Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette - 05 January 1893

DEATH FROM EXCITEMENT AT PAULTON

Mr Craddock, County Coroner, held an inquest at the Red Lion Inn, Paulton, on Thursday afternoon, on the body of George Witch, aged 34, a married man, a shoemaker, of Paulton, whose death occurred after a squabble at the Old Lottery Inn, on Boxing night.

Herbert Carter deposed that he was the landlord of the Old Lottery Inn.Deceased came to his home on Monday evening, about eight o'clock. He had words with his brother-in-law and a drover, but no blows were struck. Witness's father (Mr. Felix Carter) came in and asked deceased to go home. Directly after he threw up his arms and fell forward on his face. Witness assisted him into the road, and he was taken home in Mr. Lovell's cart. Witness remained with him until he died, which was in a few minutes.

Eliza Witch, widow of deceased, said he had suffered from indigestion, and had difficulty in going upstairs and up hill.

Dr. Staniland said he had made a post-mortem examination, and found two bruises on the face, one on the arm, and another on the shoulder. The brain was perfectly healthy and the skull sound. The general organs of the body, excepting the heart and lungs, were perfectly healthy. The lungs were congested, and the heart was unhealthy, the valves being incompetent and the ventricles dilated. The congestion of the lungs was secondary to the disease of the heart, which was in such a state that the man might die suddenly from excitement. The Coroner said if the jury wished he would call in a second medical man. The foreman considered it unnecessary, as the jury were perfectly satisfied and unanimous after the evidence of Dr. Staniland. The Coroner having reviewed the evidence, the jury found "That deceased died from disease of the heart induced by temporary excitement"