Kentish Gazette, 29 March, 1870.

Inquest.

On Thursday Afternoon an inquest was held at the "Queen's Head Inn," Mill Bridge, before Walter Furley, Esq., deputy coroner for East Kent, on the body of James Moss Hobday, a man aged sixty, who was found dead in bed under the following circumstances:-

William Dodd, landlord of the "Queen's Head," denoted:- The deceased came to lodge at my house on Saturday evening last. I have known him for twenty years past. He formerly lived at Boughton Lees, and was mailman to his father, who was a brewer there. He was then in a comfortable position in life; but for some time he has been in bad circumstances. Two other men occupied the same bedroom in my house as the deceased. I have not heard of any squabbling having occurred between them. The deceased was not cheerful; the first night he came he complained of being very unwell, but did not say in what way he was unwell. He had no meals in my house; he generally came home early in the evening; had a pint of beer and a biscuit, and went to bed he told me he had been employed at the "Duke of Marlborough Inn," but had been paid off from there the week before. On Tuesday evening he had his pint of beer and biscuit as usual, and I saw no more of him. I called the other two men up at halt-past five o'clock the next morning, and they went to their work. Not seeing anything of the deceased, I went to the room about half-past nine o’clock, and found him lying in bed quite dead. One arm was out of the bed, and he seemed to have died without pain or struggle, us the clothes were not in any disorder. I found the phial bottle produced under his bolster. It was empty and corked. There was no label on it.

Dr. George Wilks deposed:- From instructions received, I made a post mortem examination of the body this morning. There were no marks of violence on it. I suspected the cause of death, but I deferred forming an opinion till I examined the bottle produced. I found it contained minute crystals of oxalic acid, and I have no doubt death resulted from taking that poison. It is never used as a medicine, and could not have been taken for the purpose of curing disease or alleviating pain. I am of opinion that a very large quantity was taken, from the quiet mode in which death had occurred. When taken in a very large quantity the person usually faints; but when in a small quantity intent pain is suffered. Oxalic acid can only be sold under the usual restrictions for the sale of poisons; and it is usually bought in a crystallized form.

Mr. Beken, one of the jury, stated it was frequently bought in that way and mixed with water to clean brass, harnesses, and boot lops.
William Fisher, labourer, deposed:- I and another man slept in the same bedroom as the deceased. On Monday evening, about nine o'clock, as the deceased was undressing to get into bed he suddenly put his hand to his right side and exclaimed "Bless me what a pain I have here." I said "Sit down, my good man, on the bed," He did so, and attempted to get his trousers off but could not. I advised him to wait till he felt better, and he did so. In a few minutes he undressed and got into bed. I asked him how he felt, and he replied, "All right; good night." On Tuesday night about half-past eight o'clock he said he did not feel quite right and should go to bed. I came up into the room about half-past nine, and I asked him how he was. He replied, "Pretty middling," and began complaining of the hardness of the times; he said he could not get work, and he did not like to beg. I wanted to go to sleep, and bade him good night. During the night I was awakened by a loud gurgling noise which the deceased was making. I told my fellow lodger that it was hardly like snoring, and that if it continued I should go and wake the deceased up. ln a minute or two all was quiet, and I went to sleep again. In the morning I went out without noticing the deceased.

William Crump, labourer, the other lodger, gave similar evidence; and added he did not think much of the noise in the night, as the deceased was in the habit of snoring loudly.

P.O. Hollands said that no money was found on the deceased; he had two pawn tickets for clothes pledged by him.

The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased killed himself by taking oxalic acid when in an unsound state of mind.