Kent Times, 1 February 1862.

SEAL. The late Fatal Accident.

On Tuesday last, J. N. Dudlow, Esq., coroner for the western division of Kent, held an inquest at the "Crown Inn," Seal, on the body of Mr. Rose, whose melancholy death we recorded last week. The jury, of which Mr. Mills was foreman, having viewed the body (the face of which presented a sad spectacle), proceeded to hear the evidence of three principal witnesses.

Mr. H. Morley, baker, of Seal, heard the cart pass his door at an unusually rapid pace, and followed it as quickly as possible, overtaking it standing opposite the shop of Mr. Moyee, butcher, having (stopped of its own accord. He at once released the horse from the cart, and, with assistance, extricated the poor man, and found him in the sad state we described in our former report.

Mr. William Bennett, farmer, deposed to having picked up the hat and handkerchief about 20 rods on the Seal side of the brickyard on Seal Chart.

Moses Reynolds stated that he parted with Rose at the brickyard, bidding him "good night," which he returned by repeating the words "good night" several times; and he then appeared quite capable of taking care of himself and his horse. Witness and deceased had stopped at the "Crown Point Inn" just previous, and partook of one glass of gin and water, but nothing was then noticed in deceased's manner to indicate his incapability to drive home; but evidence went to prove that he had been drinking freely throughout the day.

From all that could be gathered from the evidence, it was quite clear that directly after leaving Reynolds his hat must have fallen off, when he stopped his horse and endeavoured to alight to recover it. In so doing his foot slipped through the opening between the shaft and brace as we before mentioned. This opening was found, on examination by the jury, to be of unusual size, and this sad accident should certainly serve as a caution to have such places guarded for the future.

The jury returned a verdict of "Accidently Killed".

The jury on this occasion were warned for half-past one for two o’clock, and the coroner did not arrive until ten minutes past three, of which the jury complained to the coroner in no measured terms, giving as a reason their detention from business, and the inability of holding an inquest at all after the late suicidal case at St. Clere School having been passed over without a coroner's inquiry. The case of the runaway maniac, who was found dead in a field near Ightham Moat some time since, and no inquest, was also warmly discussed.

Mr. Harris, of Seal Chart, one of the jurors, spoke at considerable length on the definition of cases requiring or not requiring inquests; and also on the long time that elapsed between the poor man’s death and the holding of the inquest.

The coroner very courteously explained that he had held an inquest on every intervening day.

Sir. Harris, however, insisted that in cases of emergency like the one before them, two inquests should be held in one day.

Immediately after the inquest, the remains of the deceased were interred in the village churchyard.