Joseph Allen

Joseph Allen was found unconscious in a stable behind the Cross Key Inn on the morning of 15 November 1905 and was taken to Brackley Workhouse where he later died.

He was a labourer and had been out the previous night with some companions, but no evidence was found to suggest how he got into the stable or what happened to him after he left his companions.

He was found by the landlord of the Cross Key Inn in an unconscious state in the morning. The landlord said that he had not been to the stable at all on the previous day as it was not in use.

A barber from Brackley said that he and Joseph Allen had gone to Banbury on the Tuesday afternoon with Brackley football team on the L and NW Railway and had returned later that evening by the same train.

He said that he, Joseph Allen and another man played 'nap' on the train back but that there was a disagreement between Joseph Allen and the other man about 4d that Joseph Allen said that the other man had owed him. He said that when they got out at Brackley Joseph Allen and the other man were still arguing about it and that Joseph Allen put up his fists and threatened the other man but then walked on.

He said that the next thing that he knew was that the other man went after Joseph Allen and knocked him down.

He said that he could not tell whether the blow was with a clenched fist or not.

He said that Joseph Allen then threatened the man and said, 'Come on you bloomer' and that the other man and another man then helped Joseph Allen up who then went and sat on the stone kerbing outside Storer's public house before going in with the others.

The other man that had helped Joseph Allen get up said that he saw Joseph Allen on the ground but didn't see any blow struck. He said that he said to the other man that had struck Joseph Allen, 'What's up?' and that the man had replied, 'Joes's down, and I'm sorry'. At the inquest, he said that he was unaware that he had given a statement to the police stating, 'Joe's down and I'm sorry I did it'. He added that the man that had struck Joseph Allen might have said that, but that he didn't remember.

He added that when they went into Storer's public house that the landlady refused to serve Joseph Allen drink as he had already had plenty of drink.

When the man that struck Joseph Allen gave evidence at the inquest, after being cautioned by the coroner to the effect that he didn't have to, he said that Joseph Allen had threatened him and had struck at him and that in order to keep him away that he had pushed him with his hand and he had fallen over. He added that he had had no intention of hurting Joseph Allen and said that he had been sorry when he had seen Joseph Allen fall over.

A doctor that saw Joseph Allen on the Wednesday evening said that Joseph Allen was unconscious and that when he examined him he found that he had an abrasion on the left side of his lower jaw below his mouth that was covered with dry blood and found that he had slight bleeding from his teeth and gums on the lower jaw on the same side.  The docor said that Joseph Allen also had a small scalp wound on the back of his head that was covered with a small scab of dried blood which was so slight that it had not required dressing.

He added that Joseph Allen also had two bruises, one on each leg but that the marks were all slight.

He said that his breath smelt strongly of drink and that he was partially unconscious.

The doctor said that the abrasions were fairly recent, only a day or two old.

He said that Joseph Allen's condition after being admitted his condition improved and that he became more conscious, but at on the day he died, Monday, that he fell unconscious again and became paralysed on his right side, a state that he remained in for the next seven and a half hours until he died.

The doctor said that he carried out Joseph Allen's post-mortem the following day and found that the front of the base of his brain was extensively lacerated and that there had been a good deal of internal bleeding.

He said that most of the bleeding was recent, having occurred shortly before his death, but that some of the blood clot was pale, showing that it had existed for some days.

The doctor added that Joseph Allen had an enormous liver that showed signs of chronic inflammation and fatty degeneration. He said that his kidneys were also diseased and that he had chronic Bright's disease. He said that Joseph Allen's heart was surrounded by fat and that its walls were softer than usual. He added that Joseph Allen also had a large ulcer on the left side of his tongue that looked as though it had been caused by his teeth.

He concluded that his death was not due to natural causes, but due instead to a blow or a fall or both.

He added that none of the other conditions that Joseph Allen had been suffering from would have caused his death.

He added that he thought that Joseph Allen could have fallen down several times between the time the earlier blow was struck and when he was found.

The jury then returned an open verdict, stating that Joseph Allen's death was the result of a blow on the head, but that there was insufficient evidence to show what gave the blow'.