Yesterday afternoon, evidence was taken before the Acting Coroner, Consul 0. N, Denny, at the U.S. Consulate, as to the cause of the death of Mr. Burge R. Lewis, whos death is reported elsewhere, The jurors were Bennett, D. C. Jansen and H. Heynemaun, The evidence adduced was a8 follows Dr, Jasttesox: I ama physician, practising in Shanghai. I was called, about 3.30 p. on Saturday "thirkell, to Mr. BR. who, he said, was very ill in his room in the Central Hotel. I found Mr. Lewis in his room when £ went there ho was very ill. Mr. Reilly was standing by him. Mr. Lewis was very ill and was indeed dying. He actually did die seven minutes after I arrived at the Hotel. I found hi when I arrived, lying on the floor, partly
time to time. I had him kept steady for insensible, and rolling over and over from ut for examination. Witness asked permission to read from notes he made at the time, and now in the possession of the Coroner. Notes referred to were, handed to the witness and he read as follows "99th October, 1881.—At 3.35 p.m., called by Mr. Thirkell to Central Hotel to see Mr.
R. Lewis reported to be ill, Reached hotel at 3.45; found Mr. Lewis apparently insensible, rol frow time to time. sept steady for 'a minute for examination. His lips pale; heart imperceptible; left sleeve of jacket bloodstained; above left wrist, wound about 1} inches long, severing radial artery, both ends of which were visible in wound, Bleeding ceased, On table next bed a penknife, with blade blood-stained. Backet by side of bed containing " large quantity of blood mixed with water. Died at 52 minutes past 3 o'clock. Sent immediately to report matter to Mr. Denny and corpse left untouched, as aleo contents of room, until arrival of Mr. Denny."
Witness continued, in answer to questions from the Coroner:—Mr. Reilly was ix the room, also the Chins boy, when I entered it. Thave attended Mr. Lewis from time to time, never regularly.
What was the condition of his mind from time to time, speaking from what you saw of him when you thus attended him?—He w: preceding the. inquest on this woman: who always remarkably eccentric; his manner was died. IE was Into in the evening when he always very peculiar and this has been came. He wished to obtain the services of more especially of late, The last day I saw one of the clergymen of one of the churches im before his death was on the day when to perform the funeral ceremo1 the post mortem examination was held and the thie woman, He: wan really so incoherent in inquest was opened on the body of the gir whole talk that I could not make out who died last week. Became to see mean the shat he wanted to say or what he wanted me forenoon of that day and spoke then in the todo. He would say a few words on one moat incoherent way out the inquest and a. subject and would then stop suddenly and number of other things, about what was begin to talk about something entirely dit about to happen and so 00; so much 0, 80 ent from that on which he had been conyers. incoherently, that it was really impossible to ing. There was more shown on this particular get at what' he wanted, He was labouring occasion than I believed could have been under great excitement when he left me. caused or brought about by medicine or by Did you notice anything peculiar in bia any stimulants be might have taken, There manner or speech at other times than then? was something more infrequently I have noticed a peculiar the effect of any rity in his manners which it is not very easy to define. He has been very easily excited and So much aid' this fact impro spoke with a great deal of unnecessary excite-on meeting Dr. Jamieson the next day, when ment about everything that had turned up he spoke t me about Mr. Lewis in the way in the course of his life. he has mentioned in his evidence just given, From what you know of him, from your Lagreed with his remarks, when ha called my. own information, and from the whole of the attention to the state of Mr, Lo: intellect, surrouniling circumstances, by what means, id that I believed his (Mr. Lewis') would you say, he came by het ing. That is about all I oan should say that, as to the actual means which he came to his death, there cannot b any doubt whatever; he died of hemorrhage he regarded me as his regular physician, I did from the wound I'bave referred to, the not see him until after 10.30 on the morning cutting of the artery at his wrist, Is that of that day until I was called in to seo him the scope of your questi after hia death.
Yes. There can be no doubt as to that The jurors being asked whether they had There can be no doubt whatever. any questions to Had you seen him that day before you were Mr, Bexserr said:—Tho doctor says he called in and found bim ill?—No, I had not gave Mr, Lewis a prescription that morning, ice the day [have mentioned Tt would be well to know what it wae and that is, the day th rst mortem what it was for, weld and the inquest was Witness,—I gave him n presen opened on the body of the woman named taining chloral, bromide of potassium, and Laurence. a few drops of tincture of digitalis, Did be at al) times no far as you order to be on the safe side I only ordered know, to be in a sane Thad always two doses, to be put up ina small bottle, #0 considered his mauner very peculiar, and that, if he had taken it all, even, it would not saw that he was very easily excited about have done him any harm.' Had he taken the nothing, as I have said; but it was not until tivo doses together he would not have run the day of the inquest, Inst Friday that then into any danger. I do not know, of wh very remarkable; own knowledge, whether ho took a dos first time cons or not.
im on the brink of insanity. So Mr. Bexxert—There was nothing in what much did that thought impress me that I you gave him to have injured him, even if mentioned the matter to Dr. Boone when I he had taken the whole of it? following day. I remarked No, Knowing his condition, I on that occasion what a shaky condition Mr. only gave' him half-ounce bottle, 'That Lewie' intellect seemed to be would have done him no harm, even The Jurors had no questions to ask. taken it all.
The witness bad nothing further to state The jurors had no further qu jons to ask, bearing upon this enquiry, and #0 stood dow: in manager of the Central Dr. Boone:—I am a practising physician io Shanghai, Will you state to the jury what you saw month, On Saturday Int, about half-past of the circumstances at the time of the death 9 o'clock, the hoy from his'room came to me of Mr. Lewis and of the circumstances hein the Reading Room and told me Mr. Lo fore his death, so as to give the jury an was very sick, and also said at the same time idea as to what led to his death?—Ou something about blood. I immediately the morning of the day on which he died turned round to go with the boy to Mr. I received a note from Mr, Reilly saying Lewis' room; and Lasked Mr. Thirkell, who that Mr. Lewis wanted me to waa standing close-by, to go with me, fessionally. At or about 9.30 I saw entered Mr. room together: in bed in his room. He told me he had not found Mr. Lewis struggling floor, slept avy the wight befc He also said that red with blood; his clothes were covered with blood, as was the part of the room where was afraid he was going to lose the use of his war onering very great pain and that he he was lying. Ispoke to him by name but lower limbs, He said be felt as if he could could not get any answer from him. Ho groxunot stand upon them even then, as if he could ed and struggled from one side to another, not use them; and he was exceedingly troubled Ho was lying on the floor, not on the bed, 1 about them, "He was then very such excited,
him and was write much so that, after I got through with could about hia condition, felt him by the arm and' felt his pulse but
were quite cold, I made an and a request to 'Mr 'Thirkell about getting a doctor; he offered immedi-about 10.30 on my way out, and ately to go and bring Dr. Jamieson. I obsaw him again, T found him then in the same served a cut on Mr. Lewis' left wrist, but it excited condition and complaining up to had stopped bleeding save that a few drops then of the same pain, That was all that oozed from it. I bound s handkerchief tightly occurred in my interviews with the deceased, round it. 'There was knife on a table close On the Sunday preceding, I may inform the by the bed, a small pen-knife, one blade of had come out to my house in the which was open. 'The blade' of the knife ud remained there during the day, as was covered with blood ami the Twas in town and be desired to On which was near the bed, ry my returning there I found him in a very much with blood and the floor very much utterances, wandering or so. I thought the blood had come from his mouth. I thought, he had burat a bloudjumping frum one subject to another ina most vessel. This impression was not removed remarkable manner. His manner impressed from any mind until the arrival of the doctor. me so much that I thought it would be unwise Dr. Jamieson, I had bad no idea, until for him to return to town that night. I, T head what the doctor said, that #0 mach therefore, pressed him to stay there and blood could have come from the cut on offered hima bed for the night if he would his wrist, which was we very small that consent to stay. This he did, and I I had given but little attention to it when Drought him into town with me the next accounting for the blood-staine. morning, Ho came to see me on the day the time Dr, Jamiewu arrived, Mr. Lewis
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.