must he a rase of mistaken identity on Tripn's part. To Witness: What were you reading at the time? Tripp: Well,- I am not ashamed to own it; I was reading the Bible. The Coroner: Well, it is a very -ood book, but , if you were very much engrossed in what you were reading you could not take much notice of what was _going on around you.  The inquest was adjourned until half-past two o'clock.  On resuming, Ann Watson, 22, Dock Street, said the deceased lodged with her for about a year precious to June last. Dunning was a heavy drinker. He used to drink for weeks together. LaQt Wednesday night, deceased and the witness Aldridge went to her house about eight o'clock, and asked for lodgings, but she could not take them in. Witness, however, got them lodgings next door, and they then went away. About 1030 witness found Dunning sitting on the sofa in her house, and she teld him he would have to go. He was trhe worse for drink, and did not want to go, but she put him out. While at her house, Dunning had two pints of beer. Witness did not allow the der•eased to remain a seernd in her house. She ordered him out at once.  The Coroner, reviewing the evidence, said he thought the jury could not go beyond Dr Bigcart's evidence. The jury found that deceased was found dead through a fracture of the skull but that there was no evidence to slyly how the f7acture was sustained.