Report on the inquest into the death of John Russell
Chard & Ilminster News - 6th October 1877
| Inquest. - An inquest was held on Thursday morning at the Ship Inn, by Mr. W. W. Munckton, coroner, and a respectable jury of which Mr. John White was foreman, touching the death of an old man named James(sic) Russell, labourer, Hornsbury, who met with his death through a fall from a cart on the preceding Tuesday week. James Russell, labourer and dealer in horses, was the first witness and said deceased was his father, and was about 66 years of age, living near the reservoir, in the parish of Chard. On Tuesday, the 18th September, he and his father went to Lambert?s Castle fair, and on returning, starting about five o?clock, they stopped at the Bottle Inn, where they had a pint of beer, and some bread and cheese, at the same time trying to make an exchange of horses with a man named Osborne, of Misterton. They left again about ten minutes after eight o?clock, and when they had driven about two miles and a half on the road to Chard, they got under some trees, and, it being very dark, he was unable to see his road. He was driving down Horse-shoe Hill (which is very steep), when he saw before him something light, which he supposed was the road, but the pony stopped suddenly, and in consequence, both he and deceased were thrown into the road, over the front of the cart, he (witness) falling on his father. On recovering himself, he saw his father lying insensible in the road, in which state he remained for several minutes. On coming round, he put him into the cart, and drove him slowly home. The next morning he (witness) went for the doctor, and Mr. Symonds attended him as soon as possible. On the following Sunday he died. In answer to the Coroner, he said there was no running into a bank or anything else that caused the jerk. Mr. G. W. Symonds, assistant to Mr. N. W. Spicer, surgeon, was the next witness, and said he saw deceased on Wednesday, and found him to be suffering from a fracture of two ribs on the left side, which had perforated the lung. He died on the 30th from inflammation of the lungs, caused by perforation, which might have been caused by a fall from the cart, as stated by the last witness. There were also several superficial bruises on the left side of his body, and about his head and shoulders. Deceased was quite sensible, and told him how the accident happened, saying he was thrown out of a cart while going downhill. The jury expressed themselves perfectly satisfied with this testimony, and returned a verdict of Accidental death. |
Alan Russell, 10 April 2009