| Surname: | Sandell |
| Initials: | C |
| Rank: | Sergeant |
| Army Number: | 156 |
| Notes: | MFP. He enlisted in the Rifle Brigade, Army Reserve and Rifle Brigade. Served in India 3.3 years, born Kidderminster, Worcestershire, occupation Carpenter. 2/10/98 discharged at Dover, age, 42, conduct exemplary, home address 182 Clarendon Place, Dover. Charles Sandell. He has the same No. as Sgt W Widdicombe MMP. Extract from Nottingham Evening Post, 28/9/1894. Sentences by Courts-Martial. The following sentenced of Courts-martial was promulgated at Chatham yesterday:- Corporal John Phillips, Royal Warwickshire Regiment to 84 days for being drunk whilst in charge of a picket and striking Sergeant Sandell, of the Military Foot Police. Extract from the Dover Express 9 July 1905. ANOTHER CASE OF REVOLVER SHOOTING. On Wednesday afternoon, just before five a man going into one of the compartment of the Granville Gardens lavatory, found a man bleeding from a serious gunshot wound in the head. he at once called assistance and a doctor and the police were went for. The man was still alive, but was evidently fatally wounded, the bullet having travelled right through the brain. After the doctor had applied a temporary dressing, the injured man was removed to the hospital, where he died soon after admission. It was then found that he was an ex-military policeman named Charles Sandell and employed as a messenger at the Castle. For some time he had been in very bad health and was very depressed on Wednesday morning, the doctor stating that he could no nothing more for him and that he must go away for a change, arrangements, in fact, had been made for hi to go to-day to Herne Bay. The inquest was held at the Town Hall yesterday afternoon, by the Borough Coroner, Sydenham Payn, Esq. The evidence pointed to suicide, although it was curious that here was no information as to how the deceased obtained the revolver and also the doctor could not say positively that the wound was self inflicted. Mr. A. Wright was the foreman of the jury and the following was the evidence given. Mrs. Emily Pursey, 14, Kitchener Road, said the body at the Mortuary was that of Charles Sandell. She knew him well, but was no relation. he was 48 years of age and was a messenger at the Castle. he was a pensioner of the Military Foot Police. He had left it seven years. She saw him yesterday come out of his house. Mrs. Sandell said that he was going to the doctor. The Coroner said he had called this witness to identify the body in order to save the widow having to go. Mrs. Ellen Sandell, 11, Kitchener Road, said The deceased is my husband, I last saw him alive about half past two yesterday. He said "I will go out and see if I can work this off." He was in great pain in his stomach. He had been to see Dr. Best earlier in the day. When he came home he seemed very much depressed. I asked him what the doctor could do for him and he said the doctor could do no more, and that he could only go away. That seemed to upset him. He was going away to-morrow to a Convalescent Home at Herne Bay. He first suffered from lumbago and then from nervous dyspepsia. he has been ill for twelve months. He had a fall backwards whilst in the Castle and injured his back and he has always complained of it since. I did not know that he had firearms in the house. I never suspected that he would do anything to himself. We were comfortably off and he was not worried by anything but his health. Alfred Figg, cellarman to Mr. George Mowll, wine merchant, said: I am working at the Granville Restaurant and yesterday, about 25 to 5, I went to the lavatory. On opening the furthest door by putting a penny in the slot, the register showing vacant, the penny jammed showing that there were two in and I pushed the door and almost fell in. I saw the deceased sitting inside fully dressed and bespattered with blood. I went close to him and saw that there was a slight movement of the throat. I came out at once, closed the door, ran to the Sea Front, spoke to Mr. Cole and Mr. Betts and asked them to come to the lavatory, as I thought some man had shot himself. They at once came. Cole went for a policeman, I went for the doctor and Betts went down to the deceased. Acting Sergeant Hughes, who came, sent me for the ambulance and the deceased was removed to the Hospital. In reply to Mr. Easby, witness said that the door could not have been properly shut. William Cole, a boatman, said: About 10 minutes to five I was sitting on the Parade opposite the Granville Re3staurant, when Mr. Figg ran across and called us. We had not hears any report. We went to the lavatory. The door was then closed. Mr. Figg opened it with a penny and I saw the deceased lying over o his side, with his head against the wall, bleeding from a wound. Figg ran for a doctor and I went for Acting Sergeant Hughes. There was a revolver lying between him and the seat, on the floor. The wound was in the right temple, and the blood was running down his face. The doctor came and bound the wound up and the deceased was then put on the ambulance. He never spoke whilst we were there. The Foreman said ti was a curious thing if he had the revolver that his wife should not have known of it. An acquaintance of the deceased in Court said that it had never been in the deceased possession. he had the only revolver the deceased every had. Acting Sergeant Hughes said: At five o'clock yesterday I was called to the Granville Gardens lavatory. I found the deceased sitting on the seat with his head against the wall and being attended by Dr. Richardson. Seeing the nature of the case I at once sent for the ambulance. I assisted Dr. Richardson in binding up the head and then searched the lavatory No.4. Under the seat I found the revolver produced. It smelt as it it had been recently fired, and was loaded in five chambers. The man was still alive and on the arrival of the ambulance I removed him as quickly as possible to the Hospital. He was attended there by the House Surgeon, for 20 to 25 minutes and then died. I searched the body and found 7/4 and an envelope addressed to the deceased. A man in Court said that was the envelope of a letter he had written the deceased from Gravesend. Witness, continuing, said that on unloading the revolver he found one chamber discharged, and four loaded. He had made enquiries, but could not trace the revolver. It was a cheap Belgian self-extractor. No other cartridges were found. Inspector Fox said that was also the case in a similar case of suicide they had recently. Dr. Enver Todd, House Surgeon at the Hospital, said: i saw the deceased soon after he was brought in. i examined him and found that he had a bullet wound on the right side of his head, a trifle above th ear. on the left side of the head, just above the ear, there was a swelling about the size of a small egg. His eyes were prominent and discoloured with hemorrhage. There was also blood running from his mouth. From the state of his clothes it was apparent that he had lost a great deal of blood. he was quite unconscious and remained so till he died soon afterwards. The gunshot injury to the head as the cause of death. The bullet seems to have travelled slightly downwards and slightly forwards. It might have been self-inflicted. The bullet had apparently travelled right through the head, and been stopped by the bone on the further side of the head. In reply to Mr. Easby, the doctor said that the hair was black and he could not say whether there was any blackening or charring. He did not think it could have been held very close. The cartridges were produced and one of them showed that it had been struck without being fired. The Coroner, in summing up, said the thought that there was not the slightest doubt that the wound was self-inflicted and if they found that was so, they would haver to consider whether the might have been examining a new revolver and it went off unexpectedly, or whether he discharged it himself. If they found that it was to discharged, they would have to consider the state of the man's mind, of which they had evidence before them. The jury at once returned a verdict that the deceased committed suicide whilst temporarily insane. |