A Cowes inquest was unable to determine whether the death of the drowned 38-year-old man was accidental or otherwise on 13th September 1924.
The body of the deceased – Charles Walter Morgan – had been found at Salt Mead in Thorness Bay on the Northwest coast of the Isle of Wight.
Coats and hats belonging to the dead man and his wife were found on the beach together with a small amount of cash. A Dr Harthill declared the appearance of the body as being consistent with drowning.
Evidence was provided by Jessie Sloper of Little White House near Porchfield. She told the inquest that she had answered the door at 04:45 in response to a knock and saw Mrs Morgan (wife of the deceased), who asked the way to Cranmore near Yarmouth, where she said she had friends.
Mrs Morgan was very wet and said that her husband was in the sea. She said that she had swam after him, swimming with 1 hand and holding him with the other. She had got as far as the rocks but was unable to go any further.
Ms Sloper took Mrs Morgan indoors and gave her dry clothes and tea.
After being cautioned by the coroner, Mrs Gertrude Magdalene Morgan gave her evidence. She said that her husband had been an accountant in South Africa before returning to England.
Mrs Morgan claimed she had sunstroke very badly, and her memory was not good. She admitted the couple had been in financial difficulties.
The wife of the deceased said they had arrived in Cowes, then travelled by bus to Gurnard. They had decided to walk to Cranmore at her husband’s suggestion. They walked across fields and along the shore to Thorness Bay before sitting down to shelter from the wind.
Her husband – who could only swim a little – walked onto the rocks before calling out for help. She went to him immediately, wading into the water with her clothes on. She swam with him through rough sea as far as a ridge of rocks, but she could not pull him onto the rocks because he was too heavy and described herself as ‘done’.
She was a powerful swimmer, but the tide had been too strong for her.
She felt sure he was dead at this point.
The coroner asked why Mrs Morgan had walked about until 05:00 in the morning before calling for assistance. The witness replied that she was looking for her husband and thought, with the moon up, that she might see his body come in.
The coroner asked Mrs Morgan: “Is your theory that your husband died by accident?” To which she replied: “Most certainly”.
The coroner then probed further, enquiring: “And not by suicide?” to which Mrs Morgan responded by stating:
“Not for a moment. He was not that kind of man. We have been married for 9 years and never had such a thing as a cross word.”
The coroner said that Mrs Morgan’s story was undoubtedly open to double interpretation. He regarded it with some suspicion.
The verdict of the jury was that:
“Charles Walter Morgan was found drowned, but there is insufficient evidence to prove whether it was an accident or otherwise.”
