THE SUDDEN DEATH OF A CANADIAN AT MIDDLESBROUGH.
An inquest was held yesterday at the Royal Hotel, Middlesbrough, by Mr H. Mackereth, deputy coroner, on the body of Patrick Calligan (26), a Canadian Volunteer on sick furlough from the front, who died suddenly at 6, Imeson-terrace, Middlesbrough. - Mrs Farrell, wife of Patrick Farrell, dock labourer, said she lived in Woodhouse-terrace, Middlesbrough, and the deceased, who was a plater's helper, was her brother. He left Middlesbrough about nine years ago for Canada, and when the war broke out in South Africa he joined the Canadian Volunteer contingent. He returned to England two months ago on sick furlough, and came to her house. On Tuesday week he left her house to go and see another sister, living at Hartlepool, and she did not see him again alive. - Robert James McLauchlan, pilot, living at 6, Imeson-terrace, said he met the deceased on Wednesday night, in the Morning Star Hotel. They got into conversation, which became very interesting to witness, as he had a brother at the front. Witness asked him where he was living, and deceased said he had nowhere to go to that night. Witness invited him to his parents' house, and deceased accepted the invitation. Witness gave up his bedroom to him, and on leaving the deceased appeared all right. Witness turned off the gas and bade him good-night. Next morning, about nine, witness went to his bedroom to ask him down to breakfast. He found the deceased lying on his stomach behind the door, and in a shocking state, having been very sick and purged. The gas was turned on, and the room was full of gas. Witness bathed his head with water and tried to bring him round, but deceased remained semi-conscious and witness went for a doctor. Most of the doctors he called on had gone on their rounds, and about three hours after Dr. Hedley called, but the deceased was then dead. - Dr. Hedley said he made a post-mortem examination of the body, along with Dr. Dingle. He was inclined at first to believe that deceased had died from gas-poisoning, but the post-mortem examination revealed the fact that deceased had had dysentery in a bad form some little time ago, and that inflammation had lately supervened and caused probably bursting of the bowels. This would have caused death eventually under any circumstances, but the gas poisoning had contributed to his death. - A verdict in accordance with the doctor's evidence was returned.
North-Eastern Daily Gazette, Saturday 8th September 1900
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A Useful Warning.
Soldiers from the front on sick furlough, especially those who are recovering from the effects of an attack of dysentery, would do well to act on the advice of Dr. Hedley, of Middlesbrough, and abstain from spirituous liquors. Such patients, he remarked at an inquest on Friday night, are apt to take nips of whiskey or nips of brandy when seized with a spasm or sharp pain, because it relieves and comforts them at the time, but it only aggravates matters by producing and increasing inflammation of the bowels, which will in the end burst and cause death. This had evidently happened in the case of Patrick Calligan, the Canadian Volunteer invalided from the front, and who was visiting relatives at Middlesbrough. During the two months he had been there he had made a host of friends, who had treated him with drink and otherwise entertained him, with the consequences which Dr. Hedley pointed out must always follow in such cases.
The Yorkshire Herald, Monday 10th September 1900
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BURIAL OF A CANADIAN VOLUNTEER.
On Monday the late Patrick Calligan, a Canadian Volunteer, (the particulars of whose singular death were reported the other day) was interred at the Roman Catholic Burial Ground, North Ormesby (near Middlesbrough) with military honours. The 1st V.B.D.L.I.'s band took part, and the firing party was also represented from that source. The other local corps were also represented, and about twenty men who had recently returned from the front also accompanied the cortege.
The Yorkshire Herald, Saturday 15th September 1900
