A Fractured Skull - Was There Foul Play?

  Under mysterious circumstances the death has taken place of David Topham, aged 66, lodging in Albion-place, High-street South, Rushden, who was found in an exhausted condition on the road near Wymington, and who never regained consciousness. The deceased man was at one time caretaker at the Isolation Hospital, Bedford-road, Rushden.  Last January he was in the Wellingborough workhouse, but he left the establishment in February.

  Three years after the Crimean War Topham – who has a brother living at Arlesey, near Hitchin – enlisted in the 28^th Regiment.  He was subsequently invalided from the Army on a pension.  He appears to have taken very little trouble over his pension, and it lapsed.  Some years ago, however, he again moved in the matter and succeeded in getting  replaced

On The Pension List,

receiving a small allowance – 3d. or 4d. a day.

  Deceased, who was a farm labourer, was at work up to 9.30 on Saturday morning.  A man named David Odell, of Rushden, saw him sitting by the road-side between Podington and Wymington at 4 p.m. on Saturday.  About 7 p.m. Odell saw deceased lying on the hard part of the road on his back, and assisted him to the New Inn, a quarter-of-a-mile away.  After drinking a pint of beer between them, they continued to walk towards Rushden, and got as far as Wymington Rectory.  Here deceased refused to go any further, and said he should lie down.  Odell then left Topham.  Next morning Odell went to Mr. Rainbow, with whom deceased lodged, and asked if Topham had got home, receiving an answer in the negative.  Meantime – on Saturday night – two Rushden men named Church and Reynolds found Topham

Lying By The Road-Side

and they carried him into a field and left him lying on the grass.  This was by no means the first time they had placed Topham out of the way of the traffic when he was drunk.  On Sunday morning Church and another man went to Topham’s assistance, and found him in an exhausted condition.  They procured tea and milk for him, but he refused food.  Topham was removed to Rushden, and, being in a critical condition, he was at once removed carefully to Wellingborough Workhouse by Mr. G. R. Turner, the relieving officer.  At the workhouse some delay seems to have been caused in sending for the doctor.  Death ensued on Monday afternoon from fracture of the skull.  Presumably the injury was caused through deceased falling and knocking his head on a stone, but on that point there is no evidence.

The Inquest - Sensational Evidence

  The inquest on the body of the deceased was held on Wednesday morning at the Wellingborough workhouse by Mr. J.T. Parker, coroner. Sixteen jurors were sworn, and Ex-Supt. Alexander was chosen foreman.

  The Coroner said the doctor held a post-mortem examination, and found that deceased had a fractured skull.

  David Odell, labourer, 77, High-street South, Rushden, identified the body of Topham, who, he said, lived in a yard near him, and was a farm labourer.  On Saturday afternoon, witness was on the road between Rushden and Podington, and saw Topham sitting on the ground near a gate leading into a field.  Witness talked to him for about twenty minutes.  Topham had some beer in a bottle by the side of him, and asked witness to drink, but he did not.  Witness thought Topham was

A Little The Worse For Drink,

but he appeared to be sensible, and said he was going into the field again.  Later, in consequence of what he heard, witness returned, and saw Topham lying on his back on the road.  Witness got him up and walked him along to the New Inn, and gave him a drop of beer, which he drank.

  The Coroner:  Did you still think him the worse for drink?

  Witness:  Yes.

  Wasn’t it rather unwise to give him more drink? – Well, sir, he said he was dry.

  The Coroner: It would have been better to have given him water, but perhaps you thought that would be so unusual to him as to do him harm.

  Witness, continuing, said that after a time he helped Topham along the road towards home, but when they got some distance Topham said he

Could Not Walk

any further, and said he would rest and come on soon.  Witness laid him down gently on the grass and went on.  Whilst on the ground Topham told him to leave him and he would come along home soon.

  In answer to the Coroner, witness said he did not on Saturday see any marks of injury on Topham, who was helplessly drunk.

  Dr. Hollis deposed that he saw Topham when in the infirmary at the Workhouse on Sunday evening. He was unconscious, and died on Monday afternoon.  The same day witness made a post-mortem examination, and found a large bruise on the upper part of the left side of the neck.  On opening the skull he found there had been a considerable amount of haemorrhage, and on removing the brain he found there had been

A Fracture

of the left part of the skull behind the ear about 3 ½ inches in length.  These injuries, which were the cause of death, could have been brought about by a fall or a blow.

  By the Foreman : A fall on a stone would cause the injury.

  Supt. Onan said there were a number of stones embedded in the roadway near the gate where the man was seen sitting.

  John Church, gas fitter’s labourer, of 12, Ebenezer-place, Rushden, said on Saturday, just after 7 p.m., he went to feed his poultry on the Wymington-road.  He afterwards went on to Wymington, and then saw deceased on the road.  He saw Odell with deceased, and they were on the Wymington side of the Rectory.  Deceased was lying on the grass by the side of the road, and Odell was endeavouring to get him up.  Witness went to assist deceased, but as he swore at him and refused to get up witness left him.  Deceased

Appeared To Be Drunk

Odell told witness in front of deceased that he had fetched him from the other side of the railway bridge, and that he had had about enough of it.  When witness left, deceased was lying on the ground and Odell was with him.  Witness returned home by the main road about 10 p.m. when he caught up a man named Reynolds, of Rushden, who was assisting deceased along.  They thought deceased was drunk as usual, and when they got near the spinney deceased said “I want to lay down here.”  Witness and Reynolds took him along into a field and laid him down by the side of the hedge and left him.

  By the Coroner : He had left the old man like that two or three times before.  They put him in the field

Out Of The Way Of Traffic

Deceased had a cap on his head at the time.  He did the best he could for him.  The next morning he went to New Wymington again, and from what his mother said witness went to the field.  He found deceased was in the same spot that he left him the previous night.  Deceased was laying on his left side, and he called out “Hughy,” which was his brother’s name.  They sent for his brother, who knew deceased well, and when he came deceased mumbled something to him, but none of them could understand him.  Deceased was lifted on to some tare straw, and an endeavour was made to administer some tea or milk, but deceased did not appear to be able to take either.  The police were sent for, and witness waited until P.C. Barrett arrived.  There was

No Fall Or Accident

whilst he was there.  The grass was knocked about near where the man lay, as if he had tried to get up on his feet.

  By the Jury : Deceased had not moved from the spot.

  Fredk. Reynolds, shoelaster, 42 Little-street, Rushden, corroborated as to the condition that deceased was in when Church came up.  Deceased persisted in lying down, and Church suggested they should put him in the field.  Deceased was able to walk part of the distance.

  P.C. Barrett, of Podington, said he was sent for at 10.45 a.m. on Sunday to a field in Wymington parish.  Deceased was then lying on some straw, unconscious and cold.  He opened the eyelids and found the pupils very much contracted.  Topham was

Breathing Very Heavily

with an inclination to pump out the cheeks.  His lips were blue and his cheeks flushed.  Dr. Greenfield, of Rushden who was sent for, said the man had had a stroke and was ill.  He was removed in a float.  A man named Mitchell, who was assisting to lift deceased out at Wellingborough Workhouse, slipped, and deceased fell about two feet, with the back of his head on the iron of the stretcher.  On the way to the Workhouse deceased several times tried to get his hand up to his head.  There were no marks of any struggle.

  By a juror : He did not think the injury to the head was caused by the wheel of a cart going over him.

A Long Delay

  Re-called, Dr. Hollis said he was not sent for till nearly six o’clock on Sunday.

  P.C. Barrett said the man reached the Workhouse about one o’clock.

  Dr. Hollis did not think the injury was caused by the head of the deceased coming into contact with the stretcher. It was done before that time according to the symptoms noticed by those who found the man.

  Mr. Pye, the master of the Workhouse, said the man came into the House at 1.30, and was taken to the infirmary. The doctor was not there.  They did not send for him then, as they expected him down that afternoon.  The doctor often came in the afternoon three or four times in succession, and then sometimes he missed.  When they found that the doctor did not come they sent for him.  Witness spoke to the nurse, and she told him that the doctor was expected.  When she informed him later that the doctor had not come he then sent for him.

  The Coroner pointed out that by

Not Sending For The Doctor

earlier the Master took the responsibility upon himself.

  Mr. Pye : We never let a day pass without sending for the doctor.

  The Coroner : Except on this occasion.

  The Foreman of the Jury : The doctor does not live far away.

  Mr. Pye : No, at the top of the street.

  Mr. Bailee (another juryman) : I think, Mr. Pye, it would relieve you of responsibility if you sent for a doctor at once in a case of this kind.  I should have sent for a doctor.

  The Coroner : It might have been

A Case Of Life And Death

It would not have been of much use in this case, but you take the responsibility on yourself.

  Mr. Pye said he knew the man, for he had been in the House early in the year 1906.

  Odell, re-called, said there were some stones near the gateway over which the grass had grown.

  The Coroner said no doubt the Rushden men did the best they could according to their lights.  It was not the best thing to have left him out all night.  It would have been wiser either to have taken him to a doctor or to at least have informed the man’s landlord the same night.  It was possible that deceased

Fell On To The Stones

near the gate and fractured his skull.

  The jury returned a verdict that deceased died from a fracture of the skull, but there was not sufficient evidence to show how the injuries were caused.

  Several of the jurors strongly expressed the opinion that a doctor should have been sent for earlier at the workhouse.

  The Coroner, in conveying to the Workhouse Master the opinion of the jury that there had been a little neglect, said that knowing how careful they usually were at the house he was surprised that there had been any failure in this case. He advised the Master to be on the safe side in the future and send for a doctor at once.

  The Master : I certainly will.