Death from Fright.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 141, 23 July 1872, Page 7

Death from Fright.

An unfortunate and melancholy occurrence took place at Geelong on the Queen's Birthday. A mob of boys and young men had assembled in Eureka-street to celebrate the occasion by fireworks and bonfires. They lighted their fires near, and threw their squibs into, the premises of a man named Barnard, who had the misfortune to be burnt out on a similar demonstration about three years ago. Barnard was in led, it being past nine p.m., and was not in the best of tempers ; so, seizing a stick, he chased two of the offenders, named London and James, into a back yard, where the boys took refuge in a water-closet. Barnard called upon the boys to surrender, or give their names. There being no response, he belaboured the door with his waddy or shillelagh, and \>h le thus engaged, the door being half open, the boy Lundon was struck and his arm broken. James also received some blows. The mother of James, hearing the disturbance, came to see what was the matter. Seeing her son's face covered with blood, and hearing the screams of Lundon, she thought murder was being committed, and fell down in a fit, from the effects of which she never recovered, and died about four hours afterwards. Mrs James was fiftyseven years of age, and the widow of one of the earliest operators in the telegraph department. The coroner held an inquest upon the body, and the jury were of opinion that death arose from apoplexy, induced by excitement, and that no blame whatever was attributable to Barnard.