Mexborough & Swinton Times, June 30, 1939

Unusual Adjournment During Inquest on Kilnhurst Man

An inquest on Joseph Edward Mason (73). retired collier, of 41 Carlisle Street, Kilnhurst, at the Montague Hospital on Tuesday was adjourned for nearly an hour to enable a doctor to make a post modem examination to ascertain the cause of death.

The Doncaster District Coroner, Mr. W. H. Carlile, conducted the inquest.

Florrie Gaskill, of 3, Gale Street, Princeville, Bradford gave evidence of identification and said she was present when Mason, who was her father, died.

Margaret Beckett, of 42, Carlisle Street, Kilnhurst said that on Sunday June 18th she was in her house, and about 5-20 p.m. her children told her that “Mr. Mason had fallen.” She asked him what had happened and he said he was all right and had only fallen down the garden steps. It was raining at the time and Mason was wearing rubber boots. She thought that was the cause of the fall. He asked her to fetch someone, and she went for a local ambulance man who dressed a wound on his head.

Ethel Kate Gaskill, of 12, Thorn Road, Highthorn Kilnhurst, said that Mason was her husband’s grandfather. She was told that he had had a fall on Sunday June 18th, and went to see him. His head was bandaged and she fetched Dr. C. J. H. Aitken, who subsequently visited him at her home. On Friday June 23rd the doctor ordered his removal to hospital. She visited him there and was present when he died on June 24th.

In answer to the Coroner witness said that Mason had previously enjoyed the best of health, and that he lived alone at Carlisle Street because he liked to be alone.

A house surgeon at Mexborough Montagu Hospital, Dr. W. C. McGuire said that Mason was admitted on June 23rd and he examined him. He found a laceration on the right temple region about two inches in length. Immediately in front of this was a small punctured wound which appeared to be closed and there was some discolour about the right eye. He was having convulsions at the time and was unable to lie down. He appeared to have difficulty in breathing and was put to bed and given a sedative to control the convulsions. They lasted however until shortly before his death.

The Coroner asked what the cause of death was, and the doctor replied that there seemed to be some question as to the cause and he was not prepared to say. He thought that it might have been tetanus or alternatively cerebral haemorrhage. He had an X-ray examination made and was unable to find a fracture of the skull. He was also unable to find evidence of tetanus in the wound.

The Coroner then ordered an adjournment of one hour to faciliate the cause of death being ascertained.

After the resumption of the inquest Dr. McGuire said the post mortem examination showed that the cause of death was meningitis following an infected scalp wound received as the result of an accident.

A verdict of “Accidental Death” was recorded.