Sudden Death at the Carmarthen Workhouse. INQUEST AND VERDICT.
An inquest was held by Mr Thomas Walters, the borough coroner, at the Union Workhouse, Carmarthen, on one of the inmates, David John Rees, a boy 13 years of age, son of Cornelius Rees, a labourer. Thomas Williams said I am 14 years of age in August next. I am an inmate of the Union Workhouse. I have been in here six years. I knew the deceased since he came in here some four years ago. He and I attended school together. We slept in the same room and in the company of seven other boys. We had a bed each. I was the eldest boy there. My bed was about two yards away from the deceased. Deceased used to be ill at times and complained of his head. He was then in the day room with the other boys. He went to bed about 7 p.m. The other boys went to bed at 8 p.m. I went to bed about 10 p.m. I was with the trainer until that time. The deceased complained to the trainer and me about five o’clock as to being unwell. The nurse gave him a dose about six o’clock. Her name is Miss Burnhill. He sat down until he went to bed. I did not tell the master about his illness or anybody else. I am sure the deceased was asleep when I went to bed. He was groaning about half past ten and continued doing so until 4-45 a.m. I did not sleep the whole night. I told the other boys that I could not sleep with the row he made all night. I am a very bad sleeper and have been awake other nights. I got up about five o’clock to look at David John. He was frothing. I asked him if he would stop making that row. I did this because William Bentland told me that he was frothing at the mouth. There was no light in the room, but Bentland rose up the blinds. The trainer slept in an adjoining room about 10 yards away. Deceased had not been taken like this before. He drank his milk at supper, but left his bread. When the trainer came she sent us for the nurse— Miss Burnhill. She came at once; the trainer was there with the light. I was told by the nurse when she came that David John Rees was dead. I am not requested to do anything when something goes wrong at night. Hannah Burnhill said I am the nurse at this institution. I have been such for 18 years. Deceased had been in pretty good health during the whole time he has been there. The last witness asked me last night for a dose of aperient medicine for the deceased. He told me that that he was complaining of headache. I gave him about a tablespoonful of Epsom salts. I think he was not very bad, otherwise the trainer would have told me. It is her duty to attend to the children. I did not hear anything more until 5 o’clock this morning. I was then called and found David John Rees dead. Mary Ann Rees said I am the industrial trainer at this institution. The children are under my care day and night whilst inside the establishment. The boys’ dormitory adjoins my bedroom. There is a passage and two doors between them. I can hear from my bedroom if there is any noise in the dormitory. I did not hear any noise last night. Deceased went to bed at my request at 7.10 p.m. I saw him again at 8 p.m. He was then no better. I looked in at 10 o’clock. He was then asleep. I then went to bed, and heard no more of it until Thomas Williams called me about 5 o’clock crying. I did not go into the room at 10 o’clock. It is a mistake if I said so. Dr Lewis Hughes spoke to being sent for that morning. The boy was dead when he arrived. There was nothing to show the cause of death. A post-mortem examination might reveal the cause of death. Deceased had been fairly well during the whole of his time in the workhouse. The Coroner adjourned the enquiry in order that a post-mortem examination might be made. The adjourned enquiry was held at the Guildhall on Monday.
William Bentland said I am 12 years of age, and have been two years and a half in the Workhouse. I was 12 years of age in March last. I knew David John Rees. I saw him on Thursday afternoon in the yard. He was playing with me and the other boys. There are eight of us. This was about 5 o’clock. We afterwards went into the dayroom. We sat down there and read a book. David John Rees was playing with a little boy. The little boy had a doll, and David John Rees was putting a handkerchief round it to make it dance. I went out for a bit. When I came again David John Rees was sitting on the fender by the fire. Afterwards I was called in to my supper. We have supper about 6 o’clock. Nurse sent for some medicine for David John Rees because he was bad. After we had been jumping, I asked him if he was cold. I asked him that because he was white, and his hands were blue. He said he was bad. I had never seen him like that. He took his supper. He took the medicine after supper. He was then white. The trainer asked him if he would like to go to bed. I next saw him at 8 o’clock. The trainer asked him if he was better, and he said no. We bad a light. The gas was half-turned on. The trainer then put the gas out, and we went to sleep. I awoke about a quarter to five. I know that, because soon after the market clock struck five. I thought that David John Rees was choking because of the noise he was making. His brother, Henry Rees, went up to him and shook his head. He did not answer, and Tom Edwards, Tom Williams, and I went to call the trainer. There was no light at the time. Sometimes the trainer comes to see us after we go to bed. The trainer came when we called. Thomas Edwards (13) gave similar evidence. Dr R. G. Price said I made a post- mortem examination of tho deceased. The cause of death was an abscess on the brain, in connection with middle-ear disease. He had chronic inflammation of the ear. There are usually outward symptoms of that disease, but there are cases of sudden death resulting from it. The cause of death is quite consistent with the symptoms described by the witness. I should consider them dangerous symptoms in a child. They were not of such a character as to impress an ordinary mind with the necessity of obtaining medical assistance. The “medical mind” is different from the ordinary mind.” Something might have been done years ago when the disease started, but nothing happened”. There was probably then a running from the ear and nothing was thought of it. Such things develop into brain disease. He could not have had good health for some time previously. He would not necessarily be in bad health. Mr Edwin Price, master of the house, was then called to define those duties of Miss Bees, the trainer. He did not consider it her duty to go round the dormitories at night except when there was something wrong. The Coroner, in his summing up, said that no blame could possibly be attached to anyone for the death. Under the circumstances it could never have been foreseen nor prevented. It might be well, however, for the trainer to take a look round before going to bed. The Jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence. They added no rider.
Printed in the Carmarthen Weekly Reporter 10th January 1896 page 4.