Folkestone Observer 25 April 1868.

Inquest.

Great excitement has been exhibited in Sandgate since yesterday week in consequence of the death of an artilleryman named Maguire from violence received from some person or persons unknown. It appears that the poor fellow was spending Good Friday in a public house in Risborough Lane, and near to the camp at Shorncliffe, when a general disturbance took place, but how he met with his death is enveloped in mystery.

On Monday an inquest was opened by T.T. Delasaux Esq., and a respectable jury. The body having been viewed, the following evidence was taken:-

John Back deposed: On Good Friday I was attending to the business of Robert Bailey, who keeps the Unity Inn, Cheriton. The deceased came into the house between eight and nine o’clock that evening in a state of intoxication. He was accompanied by another soldier belonging to the Artillery. There was a quarrel between two men, and I obtained assistance and they were removed from the house. The deceased remained, but shortly afterwards left. I believe the man who came into the house with deceased was William Elvison. The deceased was not hopelessly drunk. I believe he was capable of walking home.

William Elvison, driver, Royal Artillery: I saw the deceased in the barrack canteen about seven o’clock on the evening of Good Friday. I accompanied him to the Unity beerhouse, and we arrived there a little after eight. The deceased was a little the worse for liquor, but I was sober. I ordered and paid for a pot of ale, which was drunk by deceased, another soldier named Robert Murray, and myself. John Johnson, a gunner in the Artillery, got off his seat, came towards the deceased, and struck him in the face. In consequence of Johnson having struck the deceased I struck Johnson, and we had a round or two. I looked round for the deceased afterwards and he was gone. I was turned out of the house with others by the provost, and on my going out into the road I saw Maguire lying in the middle of the lane, about five or six yards from the Unity, and covered with blood. He was then alone. Robert Murray was with me, and we endeavoured to lift up the deceased. Being unable to do so, I left the deceased in the charge of Murray and went and fetched another comrade named Philip Blyth. We three then carried the deceased home to the barracks and placed him in bed, he being insensible. The blow given to the deceased by Johnson was a severe one. It was on his nose, and blood came therefrom.

Robert Murray, lance corporal, 7th Dragoon Guards: On Good Friday I was doing duty as garrison military policeman from about a quarter to seven until half past eleven. About half past nine I went into the Unity for the purpose of quelling a row. Upon going into the parlour I observed Johnson and Elvison fighting. I immediately removed them from the house with the assistance of Sergt. Marshall, of the Royal Artillery. The deceased was sitting in the corner of the room at that time. I did not observe any mark upon him, or that he was bleeding. Afterwards I turned deceased and several other soldiers belonging to the artillery out of the house. Deceased went in the direction of the barracks. Johnson returned in about five minutes. I refused to admit him into the house. He was then more calm than when he went from the house.

Daniel Murray: I went into the Unity about half past seven on Good Friday evening, and remained there about an hour. About twenty minutes to nine o’clock I was called out by Elvison, and went with him. We found the deceased lying in the road about forty yards from the Unity Inn. It was dark. Deceased did not speak. I assisted Elvison and Blyth in carrying the deceased into his hut. I believed he was very drunk, as he was in the habit of getting intoxicated.

Henry Shelley, bombardier, Royal Artillery: I saw the deceased in the Royal Artillery Guardroom about half past seven o’clock on the morning of Saturday, the 11th instant. He was there for being drunk. I saw blood on his face. I saw him three times that morning, and about two o’clock in the afternoon I handed him over to bombardier James Meedes. Deceased appeared then in the same state.

Bombardier James Meedes: I saw the deceased in the Guardroom, and examined him. I found he had two black eyes, and was insensible. He was imprisoned in the cell all that night, and on Sunday morning I made a report to the Sergeant Major concerning him. The medical officer then came and attended the deceased in the Guardroom.

Alfred Frederick Stafford Clarke: I am a doctor of medicine and assistant surgeon in the Royal Artillery. I was called upon to attend the deceased at 12 o’clock on the 12th inst. I found him speechless, but partly conscious. I prescribed him for necessary treatment, believing him to be suffering from the combined effects of drink and a slight concussion of the brain. I made an external examination of his body, and discovered that he had two black eyes, a slight bruise on the nose, and marks as of dry blood on his face. I continued to attend him till his death, which took place on Friday morning last, about eight o’clock. I was then unable to account for his death, but I have this day made a post mortem examination of the deceased, and on opening his head I discovered a quantity of extravasated blood between the membrane and the surface of the brain, which produced death. The skull was not fractured, nor was there any external mark of violence besides those before stated. The blow alleged to have been received in the Unity could not have produced the extravasation of blood which caused death, as, if it had, the deceased could not have walked from the house to the road where he was subsequently found.

Some discrepancies will be noticed in the foregoing evidence, and the police had been quite unable to obtain any evidence as to what transpired after the deceased left the Unity, although i was believed that many persons could do so if they would come forward, as great numbers of soldiers were passing along Risborough Lane about the time the deceased must have received his injuries. The jury examined the witnesses at great length without being able to ascertain anything further, and it was ultimately resolved to adjourn until Thursday in order that Supt. English might make further inquiries.

The inquest was resumed on Thursday afternoon at the Royal Kent Hotel.

Mr. English, Superintendent of the K.C.C., said, in answer to the Coroner, that he had a woman present who could perhaps throw some light on the matter.

Hannah Jay deposed that she did not know the deceased. Her husband asked her to go for a pint of beer for supper on good Friday evening between nine and ten o’clock. She went to the Unity Inn and there was a great disturbance there; men were fighting. Saw Mr. Back knock an Artilleryman down and kick him: that occurred in the passage. Sergeant Marshall said that he would see the man home and went out with him. Whether that man was the deceased or not she could not tell. Was positive as to the time; it was between twenty minutes and half past nine.

Gunner Elvison, re-examined, said he did not see Mr. Back strike Maguire. There were about eight men in the room when witness was fighting with Johnson.

By the Foreman: Witness had to get to his hut at roll call – ten o’clock. He was at home at that time.

Gunner Harvey, examined (but not sworn), said he was at the Unity Inn on Good Friday evening about eight o’clock. There was a scuffle in the front room. Saw Back strike Maguire, and witness struck Back. Back then knocked witness down. Witness was then pushed out of the house. Thought there were about 20 or 30 men in the room – it was full. Maguire was a comrade of witness’s. Knew of his death on the following Saturday, but had never repeated to anyone what he had now stated.

A juror explained that Harvey was in front of the bar of the Hotel, when he was heard to say that Back kicked Maguire and broke his ribs, and that deceased was murdered.

Witness said that he had never told anyone of the above circumstances until now. The Sergeant Major had told him to come down to the jury.

An officer present said it was the duty of the witness to have reported to his commanding officer what he had just now said immediately after the death of Maguire.

The Coroner said it was most extraordinary that the witness – an old comrade of the deceased – should have gone so long with closed lips on the affair – from Good Friday evening until now.

John Back said he was conducting the business of the Unity Inn for Mr. Bailey. To his knowledge he saw no-one strike or kick Maguire, either in the room or passage. He certainly did not himself strike Maguire, but he did strike a Royal Artillery gunner in the passage about a quarter or half past nine. The gunner’s name was Harvey. There was a row in the room, and witness was trying to part Johnson and Elvison, when Harvey struck him on the cheek bone. Witness then followed him and returned the blow by knocking him down in the passage. He was quite certain as to the time, and could produce witnesses as to it’s correctness. At that time deceased was sitting in the room.

The jury then wished the room cleared, and after being closeted together for three quarters of an hour the public were admitted and the Foreman of the jury read the following verdict:

“That the deceased Patrick Maguire came by his death through injuries inflicted upon him on the night of the 15th April in an encounter with some person or persons unknown, and that his death was accelerated from being unattended from the time of being carried to his room between nine and ten o’clock p.m. on the said evening in a totally helpless state and insensible, and subsequently on the following morning between seven and eight o’clock being transferred as a prisoner to the Guardroom, and there detained till Sunday morning about ten o’clock in the same state of unconsciousness and insensibility, with unmistakable proof of the injuries from which he was suffering (at which time a report was made to a medical officer), and from thence transferred to the military hospital, where he died on the 17th instant.

The jury desire that a copy of this, their verdict, should be forwarded to the Commander-in-Chief, and the jury would express their unqualified disapprobriation of the treatment of soldiers supposed to be intoxicated, and would urge upon the Commander-in-Chief a regulation whereby no soldier should be allowed to remain beyond 12 hours in a state of helplessness or insensibility without a medical examination”.

The Coroner said he was very much obliged to the jury for the kind attention they had paid to the inquest, trespassing as it did so much on their valuable time, and he quite agreed with their verdict. By the evidence before them they could not have returned any other. He hoped that on some future occasion the case would be quite cleared up.

Folkestone Observer 6 February 1869.

Inquest.

An inquest was held at the Unity Inn, Cheriton, on Saturday afternoon last, before T.T. Delasaux Esq., Coroner for East Kent, and a respectable jury, on the body of a girl 12 years of age, named Anne Stokes, who was severely burnt at the National Schools on Monday last, and who died on Tuesday night. After the swearing of the jury and viewing of the body, the following evidence was taken:

John Philpott, aged 11 years, was at the National schoolroom of the Parish of Cheriton and Newington on Monday last about 12 o’clock, when the scholars were all sitting down. Desired them to rise, and they did so, deceased at this time being near the fire. Her clothes were shortly afterwards seen to be in flames and she ran up the schoolroom, witness running after her, but not being able to catch her. The schoolmistress extinguished the flames. Believed it was purely accidental, and no blame could be attached to any person. Deceased ran to the house of the schoolmistress, and it was there that the flames were extinguished.

Amy Greenstreet, wife of Stephen Henry Greenstreet, schoolmaster of the Cheriton National Schools deposed that on Monday last, about 12 o’clock, she was nursing her bay at her home when she heard someone scream and call “Fire”. She placed her child in the arms of the last witness, Philpott, and ran into the washhouse. Saw deceased there, whose clothes were in flames. Took a mat and a hearth rug and wrapped them round the body of deceased, thereby extinguishing the flames. Witness then cut the clothes from deceased and applied oil and wadding to the injuries. Witness then sent for a surgeon, and Dr. Bateman came.

William Bateman, surgeon, Folkestone, said he was sent for about two o’clock on Monday to attend the deceased. On his arrival he found deceased suffering from severe burns on every part of her body, with the exception of that part of the body protected by her stays. He continued to attend until her death, which took place the following night. Deceased never rallied from the time of the accident until the time of her death.

The jury returned a verdict of death from accidental burning.