William Hayman

William Hayman died from a fractured skull.

He was a detailer and had lived at 19 Red Bank in Chorley.

On the Saturday night he had gone out with two friends, a blacksmith and a drawer, to a number of pubs.

The blacksmith said that he left his companions at about 10.30pm and the drawer said that he left William Hayman at about 10.50pm at the Clarence Hotel in Cleveland Street, saying that by that time he had had a considerable quantity to drink. He said that they parted on friendly terms and that none of them had had any quarrel that evening.

However, William Hayman was later found lying in the middle of Brunswick Street at about 11.45pm, bleeding from a wound to his forehead and was taken to the police station where he was laid down in front of the fire for a short time before being put into one of the cells.  He was seen several times during the night and then later bailed out between 9am and 10am.

Several doctors had been requested to look at William Hayman but for several reasons had declined. However, a doctor was called out on the Monday morning and he ordered William Hayman to be removed to the Rawcliffe Hospital.

When William Hayman's mother asked him on the Sunday when he was at home who had 'agate of him', William Hayman had replied, 'I don't know, but someone has. I am kicked black and blue. I can't stir myself. I was drunk and don't remember anything about it'.

He also told a friend that he had been drugged.

When William Hayman was taken to the Rawcliffe Hospital, the skull fracture was not at the time noticeable, but his post-mortem revealed a very extensive fracture of the base of the right side of his skull and the  cause of death was given as haemorrhage.

However, the doctor said that William Hayman could not have been kicked black and blue all over as stated. He also said that if he had been put under the best possible treatment immediately after having received his injury, even then he would not have survived.

The doctor said that he didn't think there had been any foul play and suggested that William Hayman might have run into a bridge.

An open verdict was returned.