John Morris

John Morris was found dead on Holmwood Common.

His body was found wasted practically to a skeleton on 27 December 1929 under a rough shelter of sticks and bracken covered with fallen leaves. He was fully clothed and had newspaper wrapped around his feet dated 22 June 1929.

A doctor said that there was practically no flesh on his bones and that he was unable to determine the cause of death. No obvious marks of violence were found.

He was a commercial clerk and had boarded at a house on Richmond Terrace, Clapham Road, London SW8. She said that she last saw him leave her house on 22 May1929 and didn't see him again. She said that she later reported his disappearance to the police and produced his Army papers and bank passport which stated his name as being Leonard Arthur Morris.

The Coroner noted that his passbook was made up to 31 December 1928 and that it had a balance of £15, 11s.

The landlady said that John Morris had spoken to her about a daughter and a sister but when she suggested that he should write to them he had told her 'No, they are all dead to me. If anything happens to me, let the parish bury me'.

A man from Fentiman Road, Clapham Road said that John Morris had been demobilised shortly after the armistice and had gone to work as a clerk in the War Office. He said that he was then discharged on the reduction of the establishment but that he understood that he had money and had an allowance of £60 a quarter from a brother in Barcelona.

A verdict of found dead was returned.