DEATHS AND INQUESTS 1897

At an inquest held in the circumstances attending the death of Charles COPPING, aged 18 of Birkenhead, the Jury found the deceased had died from an irritant poison, but how administered there was no sufficient evidence to show, the police are making further inquiries.

The inquest on the carter, Henry CONNOLLY, who died on Christmas night in Bootle Hospital from a fractured spine supposed to have been caused during a quarrel in a Liverpool public house, was concluded yesterday at Bootle, the Jury's verdict that death was due to a fractured spine, but how or by whom it was caused there was no direct evidence to show.

Dead body found in Liverpool Park

Yesterday afternoon the dead body of a woman, which was subsequently identified as that of Florence HANSFORD, aged 19, a domestic servant, was found floating in one of the lakes in Newsham Park, an inquest will be held.

Sudden death in St Helens

Mrs Margaret BRADLEY, the keeper of the well known, "model lodging houses" on Greenbank, died suddenly yesterday morning. The deceased was 77 and had not been well for the last few weeks, she was found dead in bed by her daughter.

An Anglesey Suicide

Mr R. Jones Roberts held an inquest yesterday on the body of David OWEN, aged 28, living at Treruffudd Llangwyfan. The deceased who had been for some time strange in his manner, was found by his mother on Monday in an outbuilding attached to the farm, dead, hanging from a beam. The Jury found he had committed suicide whilst temporarily insane.

Liverpool Mercury, January 2, 1897

Edward JONES, dock gateman was found dead at the bottom of a cutting at the Sandon Dock, yesterday morning, the body lies at the Princes Mortuary.

Harry DAVIES, a break examiner employed by the London and North Western Railway Co, was discovered yesterday morning lying dead between the lines at Lime St Station, the body which was shockingly mutilated had the appearance of being struck by a passing train, an inquest will be held.

Last evening at the Garston Hotel, Garston Mr S. Brighouse held an inquest on the body of David GUY, aged 31, of Garston who was drowned in the new dock at Garston at 2am yesterday. The deceased works at the docks, a splash was heard a search made and in half an hour the deceased was found in the water. He leaves a widow and four children, Verdict "accidental death".

Liverpool Mercury, Monday, January 4, 1897

Death at a Southport dance

Southport police received an intimation from the coroner Mr Brighouse on Saturday that he had dispensed with an inquest on the case of Thomas Henry RIMMER, aged 20, farmer, Birkdale Common, who died suddenly after dancing with his sister at a New Year's Eve party. Deceased was to all appearance a strong young man in robust health.

Fatal burning accident at Birkenhead

Maggie DICKSIE, aged 9, of 7 Duncan St, Birkenhead, on Saturday evening about 10pm was taken to the Borough Hospital suffering from severe burns. It appeared the child had a fire in her bedroom and when undressing her clothes caught fire. Her screams brought a woman Mr DONNELLY who lived in the same house to the scene and she managed to extinguish the flames with a blanket. The girl died yesterday afternoon.

Suicide at Liscard

On Saturday afternoon at 1 o' clock, a girl, Sarah GLYNN, aged 20, belonging to Widnes was found lying unconscious in her bedroom at the Wellington Hotel Liscard, where she was a servant. Sgt Jackson was called and removed her to the Seacombe Cottage Hospital where she was attended by Dr's Macdonald, Walsh and Anderson. a bottle labelled "poison" was found in her bedroom. When found the girl had a number of love letters grasped in her hand. On recovering consciousness at the hospital the girl said she obtained the poison from the housekeeper's room. She expired yesterday morning.

Liverpool Mercury, January 5, 1897

An inquest will be held at Bootle concerning the death of Francis SPALDING, carter aged 26, of 33 Miranda Rd, Kirkdale who died at Bootle Hospital from injuries received on Saturday. Deceased was employed by the Cunard Steamship Co, and while he was unloading coke in Derby Rd, Kirkdale, the horse took fright and jammed him against a wall, and upset him, when the cart wheels passed over his body.

Liverpool Mercury, Thursday, January 7, 1897

Suicide of an unemployed mechanic

An inquest was held last evening by Mr S. Brighouse at the Red Lion Hotel, Litherland concerning the death of Jeremiah DRISCOLL, a mechanic, aged 51, who had resided at Miranda St, Bootle. Driscoll had been out of employment for about 6mths, and had become of late rather depressed and strange in his manner. On Monday he left home to go for a walk and never returned, his son reading in the newspaper of a man found drowned in the canal at Litherland, made inquiries, and identified the body as that of his father. A boatman named ROBERTS testified that about 6pm he saw a man standing on the towpath, a few minutes later he heard a splash, running up he saw the man floating motionless in the water. Efforts were made with boat hooks to bring the body ashore, but some time elapsed before this was accomplished and life was then evidently extinct, Jury's verdict was that he committed suicide whilst temporarily insane.

Sad result of swallowing false teeth

At the Liverpool Coroner's Court, yesterday before Mr T. E. Sampson and inquest was held concerning the death of Thomas Albert NELSON, aged 20, who was a private of the East Lancashire Regiment, and who died in the Liverpool Royal Infirmary on Sunday last. It appears he came to Liverpool on furlough to spend Christmas with his brother and sister in their house in Goldsmith St. On Saturday morning last the two brothers retired to bed, both perfectly sober at the time, the deceased had been in bed for about 10mins when he suddenly jumped up and ran downstairs coughing violently. The brother followed and asked what was wrong, the deceased said there was something stuck in his throat, the brother noticed two of the deceased teeth were missing, the young man proceeded to a doctor and was advised to go to the Royal Infirmary, where it was found the deceased had swallowed the teeth with the plate attached. Several attempts were made by Dr Badger to remove the teeth without success and on Sunday it was considered advisable to perform an operation to remove the teeth. The gullet was opened and the teeth successfully removed, but, later bronchitis set in and the patient died on Sunday night, death was due to failure of the heart in consequence of the bronchitis set up by the operation. Jury returned a verdict of "accidental death".

Liverpool Mercury, Saturday, January 9, 1897

A Liverpool Sailor drowned

The British steamer, Lady Palmer 2752 tons of Newcastle, arrived at New York, yesterday morning from Gibraltar, during a storm on December 20th, the 2nd mate Thomas WARD, of Liverpool was washed overboard and drowned.

Sudden death at the docks

About 5pm last evening PC 144E, was informed that a man was lying seriously ill at the east side of the Sandon Dock. The officer proceeded to the spot and found Thomas McTAVISH, stoker, Easby Rd, Kirkdale who was employed by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board lying on the quay in a seeming ill condition. The policeman at once phoned for the ambulance of the Northern Hospital, the doctor accompanying which declared the man dead, His body lies in the mortuary.

Fatal accident at Exchange Station

Early yesterday morning a platelayer named Frank METCALFE, aged 30, married of Clio St, Kirkdale, employed by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Co, while working at Exchange Station, Tithebarn St, was knocked down by a passing engine and severely injured. He was conveyed to the Northern Hospital where he died within the course of a few hours.

Yesterday morning James NEWCOMBE, aged 43, of 45 Wilson St, St Helens, employed by Messers Gallie and Co, wine and spirits merchants, died very suddenly. He had attended to his usual duties up to Thursday night and was preparing to go to work yesterday morning, when he suddenly fell across the bed and expired before Dr Bassett arrived

Liverpool Mercury, March 30th, 1897

Inquests, March 29th, before Mr T. E. SAMPSON, City coroner

Touching the death of John Joseph PEEL, aged 38, barman at the Cumberland Hotel, Manchester St. It appeared the deceased had recently given way to drink and after breakfast on Saturday last complained of a pain in his head, he was advised to go to bed which he did. When his wife returned with menthol to relieve him she found him gasping, with his lips blistered and there being a strong smell of carbolic acid in the room. He then exclaimed, “I thought it was beer” and became unconscious, death taking place shortly afterwards. He was in the habit of secreting beer and had gone to the lumber room, he had poured carbolic acid into a glass thinking it was beer, jury found death through carbolic poisoning.

On the body of Mary MARTINDALE, aged 38, wife of a boilermaker, Epsom St. Last Saturday evening deceased was going upstairs carrying a paraffin oil lamp, which suddenly exploded, causing injuries which terminated fatally shortly afterwards. Coroner remarked, if paraffin oil lamps had brass instead of glass containers, 9 out of 10 accidents of this nature would never happen - accidental death.

Into the circumstances attending the death of Margaret PARRY, aged 75, a widow who lived with her son, Richard PARRY, Chemist and druggist, 121 Granby St. It was stated she had suffered for some time with glaucoma of the left eye, about three weeks ago an operation was performed which did not have the desired effect. As the pain became intense, removal of the eye was necessary and on Saturday evening, Dr Richard WILLIAMS, Rodney St, in company with Dr John WILLIAMS, Mulberry St performed the operation, previous to which a mixture of alcohol, chloroform and ether, followed by a few additional drops of chloroform, was administered. The operation was completed in less than a minute. Deceased appeared to be recovering from the anaesthetic, but her breathing suddenly changed, and although the utmost medical efforts were used, she suddenly died from cardiac syncope. The jury found Mrs PARRY died while under the influence of chloroform, which had been skilfully administered.

Before Mr G. W. TIBBITS, Deputy coroner

Touching the circumstances attending the finding of two bodies of newly born infants in a bucket in a house in Wallasey village. From the evidence it appeared that on the 12th of March, a young woman, Margaret Jane JONES, aged 24, daughter of John JONES, labourer Wallasey, was confined of twins, no one being present at the time. She placed the bodies in a bucket and told no one what had happened until Saturday night, when she spoke to a young man named James HALE, to whom she was to be married in a few days, and he took her to his mother’s house in a cab. On the Sunday morning the girl’s father missed his daughter, and found the bodies in the bucket. It appeared the young woman kept house for her father, her mother having been in an asylum for 10yrs. The medical evidence was to the effect the children had died from asphyxia, but it could not be said whether the children had, had a separate existence from the mother. Jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.

Evening Express 6^th July 1897

DEATH OF THE CHAMPION DIVER.

Tommy Burn's Last Leap.

 Tommy Burns,” champion bridge jumper and high diver of the world," had his last jump on Tuesday. He met his death whilst endeavouring to perform one of those foolhardy fetes for which he has made himself notorious during the past few years. Burns had engaged to give a swimming and diving exhibition at the pierhead and afterwards to run a distance of six miles, and then dive from a height of 100 feet. He put in an appearance at the pier early in the morning, but at 2 o'clock, the time appointed for the dive, he could not found near the place. he was subsequently discovered by the pier officials and ,then taken to the pierhead, but it was evident that be was in an advanced state of intoxication. Nevertheless, he determined to dive from the top of a specially erected stage, a height of one hundred feet, despite the fact that a very strong wind was blowing and a high seas running. He made the dive shortly after three o 'clock, but the spectators were greatly surprised to see him turn upon his back when about 20 feet from the water. He fell into the sea flat upon his back, and scarcely sank at all. Quickly regaining his head he swam away, but he did not appear to be at ease. He continued to swim about for half an hour or so, and then as he appeared to be in an exhausted state, Professor Baum went to his assistance, and was quickly followed by Mr A. Maccam, of Rhyl. Both did their best to get Burns to land, and a boat was also launched. By this time Burns seemed to have succumbed, and his lifeless body was ultimately dragged up to the pier by means of rope. All possible efforts were made to restore animation, but they failed. An inquest will be held on Wednesday.

At the inquest on the body of Burns, the diver, held at Rhyl on Wednesday, Mrs Burns, the widow, stated that her husband travelled from Edinburgh to Liverpool on Monday, and without either eating or sleeping at all at one proceeded to Rhyl by an early train. Tea was his usual drink. He was about 30 years of age. Matthew Byrne said he accompanied deceased from Chester, where the latter had a glass of gin he appeared to be dazed by long travelling. At Rhyl he had no food, but took three glasses of liquor and slept two hours. It was not true that deceased went to Rhuddlan. Frank Jones pier-master, denied that deceased was drunk, or that he compelled him to dive. Professor Baum gave it as his opinion that the wind turned deceased on to his buck in mid-air. Dr. Girdlestone said death was due to slow drowning, caused doubtless by concussion of the brain consequent upon alighting on the water on his back. The jury returned a verdict of Accidental death, and suggested that a boat should be kept at the pier. They commended Messrs Baum, McCann, and Thomas for attempting a rescue. The directors expressed their sorrow at the occurrence.

Evening Express 8^th July 1897

TOMMY BURNS, THE DIVER.

The remains of the late Tommy Burns, the diver, were conveyed from Rhyl by the 8.45 train for Liverpool on Thursday morning. A large number of people were present. According to present arrangements, the funeral will take place at West Derby on Saturday

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