Kentish Gazette, 17 February 1857.

No little excitement was created in Westgate Without, in this city, on Friday evening, by two men, employed by Mr. Hammond, carrier, having been brought in, one completely lifeless and the other apparently so, through the effects of drink which they had obtained from a spirit cask in its transit to the city. It appears that the men, whose names are James Bennett and Joseph Gardner, had been engaged in conveying some malt to Whitstable that day, and on their return had to bring some spirits which were over-proof, and on the road they contrived to abstract a portion which speedily took effect and rendered them senseless; in which state they were found by a number of persons, who placed them on their wagons and drove them in. Laying in this stupefied state, one of them, Bennett, became suffocated before his arrival in the city, and the other very nearly so; and when the wagons arrived the body of deceased was conveyed to the "George and Dragon," and Gardner was removed to his own house close by, where he was attended by Mr. A. B. Andrews, who, by the persevering use of the stomach pump, drew off full a quart of what appeared to be rum, and with other appliances succeeded in restoring consciousness to the victim of his greedy folly, and he rallied sufficiently to attend the inquest next day and give evidence, he attempted to account for their inebriated state, but it is scarcely credited in full, as it is not thought so little as he represented them to have taken would have so powerful an effect, nor did he pretend to know how the spirit was drawn from the cask. The particulars are related below:—

The inquest on the deceased was opened on Friday evening at the "George and Dragon," by Mr. Delasaux, when the first witness, William Taylor, fisherman, merely related that about four o’clock that afternoon, when proceeding to the "Half-way house" on the Whitstable road, and arriving near the "Pear Tree" he saw a man (Gardner) lying in the road, and deceased, who was very much intoxicated, walking by the side of his own horses in a wagon. Having helped Gardner up, he (witness) left them coming towards Canterbury.

William Blackman, of St. Peter’s Lane, labourer, on coming towards Canterbury, overtook at Tile Kiln Hill, the two wagons, on which the deceased and Gardner, who appeared intoxicated, were lying. Some boys were accompanying the wagons, and deceased's head was lying in the arms of one of the boys. A young man was driving one wagon and a boy the other. Witness told the boy that the men would fall, but he was informed that there was a chain which would prevent it. They tried to arouse them, but could not.

The inquest at this stage was adjourned till the next evening, when the following further depositions were taken:-

George Waters stated that the previous afternoon he left Whitstable a little before two o'clock, and proceeded on his way towards Canterbury, in company of John Mumford. When they had arrived a short distance on the Canterbury side of the "Half-way House," they saw two wagons with a number of persons about them; and on getting up to them, found the deceased on the ground in a drunken state. Two or three persons were endeavouring to raise him, and succeeded in doing so and placing him in one of the wagons. He also saw another man (Gardner) lying on his stomach in one of the wagons, with a whip in his hand. He also was intoxicated. After a short time he (witness) drove the horses in the wagon in which deceased was lying to Canterbury, and Mumford drove the other — which they brought down to Water-lane, when they found deceased to be dead.

Joseph Gardner (the companion of the deceased) was also examined, he deposed that after having been to Whitstable with some malt, he and deceased had their wagons loaded at Mr. Hammond’s barge with some merchandise; and having arrived at the "Coach and Horses," where they each had a pint of beer, they left for Canterbury at about two o’clock. At the bottom of Borstal-hill the horses were taken from deceased’s wagon to help the other up, and the same course was afterwards adopted in respect of deceased’s wagon. They then proceeded onwards, and when they had passed Mr. Hyder’s cottage, deceased called him (witness) to him, and taking a small bottle from a box at the side of his wagon, gave it to him and told him to drink — which he did, and a second time, under the persuasion of deceased. He thought it was rum, and that he did not drink more than a teacup full. When they had got half a mile further on, he found he was intoxicated. Two sailors were then in their company.

Mr. A. B. Andrew's, surgeon, who was called to attend deceased the previous evening, when he was lying on the pavement near Water-lane, stated that he found him quite dead, and that there was great congestion above the head, face, and hands. He was quite warm, and had been dead but a very short time. He believed deceased died from congestion of the brain, but how produced he was not able to say.

The jury returned a verdict of "Died from excessive drinking."