Inquest of Albion Haywood

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: Haywood

The following inquest report is taken from The Western Times, 15 April 1913, and transcribed by Ros Haywood. Paragraphs and emphasis added to aid legibility.
Return to profile

---

DELUSIONS
The Tragic Death of a Bovey Man
STORY AT THE INQUEST

Mr. Coroner S. Hacker conducted an inquest at Bovey Trace on Saturday at the early hour of 8.30, relative to the death of Albion Heywood: 55, of Pottery Cottages, Bovey Tracey. The deceased left his home on Thursday morning, and was found later in the day in a disused lignite pit. Mr. W.J.T.Martin was the foreman of the jury.

The Coroner and jury inspected the pit where deceased was found, and afterwards proceeded to the deceased's house, where the evidence of the invalid widow was taken. This was that the deceased was at work until Tuesday last in the usual way. On Wednesday, however, he was too ill to go to work, and on that night slept in her room downstairs. She thought he was suffering from influenza. On Wednesday, he went out wandering about, and when he came back he did not know where he had been, and appeared to be suffering from delusions. On Wednesday night he slept in her room, and about three o'clock on Thursday morning he got up, dressed, and went out. She did not know he was going, neither did the deceased say anything before leaving. He had never made any threats indicating suicidal tendency, neither did she think he had anything to trouble him, but he was generally depressed, in which condition he had been for some little time.

Harry Haywood, a brother, gave evidence of identification. He did not know of any worry sufficient to cause the tragedy. Deceased had complained of pains in his stomach, which they though was indigestion. On Tuesday, his brother was at work, but complained of illness. On Wednesday morning, he (witness) was sent for, as his brother was wandering about. He was certainly unwell.

The Coroner: Why didn't he go to the doctor?

Witness: He was always averse to a doctor. I don't know why. I advised him to do so, and he sent on Wednesday. Witness added that on the Wednesday morning, when his brother came back, he could not tell where he had been, and kept repeating, "I have lost myself." They could get nothing further out of him. Deceased once remarked, "Oh, trouble, trouble," which witness thought was contributed to by his having an invalid wife. That was all.

Norman Haywood, the eldest son, said that some years ago his father had an attack of influenza, when he seemed to give way a little, but since then he had not had a return until this week. He seemed to suffer from delusions, and at some times would hardly speak. His delusions were that his wife was seriously ill, and that he had been the cause of her illness.

When you saw him like this, did you remove his razor?

Yes.

Why?

He was run down, and mother advised me to put it away. We were anxious about him.

The razor was usually kept on the dresser shelf, so witness removed it, and covered it up on the side of the dresser. On Wednesday morning his father went out about three o'clock, and although they searched for him, could not find him. At 4.30 the deceased returned, and all he could remember as to where he had been was "as far as the Newton-road". He did not have the razor with him then, as witness saw it on the dresser. For the rest of the day he did not go out, but remained by the fire. Witness went for Dr. Dallas at nine o'clock in the morning and explained as far as possible what his father's symptoms were. Dr. Dallas said he would call in two or three days. Witness told the doctor he did not think his father should be left so long, and Dr. Dallas then said he would call that day, or first thing next morning.

Why didn't you go for another doctor?

That was his club doctor: we expected him.

Was he seen by the doctor, Wednesday.

No.

The witness added that his father did not go to bed until 1.30 on Thursday morning, when witness went to bed. About three o'clock his father called him down, as he wanted to go out, and his mother advised that he (witness) should accompany him. Witness heard his father light the fire, and as witness was coming downstairs he heard the deceased go out and shut the door. Witness immediately went out, but owning to the darkness could not see which way he went. He made a fruitless search around the works and then called his uncle. Search parties were then organized. He identified the razor (produced), and also the cap, which was his brother's.

A Juryman: Did the doctor give any reason why he could not attend your father?

Witness: He said that he was booked close up, and I thought that he would attend them in rotation.

P.C.Finch said the pottery employees organized search parties, and at four o'clock the cap produced was identified by the last witness, having been found by a man named L.A.Coish. An improvised grappling iron was obtained, and the body recovered. Both hands were clenched, in the right hand being the razor. There was a tremendous wound in the throat.

Dr. A. McCabe Dallas spoke to examining the body of the deceased, and finding a lacerated wound six inches long, across his throat. The wound only divided the superficial tissues and musles, but had not divided the windpipe. There were no other marks on the body. The wound in the throat was a jagged one, as if a determined effort at sawing at the throat had been made, and was sufficient to cause death by the hemorrhage and shock, but witness thought it was more probably that death occurred from drowning, and that deceased jumped in after cutting his throat. The wound was self-inflicted. Witness said he had never seen the deceased, and he was not a club patient. The son told him that the father was run down, and witness did not think it was an urgent case. No mention was made of delusions, as he (witness) could have attended had he known it was urgent. The deceased was an insured patient under the Act, but had not put himself on a doctor's list. Witness had no obligation to attend the man, but from what he had heard the man ought to have been seen a week ago. He was persuaded not to put himself on the doctors' lists, and this was the result.

Answering a juror, Mr. Norman Haywood said no one had persuaded his father not to go on the medical list. What he did was on his own.

A verdict of "Suicide by drowning whilst of unsound mind" was returned, the jury expressing the opinion that the doctor's explanation had been satisfactory.