Leighton Buzzard Observer and Linsdale Gazette: Tuesday 17th February 1885

Bedford: Fatal Accident. — Dr. Prior, the coroner for the borough, held inquest at the Infirmary Thursday morning touching the death of Isaac Arbour, a groom in the employ Mr. Karslake, Q.C., Turvey Cottage. —Mr. H. Flood was foreman the jury, and the following evidence was adduced John Knight, army pensioner, stated that be lived at Turvey, and could identify the body lying in the mortuary as that of Isaac Arbour, who formerly lived at Turvey as groom to Mr. Karslake, About three o’clock p.m., on the 17th of January last, witness was sitting in old grotto in the Abbey Park, and saw the deceased ride past on horse. In less than a minute he heard a gate crash about forty yards from him. Witness proceeded to the spot and saw the deceased and the horse the ground. The gate was a five-barred one, and in witness’s opinion the horse slipped when trying to get over the gate. He could see the horse had slipped by the marks. The deceased was lying under the horse, only his legs being discernable. Witness assisted to get the horse up as quickly possible, and attended to the deceased, who could not speak, and seemed hurt good deal. Witness sent at once for Dr. Mackie and poured tome water over deceased’s face. He recovered consciousness, and witness assisted to take him to a cottage. The horse was good jumper, and deceased was a good rider. — George Sharman deposed that he was a butler, temporarily residing at Turvey. On Jan. 17th last was with the last witness in the grotto. He corroborated Knight’s evidence in every particular. — Mr. Pynsent E. Smith, house surgeon to the Infirmary, said deceased was brought to that institution on the 18th Jan., suffering from the effects of a fall from a horse. Two of his ribs were fractured, and part of the left shoulder-blade. Deceased also had large contusion over the left eyebrow. One of the fractures of the rib wounded the long so that air could get inside it. The lung had collapsed a good deal, causing a space between that and the chest. For the first few day’s deceased went on very well indeed, but symptoms of paralysis appeared the legs and arms. Witness attributed this to a blow on the head. Deceased’s speech became affected, and he experienced great difficulty in swallowing any nourishment. His speech, however, got better, and deceased appeared to be improving. On the 10th inst. deceased was much better, but he died quite suddenly on the morning the 11th. There was no infusion on the brain in consequence of the blow on the eyebrow. He attributed death to the accident. — The jury returned verdict of Accidental death.”


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