PETERSFIELD.
CORONER’S INQUEST ON AN UNKNOWN MAN—An inquest was held at the Boardroom of the Union House, Petersfield, on Saturday afternoon, at four o’clock, before Edward Hoskins, Esq., county coroner, and a respectable jury, touching the death of a man unknown, about 55 years of age, under the following painful circumstances:—
The jury having been sworn, proceeded with the coroner to view the body lying in the dead room of the house. Upon their return to the inquest room, the coroner addressed the jury upon the facts of the case relating to the melancholy circumstances attending the death of the unfortunate deceased. The first witness called was
George Leggatt, who deposed—I am a carpenter, living at Ramshill, in the parish of Sheet. I saw the unknown deceased lying in a sawpit, in which there was about a foot of water. The sawpit was in the yard belonging Mr. Gammon. I heard Mr. Summers say that a man had fallen into the sawpit; he had all his clothes on, which was not disturbed. There was no appearance of a struggle outside; he was lying on his belly. I had not seen the man before. He was resting upon his hands; his head was out of water; he was alive; he said nothing; he appeared unconscious; it was about half-past ten o’clock. I heard some one call Mr. Gammon, and say, some one was in the sawpit.
By a Juryman—It was about half an hour from the time he was found in the pit till he was admitted into the unionhouse.
By the Coroner—There was no delay in admitting him into the house to jeopardize his life. We did our best to assist the deceased.
By a Juryman—We were not detained half an hour at the union.
Thomas Summers deposed—I am a master sailmaker, living in the College-street. I had seen the deceased on Thursday night about half-past 10 o'clock, about twenty minutes before I found him in the sawpit. I did not know him. He came into my yard. I told him to go out. He was sober; he went away in the direction of Mr. Gammon’s. I was sitting with my wife; it was about a quarter of an hour after he left when I heard some heavy moans in the direction of Mr. Gammon’s. I went towards the sound and found the deceased in the sawpit. There appeared to have been no struggle on the outside; he was lying with his face on the water, and appeared to be nearly exhausted.
By a Juryman—His face had been in the water; there was a saw over him.
Mr. Robert Shackleford Cross deposed—I am a medical practitioner, residing in Petersfield. I did not know the deceased, to whom I was called to attend here on Thursday night, about half-past 11 o’clock. I found no marks of violence about his person; his right wrist was swollen. I found him sitting up in bed supported by a man, and the master with another man were rubbing him all over. I administered some hot tea, and some stimulants, and was with him more than an hour, when I left, after giving instructions for attending him. He appeared to have died from immersion in the water and intemperance. After I had been home about an hour the master came down to me and said the man was dead.
The verdict of the Jury was—‟That the man unknown was found immersed in water, without any marks of violence upon his person, from the effects of which immersion he then and there did die.”