FATAL HORSE-PLAY AT KING'S COLLEGE.

Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 10, 11 July 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

FATAL HORSE-PLAY AT KING'S COLLEGE.

On AVednesday Mr. A. Braxton Hicks, held an enquiry at 59, I'el-grave-road, Pimlieo, concerning the death of Charles Fisher Bourdas, aged 12, who died on Sunday last. Mr. Bourdas, pharmaceutical chemist, of Pont-street and Uelgrave-road, Pirn. lico, said the deceased was bis sonHe was a scholar at King's College, and had "been there for one term as a day-boarder. On returning home on the eveuing of the 10th iust, he complained of feeling weak and unwell, and said ho had got paius in his legs. Prostration seemed to increase, and on the following day sickness supervened. As symptoms of paralysis set in on Monday, Dr. Lynch was summoned, and on that evening witness carried the lad to bed. • n Tuesday morning witness asked him whether he had had a blow on the back. He replied, '• If you will promise me not to tell Dr. Stokee, I will tell you, but not otherwise." Witness gave the required promise, and the deceased said, " On leaving the dining hall on Friday, about a dozen big boys belonging to the upper form, presided over by Mr. Kllis, ranged themselves along the corridor, and as each smallboy passed, they administered a blow on the back." He added that he had quite a dozen blows, and said it had occurred on two previous occasions. The blows were given with the fist. The deceased was' attended by Sir William Jenner and three other surgeons, but he grew gradually worse, and expired on the 19th inst. Witness explained that tw6 gentlemen had pt tended the' enquiry whose sons had been maltreated by bigger boys at the same school,- In one case the complainant said his son had his nose broken by being knocked down in the corridor, owing to the recklessness of a boy ; and the other gentleman said his boys had told him that rough usage was very frequent. It was very difficult to extract such statements from schoolboys, who knew the consequences of " splitting." The Hey. Dr. Stokoe, said that he was quite ignorant of any system of illtreatment by the big boys The corridor in question was in charge of two porters. The sanie thing might happen in any school in England. Asa rnlo boys would not tell tales He would mako strict enquiry into this case when the school reassembled. Dr. Gilbert Lynch, of >iVauxhall Bridge-rimd, who made the' post-mor-tem examination of the body of the deceased, stated that the cause of death was concussion of the spine, which was quite compatible with the blows described by the boy to his father. All the organs of the body were healthy. The coroner, in summing up, strongly deprecated the rotfgh play which' prevailed in almost, all schools. ,He did not see that any, blame,' was due to Dr. Stokoe, as had been suggested. After some d.iscussion, the jury returned a verdict of ' Death by misadveuture," and added the following rider : " That the , attention of the authorities of King's^College should bo called to the evident want of supervision over boys during the intervals between school hours, which, in the opinion of the jury, led to tne death-of Charles lusher Bourdas." They also sympathised with the parents of the deceased. > » ,• .