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SAD DEATH OF A CLEBKENWELL BELIEVING OFFICEB. ' :On Monday forenoon; at the Essex Head Tavern, Essex-streeb, Strand, an inquest was held »-y Mr W. Payne, coroner for the Duchy of Lancaster,, on the body of Eobert Aldred, who was found drowned in the Thames under circnmsfcanees detailed below.Alexander Dean, picture framer and mounter, re-siding in Gilberb-street, Strand, stated that; ho saw the dead body of the deceased abouo half-past eleven o’clock on Friday morning floating in the Thames against the Ivy-bridge steps between the Waterloo and Hunger ford-bridge3. He went down the steps and three of his companions pulled the body out whilst he went to fecch the Tfaamos police.John Wilkins, 802, E, said he was called by the last witness, and found the body on the steps. Deceased was fully dressed, except that ho had not his hat on. His coat was buttoned, up. He was removed to Waterloo Pier, where a doctor attended to him. When searched there wa3 found in the deceased’s vossession two shillings, two six-pences, two keys, and a penknife. There wes no mark on the body except a scratch on the bridge of the nose.Samuel Mills, divisional surgeon of the Thames Police, said he was called to the deceased whom he placed hi a hot bath, but lie was perfectly stiff and beyond recovery; he had been dead apparently some six or eight hours.By the Coroner: The marks upon him had probably been inflicted by the deceased’s head touching the gravel on the shore or corning into contact with the. steps.Witness: He was galvanised and electrified, fn order, if possible, to restore animation.Thomas Powell, relieving officer of Clerkenwell, identified the body a3 that of Eobert Aldred, 52, yeai'3 old, a relieving officer of the southern district of Clerkenwell. He had not been at work for the last five weeks, was was incapable of performing bisduties, hia mind being affected. He last saw him shortly after six o,clock on Thursday evening last, when deceased said he was going for his usual trot. Iu the morning of that day deceased was in the office,and witness thought ho was better.The Coroner : iThen he had been away from his office ?Witness : Yes. He told me in the morning to go the bank and get the money he required for administering relief, and added, “ I will give the doctor’s orders while you are away.” I went to the bank and when I returned he had left, having given about a dozen medical orders. I afterwards saw him at his home, in the back garden, and he seemed all right. I asked him if lie did not feel able to remain longer at the office, and he replied, “ Paying ^ morning is such a buzy morning; I will come to-morrow.” Afterwards he went out for a walk, and I did not see him again alive. Finding lie had not returned home at a late hour, I went along the Thames Embankment in search of him, knowing that was his favourite walk. He was generally accompanied by his dog* when he thus walked for recreation, but was not on this occasion. I have been with him when his dog has taken the water from the very steps where his body was found. lie left his watch, chain, and valuables at home.The Coroner: Had anything occurred during the Thursday morning to worry him ?Witness : Not that I know of. He was naturally an excitable mau. Ho had been under the doctor’s care for soine time. His accounts and books were perfectly right. I had charge of them during his absence. I wish to state that his accounts were right, because something has been said to the contrary, and I know relieving officers, generally speaking, are heldin bad repute by the public.The Coroner : I do not know that. I have had three or four before me lately, and I found they were exceedingly kind, gentlemanly men, Useful and honest servants of the public.Witness : He was a married man, and happy in his domestic relations, so far as I know. He had an income of‘between £300 and £40 J per annum. He was perfectly sober on Thursday, and I know of no motive which should impel him to destroy himself.Mr Dyer, M.E.C.S., of My ddel t on - sfcr ee fc, Clerkenwell, district officer of'the parish, said the deceased had been under his care for five weeks suffering from great nervous prostration.In reply to the Coroner witness said deceased was a most excessive reader of abstruse works, he also smoked to excess, and that would be likely to affect his brain.. Witness: said he advised him to go into the country Believed that he might, in an abstracted mood, havegone down the steps and fallen into the water. Had always heard deceased express a horror of suicide. His liver was affected, and that would produce giddiness. \The Coroner: And probably sitting looking at the water when it was running swiftly would increase the giddiness.Witness : Yes. In answer to an observation from Mr Powell, the witness stated that the deceased was in the habit of leaving his watch and valuables at home before he went out for a walk. He was a very moral man, and In comfortable circumstances. No pecuniary difficulties could have led him to commit suicide, supposing he came by his death by design and not accident.The coroner, in summing up, pointed out that there was no evidence whatever to show how the deceased got into the water.The Jury returned an open verdict, to which they appended an addendum, asking the coroner to again urge upon the Metropolitan Board of Works the desirability of placing railings oil the steps of the Embankment, as to protect the public.The Coroner remarked that a previous rerpiest of a jury to the Metropolitan Board to the same effect had not met with the response which, in his opinion, it ought to have done; but all great bodies, he supposed, moved slowly.
Newspaper Details
London St Pancras and Holborn Journal
London, Middlesex, GB
Sat, Apr 26, 1873
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Ian E.
AU 24 Jun 2023
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