The Warwickshire Herald. — 1899-03-30 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

MOREABOL"T THE MORTCARY QUE.sTION:  It was eontiusively proved, at the adjourned inquest, held On Friday afternoon lart wcek, at the Solihull Public Hall on the body if Henry Catison (27), widower, and a clerk out of employment. of Cowntry Road, Birmingham, that thos dccea-ed had committed suicide by taking a dose of earl-colic acid. CaW,Oll, as repotted last week, was discovered early on the morning of the Tuesday previous, lying on the towing path of the canal at Otton, in a attate of unconsciousness, and was removed to a neighbouring house, where after Dr. Lunn had been sent. for, Police Constable Ashlield eudeavoured for two hours ensuing. The body was removed torteihull, and was by permission of Mr. .1. W. Lill. cf Oakfield. the people's warden, placed in that gentleman's staloe, the police acting on the advice recently given by' Mr. Coroner Christophers in taking it theme, there is now mortuary accommodation at Sollihull. The case war, indeed, a very sad one, the deceased having been cut of work for thirteen weeks and was naturalla' in a dejeetech state of mind. His brother saw him alive at tea-tima on the 20th ult., and it would appear that the man left home soon afterwards, and was wandering about the district all night, which was a bitterly cold one, being found as stated above, with but a solitary coin in his pocket, and a note book, and some letters relating to applications for situations. At the inquest ea Wednesday last week, I/r. Lunn, of Olton, ventured the opium, that tho man had shed from exposure: but, as he could not. state the precise cause of death, he was instructed to make a post mortem examination of the body. Lied Friday, at the adjourned inquest, before Mr. Theophilus Christopher, Dr. Lunn reported the result of his examination, showing that he had discovered carbolic acid in the bladder, and little or no food in the stomach whi:c there was about two OMR,n cif what was evidently carbolic acid in the sit-inn-h. He found, too, on examining the brain. that the mental faculties of the decased were not great. and was if opinion that very hair nervous disturbatiee would upset the balance of his mind. Dr. Lunn had no doubt that the &ceased vommitted suicide by tilting carbolic arid. The aloonce of smell when he saw the body was no doubt due to the deceased placing the meek of the bottle into his throat when he took the dose of acid That was a curious circumstance of the erre There were no stains about the deceased's mouth whom the deceased was alive, but thin was doe to the body being extremely cold and white The jury returned a verdict. that the diseased had committed Anti& by taking carbolic acid, and that he was in a state lif temporary insaaity at the time.—The Coroner. referring again to the mortuary question, mid Dr. Lunn had points ed out to him that it was not only an unpleasant, but extremely difficult matter to make a poet mortean examination of the body in Mr Lilt's stable. Of course the question of providing a mortuary for Solihull would now, he imagined', be brought to a satisfactory conclusion Mr. Lill bad seen him that afternoon, and be had takon a very reasonable view of the matter, appearing to be satisfied with has lthe °cremes) power to authorise the' removal of the holy to the resit:ewe of the churchwarden, and he was not prepared to raise any question about it. *There was no doubt in his (the coroner's) mind that a coroner, where the Matelot Council had not made the noresrary provision for the receptiou of bodies of wayfarers. He hoped the suggestion of Dr. Lunn would bo, borne in mind, and that he (the coroner) should not very much longer have to exercise the power which Ike undoubtedly possessed to cmnpel the churchwarden to give mortuary. facilities. At the request of thou jury at a recent inquest, be had sent a requisition to the District Council, and from enquiries he had since made he had ascertained that the Council had eonsidered the matter, and subject. to a suitable site being obtained were proposing to build a public mortuary.—Mr. Peters, a juryman, and a member of the Solihull Rural District Council, suppleintented the remarks madis by the coroner, dating that the committee of the Council bid the matter in hand, and negotiation. were pending.— The Coroner: I on glad to hear it.--The jury were then dismissed.