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William John Elliott

Age: unknown

Sex: male

Date: 4 Jun 1910

Place: St Budeaux, Crownhill

William John Elliott died from tetanus after a fight.

Two brothers were tried for his manslaughter, but it was stated that it could not be proved that they had caused the tetanus that had killed him.

The two men had lived with their mother near to William Elliott and their families had been on friendly terms until the beginning of May 1910 when some unpleasantness arose in consequence of something that one of the brothers tried had said.

William Elliott became annoyed and there was later a quarrel in the lane at the back of William Elliott's house when William Elliott met the two men who were walking along. They had words and blows were exchanged, after which William Elliott went back into his house with his face covered in blood.

A doctor attended to his wounds, but he died ten days later after tetanus supervened.

After the fight, one of the brothers that had attacked William Elliott expressed his regret and said that he would pay all expenses as it was he that had struck the blow, saying that his brother had done nothing.

As such, the judge directed the jury to find the other brother not guilty and he was discharged.

The doctor then gave evidence stating that he had anticipated no danger from the wound that he had found over William Elliott's eye but said that the post-mortem examination revealed a fracture of the frontal bone that could not have been discovered except by post-mortem. He said that the cause of the injury was probably a fall but said that William Elliott's cause of death was tetanus.

The judge then said that there was no case against the brother and he was discharged.

see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

see Western Morning News - Friday 28 October 1910