Fatal Case of Military Flogging at Hounslow

Fatal Case of Military Flogging at Hounslow. 395 Art. IX.- -Fatal Case of Military Flogging at Hounslow. The Inquest.?Thursday evening, at eight o'clock, a highly respectable jury of thirteen inhabitants ot'the parish of Hooton were empanelled before Mr Wakley, M. P., in one of the parlours of the George the Fourth Inn, Hounslow Heath, to inquire into the circumstances attendant upon the death of Frederick White, aged 27 years, a private of the 7th Royal Hussars, whose death, it was alleged, had been caused by the effects of the corporal punishment he had received under an order of court-martial. The room was crowded to excess by the respectable inhabitants of the neighbourhood, and the officers of the regiment, anxious to witness the proceedings. Thirteen jurors having been sworn, and Mr J. Bond appointed foreman, th? coroner accompanied them to the barracks, which was about half-a- mile distant, to view the body of the unfortunate deceased. It was in the coffin, and on being turned round on its face, the back, from the nape of the neck down to the loins, presented a deep purple appearance. In the middle of the back, between the shoulders, where the greatest inflamma- tion had evidently been, a great piece of skin, nine inches one way and eight inches the other, had been cut away. The coroner inquired where the skin was, and by whom it had been cut off, and it was replied it had been cut off by Dr Reid, who had been sent down by the Horse Guards to perform the post mortem examination of the body, and it should he looked for- Much delay was occasioned by the search, and eventually a piece of skin was brought, which, however, was not a fifth part of the whole. After an absence of nearly an hour, the coroner and jury returned to the inquest room, and their names having been called over, The coroner inquired if any of the relatives of the deceased were present in the room, or had been informed of the inquiry ? The adjutant of the regiment replied that they were not, neither had he informed them on the subject. The coroner inquired if any one had written to them ? The adjutant said he believed not, as they only knew from the deceased's attestation where they were to be found, which was stated to be Camber- well, and not what part. The coroner then addressed the jury, and said it must be apparent to them, from the number of witnesses that must necessarily be examined, that it would be impossible to finish the inquiry that night, however late they might sit; and, therefore, in his opinion, it would be better at once to adjourn, so that they might have all the witnesses in attendance, and finish at one sitting. By doing so, the relations of the deceased would also have an opportunity to be present, as he doubted not that the publicity which would be given to the inquiry in the newspapers would cause them to be made acquainted with it. It would also be necessary to summon se- veral witnesses from London, viz. Dr Reid and Mr Hall. It was essen- tially necessary that Dr Reid should be present, as he was the person who had removed the skin from the back of the deceased, not a fifth part of which had been found, and what was found would not fit the back. It was also necessary that a medical man, who was totally unconnected with the army, should immediately see and examine the body, and he would leave it to the jury to determine who that surgeon should be. He would only further say that the surgeon chosen should be a gentleman on whose opinion the jury felt they could place confidence, who was quite unconnected with the case, and who would give an impartial and unbiassed judg- ment on what he saw. The military authorities might also appoint one, who should have every facility afforded to do the same. 396 Fatal Case of After considerable discussion the jury unanimously fixed on Mr Horatio Day, surgeon of Isleworth, who was appointed. The coroner then, addressing Dr Warren, surgeon of the regiment, said ?Sir, I shall rely upon your rendering my constable and the police inspec- tor every assistance in the summoning of the necessary witnesses at the barracks, in order to show the real cause of death, whatever it may be. Dr Warren promised to do so. The coroner then bound the jurors in a recognizance of L.20 each to at- tend on a day next week to resume the inquiry, and at ten o'clock the in- vestigation was adjourned. July 21, 1846.?Yesterday morning (*20th July) the inquiry, com- menced on Wednesday last, into the circumstances attending the death of Frederick John White, aged 27, a private in the 7th Royal Hussars, who was flogged on the 15th of June last, and died in the hospital of Hounslow barracks on Saturday week, the 11th inst., was resumed at the George the Fourth Inn on Hounslow-heath, at half-past 9 o'clock. The great interest exhibited at the opening of the inquiry on Wednesday last by persons of all classes to be present was far surpassed on the present occasion, and by 9 o'clock ,4he inn was besieged by respectable persons from all parts of the surrounding neighbourhood, none of whom were, however, admitted until after the coroner and jury had assembled. Mr Wakley, M. P., coroner, accompanied by Mr G. J. Mills, the deputy- coroner, arrived at twenty minutes past 9 o'clock ; and the jury having shortly afterwards assembled, and their names having been called on, the public were admitted at 20 minutes to 10 o'clock. The inquest-room was instantly most inconveniently crowded, which rendered the heat during the inquiry most oppressive. Amongst those present we noticed Mr G. Baillie (chairman of the Brentford magistrates), Sir Alexander Spearman, Bart., Rev. H. S. Trimmer, Mr Henry Pownall, and Mr B. J. Armstrong, county magistrates; Dr Mackinlay, Mr C. Eley, and other of the leading inhabitants of the neighbourhood. Mr G. Clark, solicitor, of New Brentford, and clerk to the magistrates, attended to watch the case on behalf of the regiment. The coroner opened the proceedings by inquiring if any of the deceased's relatives were present, and was informed that the deceased's brother was in the room. Mr White, in answer to questions by the coroner, said, he had not seen the body of the deceased, but he was quite sure, from the inquiries he had made, of its identity. Deceased was 27 years of age, having been born in January 1819. The coroner then desired that no witness but Mr H. G. Day, the surgeon appointed by the jury to inspect the body, should remain in the room while the other witnesses were examined. Mr Wakley then addressed the jury, and said?Gentlemen, in this case I have to entreat you to dismiss from your minds everything that his been said ami published respecting the death of the deceased?a case in which the calmest and most studied attention should be paid to the value of an oath. I entreat you to dismiss from your minds whatever you have heard out of doors, and that you will be governed not by your feelings about the practice of flogging, but that you will be guided only by the evidence given before you; and by being only so guided I am quite sure, from the manner in which you acted at the opening of the inquest, that you will act most fairly in giving your decision on the evidence, and that alone. I mean to commence the inquiry by taking evidence as to the state of the deceased's health on the day he was punished, and of his health before, and then after the flogging, and then to go on following it up to the day of his death; and after we have done so, then to go into the law of the 4 Military Flogging at Hounslow. 397 case. Mr Day will remain in the room to hear the history of the case throughout. Mr G. Clark applied for Lieutenant Ireland, the adjutant of the regiment, to be permitted to be in the room to instruct him. A juror objected, on the ground that his presence would intimidate the privates who might be examined. The coroner said he would take care that if any intimidation was used he would soon stop it. A juror said if he was an officer in the regiment he would not stay in the room. The coroner asked if the cats with which the whipping was inflicted were present; and being replied to in the affirmative, directed they should be brought in. The following witnesses were then examined :? Henry Potter examined.?I am hospital sergeant in the 7th Royal Hus- sars. The deceased died on the evening of Saturday, the 11th inst., in my presence and that of Dr Warren. One of the privates, of the name of Cook, lay in the next bed to the deceased, and on the other side was one named Frost. Deceased had at the time of his death kept his bed again for four or five days. He was Dr Warren's patient. Deceased was punished on the 15th of June last, and I received him into the hospital directly after he had received his punishment. Deceased walked into the hospital of himself.

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