South Eastern Gazette, 10 April, 1860.

DEPTFORD. Fatal Accident.

On Thursday an inquest was held at the "Tiger Cat" public-house, Deptford before C. J. Carttar, Esq., on the body of Mr. James Hughesdon, aged 63, a tradesman residing at 11, Prince-street, in that town, who met his death under the following melancholy circumstances.

From the evidence it appeared that on Tuesday afternoon Mr. Francis Soddy a gentleman residing in Brunswick-street, Dover-road, Southwark, stopped at an eating-house near the railway station at Deptford, leaving a horse and chaise in charge of a lad. The bit had been taken out of the horse’s mouth and its nosebag placed on for feeding. After an absence of about 20 minutes Mr. Soddy returned, and was about proceeding to London, when he discovered that the bit had become entangled with the curb-chain, and be imprudently took the bridle off the animal’s head. The horse finding itself thus free, became very restive, and before the bridle could again be replaced turned round and dashed off at a fearful speed, and, having run along the public footpath, knocked the deceased down, breaking one of his legs, causing severe internal injuries and inflicting considerable injury to the skull. When picked up he was in an insensible state, and, notwithstanding medical assistance was immediately rendered, he expired in a few minutes. The horse kept on his career until the chaise came in contact with a brick pier, when it overturned, and the animal was secured.

The coroner commented in severe terms upon the thoughtlessness displayed in first taking the bit out of the mouth of a carriage horse in the public streets and afterwards stripping it of its bridle, and remarked that as the Act of Parliament declared it an offence to permit the horse to stand in the public streets of the metropolis to feed, he hoped the police would prevent such offences taking place.

The jury, after a lengthened deliberation, returned a verdict in accordance with the above facts, exonerating the owner of the horse from any criminal charge, but condemning his having taken the bit and bridle from the horse under the circumstances stated.