A SINGULAR DEATH

Evening Star, Issue 14637, 5 August 1911, Page 7

A SINGULAR DEATH

AT CAVERSHAM. MAN STRANGLED ON A FENCE. Thomas Burgees, 62 yeans of age, a resident of Rockyeide, was fotrnd dead ;' in singular circumstances yesterday morn- \ ing in Ballance street, Caversham. It appears that he- was seen leaning over a closely-boarded fence. Apaeser-by, who thought that the old man's condition was due to liquor, rang up the police, telling them to go out and look after him, ae the- morning was very cold. When Constable- Heard went to the place where the old man was he found that death had overtaken him very shortly before, as the body was very warm.- Mr.--Burgees had apparently been strangled on the fence, the top of which is cleft in the. shape of a V. Mr C. C. Graham, coroner, held an inquest at the morgue this morning. Br (Howard deposed as to seeing the body lying on the footpath in the vicinity The body was warm, but life was extinct. He found no marks of violence upon it. He had made a post-mortem examination, and fonnd that the heart was- quite healthy, but gorged with blocd. The lungs were congested, and also gorged with blood, especially on the outside. The stomach was almost empty. There were no signs of alcohol. The trachea was covered with red spots indicative of strangulation. Ho attributed death to his'being unwell, falling forward, and being caught by the neck between the forked ends of palings. To Sergeant Emerson : He . could not eay that it was a case of intoxication, as there was not the least sign of alcohol. He understood that deceased had not been in good health, that he had got up very early yesterday morning. As it was an intensely cold morning he probably felt weak, and leaned over the fence for a rest. John Gordon Diack Dempster, accountint, said that yesJ*rday about 9 a.m. he saw deceased leaning over a closelyboarded fence with his arms and head resting over the fence, which had a Vshaped top. The attitude of the man suggested a state of very helpless intoxication. He merely glanced at the man, and did not go close "to him. As it was a cold morning, however, he went to the nearest telephone and rang up the police, telling them to look after deceased. That was all he knew about the case. William Crcssan, licensee of tho Waterloo Hotel, said he knew the deceased, who had been a brickmaker. residing at Rockyside. Yesterday morning deceased had been in the bar of the Waterloo Hotel about a quarter to teven. Ho was served with a whisky and soda. He pat it to his lips, and then said : "I don't feel very . well, Bill." Ho did not drink the liquor, but merely wet his lips with it. and then went away, leaving the drink on the counter. He looked very poorly, and was perfectly sober. It was almost seven o'clock when deceased left the hotel. Witness had never heard of deceased being subject to fits. Frank Burgees, a son of the deceased, said that his father was 62 years of age, and that he had not been in good health lately. Ho (deceased) was subject to fits and cramp. He left home yesterday morning about 6.30. He had not had breakfast, and did not say where he was going. Witness 6aid he had seen his father doubled up with sever© cramp in the stomach. Constable Graham Heard deposed as to finding deceased standing against a fence with hie arms hanging over it. Deceased's head and neck were between the V-shaped space at the top of the boai'ds. Witness and another lifted the body down. It was quite warm, and artificial respiration ,vas tried, but without success. Dr Howard was summoned and arrived shortly after and declared life to be extinct. The Coroner said it was a simple case, and that he was glad to say there was no suspicion of alcoholic internperaiice. After reviewing the evidence, he recorded a verdict that death was due to strangulation, through misadventure, deceased's neck having been caught in the cleft of a fence whilst seized by a fit of cramp.