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3 October 1877.
THE INQUEST.
This was held of Saturday morning, at the "South Eastern Hotel," near
the Railway Station, the deceased, George Breeze, whose death was
subject to the enquiry, having been the landlord of the house for some
few months. The Jury was compsed of the following:- Messrs. P. East
(foreman), W. Flood, R. Hider, C. Leonard, J. Boullin, A. Finch, E.
Hollomby, E. Seale, J. Duley, W. Baldwin, A. Brown, and T. Spencer.
The jury having been sworn, and viewed the body, which was in a
terribly offensive condition, the following evidence was taken:-
John Walker deposed:- I live at Tonbridge, and I am a printer. I knew
the deceased, who was a publican and took the "South-Eastern Hotel"
about June last. He was 37 years of age, and died on Wednesday morning
last, at a quarter-past three. I have seen the doctor's certificate,
which stated the cause of death to be delirium tremens. Deceased was
taken ill on the previous Saturday night, when he had a fit. He was then
lying upon the sofa. Decease has been in the habit of drinking, but not
so much lately. About this time last year he had some attack of liver
complaint, but he had never had delirium tremens before. He was bitten
on his right knee on Thursday week, and I have seen the wound and
dressed it. I saw it at the time he was bit. The wound was not very
large, only about half-an-inch in length, though it greatly increased in
size before his death. I did not see deceased the worse for liquor since
he received the bite, and indeed I never have seen him intoxicated,
though at times he drank a good deal. Deceased used to keep the "George
Inn," Brighton, and he was advised by his doctor to leave the business
as the excitement was too much for him, and he drank too much.
Deceased's general state of health during the last few years has been
bad.
Charles Irving deposed:- I am a M.R.C.S., practising at Tonbridge. On
Sunday, the 30th, I was called in the middle of the day to see deceased,
and I saw him about 5 o’clock. I found him to be suffering with
incipient delirium tremens. I attended him afterwards, and he got
gradually worse until Wednesday morning, when he died. He died of
delirium tremens. Deceased had a wound under his right knee like a bite,
which was in a bad state when I first saw it, and continued to get worse
until his end. I believe this wound was the cause of inciting delirium
tremens in the man, as he was already saturated with alcohol; and I
think in all probability he would have lived for some time had the wound
not been received, though delirium tremens would doubtless have
overtaken him sooner or later unless he had modified his habits. I have
known slight wounds, such as a small cut in a finger, to bring on
delirium tremens in persons already inclined to that disease, but I
never knew even a bite, through clothing, to cause anything of the kind
otherwise. Delirium tremens is solely attributable to alcohol, I am of
opinion that a healthy subject would not have suffered through the bite.
I have since amended my certificate by giving the one produced, which is
to the effect that deceased died through delirium tremens caused by
injury to his leg while in a state of chronic alcoholism.
John Pearson deposed: I am a driver of Tonbridge; and was at this Hotel
on Thursday, the 27th, when there was a disturbance between a man and
woman. The landlord told them to desist fighting. The man went outside
the house, and the woman threw a pot at him. The deceased then tried to
put the woman out, but she fell to the ground to prevent being put out
and rolled back from the doorstep. She seized deceased by the leg and
bit him. Deceased afterwards showed the wound to me, and it was then
bleeding. I believe the woman was drunk when she bit deceased.
The coroner, in addressing the jury, said there was no doubt, after the
evidence they had heard, that deceased died from delirium tremens,
hastened or brought on by the bite of the woman, but the woman must have
been ignorant of the state of the deceased at the time, and he did not
think she could be guilty of inflicted on a healthy subject in all
probability there would have been no ill effect. If the unfortunate man
had not received the fatal injury that he did the woman would then have
been liable to be summoned for assault, but considering the course the
circumstances had taken, he did not think she was amenable to the law.
One of the jury mentioned that this was not the first person the woman
in question had bitten; and the foreman suggested that there arose a
great difficulty if the person who had bit deceased was not liable to
punishment because she did not know the condition of the one she
assaulted.
John Pearson was recalled had said the woman he had spoken of was one he
had known by the name of Charlotte Andrews.
The jury, after considering the matter, returned a verdict of
‘‘Manslaughter against Charlotte Andrews;" and a warrant for her
apprehension and trial was issued by the coroner accordingly.
MAGISTERIAL ENQUIRY.
The warrant having been placed in the hands of Supt. Kewell, Charlotte
Andrews was apprehended on Sunday morning in a train going from Paddock
Wood to London, and on Monday she was taken before A. T. Beeching, Esq.,
and formally remanded to the Petty Sessions on the following day.
On Tuesday she was placed in, the dock and charged, under the name of
Charlotte Martin, alias Andrews, with feloniously killing and slaying
George Breeze, at Tonbridge, on the 27th September.
John Walker deposed that he knew the deceased George Breeze, and saw him
on the night in question, when he said he had been bitten by a woman on
the knee. He showed him the wound, which appeared to be like the scratch
of a pin, about half-an-inch in length. He saw him and attended to him
almost every day after until his death. The wound gradually became
worse, and deceased complained of its exceeding painfulness. Witness had
known deceased several months. The trousers produced were those worn by
deceased at the time he was bitten. Deceased, died on Wednesday morning
at 3.07.
John Pearson deposed that he was at the "South Eastern Hotel" on the
27th September between 6 and 7 o’clock. Deceased was the landlord.
Prisoner and her husband were quarrelling, and after her husband left
the landlord requested her to go. She refused to leave the house, and
deceased tried to put her out, but did not succeed, as prisoner fell
upon the ground. Prisoner held deceased by his leg and then bit him.
Deceased said “You have bit my leg." Prisoner left shortly after. Breeze
showed him the wound, and it appeared to him about the size of
half-a-crown. Prisoner was the worse for liquor when she bit deceased.
By prisoner:- Deceased did not push you down by the cellar door.
Richard Gainsford, fly driver, corroborated the last witness.
Charles Irving, M.R.C.S., deposed that he was called to attend deceased
on Sunday, the 30th ult., and found him to be suffering from the wound
and the first symptoms of delirium tremens. The wound did badly, and
became worse until the day of his death. He died from delirium tremens.
The wound was slight, but a good deal of inflammation resulted. He
considered the wound had at first, inasmuch as deceased was in a very
unhealthy state; though a wound of that kind inflicted on a healthy
person would scarcely be thought of. From the condition he found
deceased in he was of opinion that he was saturated with alcohol, and
his inquiries corroborated his opinion. He found that deceased drank a
great deal but was never drunk, the most sure way of thoroughly
undermining the system.
P.C. Randall said that on Sunday, the 7th inst., he apprehended prisoner
in a railway carriage at Tonbridge station. He told her he had a
coroner’s warrant for her, and she was charged with causing the death of
the landlord of the "South Eastern Hotel." Prisoner denied knowing
anything of the matter. She said she had come from Paddock Wood and
was going to London. He brought her to the police station, where the
warrant was read to her. Prisoner said, "He forgave me at the time, and
afterwards drew me half-a-pint of rum and put it in a ginger-beer
bottle.
Supt. Kewell produced the coroner’s warrant for the apprehension of
prisoner, and said he read it to her when she was apprehended on Sunday
morning. Prisoner told him the landlord was putting her out and she bit
him, but did not think it would cause his death.
Prisoner, in reply to the charge, said she returned to the "South
Eastern Hotel" on the night in question after she had been requested to
leave, and asked for some rum, when the landlord said; "Do you know what
you have done to me,” and she told him she was sorry for what had
occurred. The landlord then said "Well that's all right; as you have
apologised you will hear no more of it.” Deceased put her rum in a
ginger beer bottle, and bade her "good night" when she left.
Prisoner was committed to take her trial at the Assizes.
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DEATH OF CR. LUTHER J BREEZE. 30 NOVEMBER 1926.
The news of the death of Cr. Luther J. Breeze, which occurred at his
residence, 1 The Drive, on Tuesday, has been received with widespread
regret in Tonbridge, and much sympathy has beep extended to Mrs. Breeze
and family in the loss they have sustained. Mr. Breeze's untimely end
will also be a great loss to the town, especially in Municipal matters,
in which he had taken a great interest and useful part for nearly thirty
years. The eldest son of the late Mr. George Breeze, Luther John Breeze was
born at Brighton on March 17th (St. Patrick's Day), 1865, came to
Tonbridge fifty years ago, and for a long period was associated with the
South-Eastern Hotel, from which, business he recently retired into
private life. He married Miss A. Guest, second daughter of the late Mr.
William Guest, of Sevenoaks, and recently celebrated his silver wedding,
as well as the coming-of-age of his eldest daughter. During his life Mr. Breeze had enjoyed excellent health, and it was not
until August that there was any sign of his approaching illness, which
developed during the past few weeks. Heart trouble was the chief cause,
and to this he succumbed on Tuesday afternoon. He leaves a widow, two
daughters and a son aged 15, who is still at Judd School. The funeral will take place at Tonbridge Cemetery at 2.30 on Saturday. |
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