The Atherstone, Nuneaton, and Warwickshire Times. — 1884-01-26 (Atherstone, Warwickshire, England)

DEATH FROM DISSIPATION.  SHOCKIG DEPRAVITY,  -On Thursday evening last, at the Ham and Squirrel Inn, Coventry, Dr. Litre and a jui y commenced an inquiry into the circumstances attending the de !th of William Short, a watch-c'l) maker, which had taken place on the previous day, at No. 2, Ware Georgiana Steel, sah whom the deceased had cohabited, stated that he had, for some time past, led a drunken, dissipated life. On Tuesday night he went home " ,rash," and atter partaking of some soup went to bed. About two o'clock on Wednesday marning he complained of bring ill, and Ste, 1 g .ve him some ging, r and water. Ile grew worse, however. and between ten and eleven o'clock she went for his frieads, leaving a neighbour widi him. No medical assiatance was procured, and the deceas died !shortly after noon. In reply to the Coroner, Steel attempted to excuse herself on various grounds for not obtaining medical assistance, and at length admitted that on Tuesday night she went to bed drunk, and scarcely knew what to do. —The Coroner said this was evidently not one of the plain and straightforward cases with which they ordinarily had to deal, and he had determined, with the acquiescence of the jury, to instruct Dr. Brown to make a post mortem examination, ea that they might have dearly before them the actual cau-e of d ath —The jury conmitre 1 in the remit ks of the Coroner, and the inquest was adjourned until Friday night, when Dr. Brown stated the result of his p,st mortem examination. He described the deceased's constitution as lute, ly worn out, there being scarcely a sound organ in his body. He Iliad what is known as a " nutmeg liver," which pas induced by excessive drinking. Death was duisto pleuraeffusion and the first signs of inflammation of the lunge following on a weak heart, and had doubtless been accelerated by the decr-ased'a dissipated and riotous mode of living.—The witness Stud was recalled, and in reply to a juror she denied that she was drunk on Wednesday night, or that she eat over the body of the deceased smoking.— '1 he Juror said that, notwithstanding the witness's denial, it was quite true that she did what the query indicated. —Anne Hawes, widow, of 3, Warwick-lane was called, and she described the mode of life of the deceased and Steel as riotous in the extreme. They were both addicted to drinking, they kept bad hours, and were continually quarrelling. On Wednesday morning Steel asked her to go in and see her "chap," who, she :aid, she believed was dying, and she went in at half.past ten o'clock. The deceased seemed to know that he was dying, and bade witness goodbye. She asked him if he u ould like to see a doctor, and he said he would, but Steel never sugges'ed that a medical gentleman should be sent tor. Steel was drunk on Tuesday night, and again on Wednesday night, and was behtiving disgracefully. She said she had no one to tell her troubles to, and she might as well go and tell them to the deceased. She was smoking over the body at 12 o'clock at night.—Dr. Brown said he could cora m this testimony. The woman steel was behaving in an outrage .us and revolting manner on ‘Vednesday night when he visited the house.—ln answer to a juror, Dr. Biown added that it was impossible to say whether medical attendance would have saved the deceased's life, but he was of opinion that no earthly power could have kept life in him long. His constitution was utterly broken up.—The Coroner oidered Steel to be brought into the Court, and then proceeded to address the jury. He said this was one of the most distressing and lamentable cases that he had ever investigated, and made some very strong and severe comments upon the course of I fe which the deceased and Si eel lid followed. He said that the conduct of the woman had been singularly disgraceful and revolting, and there was no doubt that day after day both the man and the woman had been bringing their career to an end by slowly committing suicide.—The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the med,cal testimony, and the Coroner said he should disallow Steel's expenses. In the course of the enquiry, Dr. Brown said that the post modem exaibinat on of the body of the deceased was one of the most Thtficult that he had ever made, and again showed the grot need that existed for a public mortuary. It was pity Ithat such a miserable eat of things should be allowe I to continue in this city, as rendered it necessary for any medical gentleman to be engaged for four or five hears in ,tointr the work which ought only to occupy an hour-and-a-half. That had been the case in this instance, and if he had not called in the assistance ef Dr. Loudon he would not have been able to have completed the examlnation in time for the inquest. As it was he had been unable to wriie a report. In making the examination a peat need of proper app'iances was felt, there being nothing but a brick to rest the head of the deceased on—and altogether the state of things was disgracsful. The Coroner said this was only a repetition of what had gone before. Coventry lery badly requirel a public mortuary, and he was glad of every opportunity of urging upon the authorities ; that they ought, with as little delay as possible,  to provida -acc.ommodation such 'os the city required. He hoped the pre-s would take notice of this matter. The newspape!s had hitherto done all that they possibly could t' bring the question under notice, and if the authorities did not soon take the necessary steps, and there was an higher power that could he appealed to, -there was no doubt that the time would come when an appeal would be made to it. The jury were strongly of opinion that a mortuary ought to be provided, one of the jurors saying that he and his fellow jurymen found that the little time occupied in viewing the body was quite long enough for them to be in the room, and it was scarcely conceiveable how Dr. Brown had found it possible to remain there for nearly five hours.  Dr. Brown said it was one of the worst experiences he had ever lid, and he thought the attention of the Inspector of Nuisances ought to be called to the dirty condi; ion of the house. The Coroner instructed Inspector Dolby to inform the Inspector of Nuisances of Dr. Brown's remarks, and also of the expressions from the jury, and the inquiry terminated.