James Owen

James Owen was found collapsed in the dock area in Deptford.

He died from a fractured skull.

His wife said that she suspected that he had been punched about after she saw him unconscious in Bermondsey Infirmary.

At the time there had been strikes going on.

It was heard that James Owen had been out of work for some time, but that he had just got a job at the Surrey Commercial Docks the previous Wednesday. He was said to have left home for work on the Monday morning in good health but was later found in the dock.

His wife said that James Owen had never told him that he had been threatened or assaulted by strikers.

A woman that lived in Evelyn Street, Deptford said that she had been standing near her home on the Monday evening when she saw James Owen crossing the road and about to light his pipe when he collapsed and fell over backwards. She said that James Owen had been quite alone when he had fallen and that no one had touched him or interfered with him in any way.

Another woman who also saw him fall said that there had been no one near him when he did so.

A policeman that arrived at the scene soon after said that when he arrived there was no hostile crowd and so no charge of foul play was then made.

An open verdict was returned with death stated as being due to a fracture of the skull, but that there was insufficient evidence to show how his injuries had been caused.