Alonzo Hughes 1837 - 1890

Alonzo Hughes was married to Elizabeth Catchpole, the sister of  our Great Grandmother Margaret Catchpole.

He lived in Marylebone, London. In July 1890 there had been a persistent  nuisance caused by illegal street gambling. Noisy crowds had gathered much to the annoyance of local residents, including Alonzo Hughes, then aged 53. On Sunday afternoon  20th July 1890 a crowd had gathered near Alonzo's house in Huntsworth Terrace. The police arrived to break up the gathering, and they arrested four boys. Alonzo came out and said he would accompany the police to the station and be a witness against the gamblers.

The crowd followed the arrested boys and a woman called Charlotte Thompson hit Alonzo on the head from behind. Alonzo fell and hit his head, and subsequently died in St Mary's hospital, Marylebone. The post mortem showed that he had suffered a brain haemorrhage. The post mortem revealed that he had decayed arteries and a flabby heart.

Thompson was charged with manslaughter and tried at the Old Bailey. She was found guilty and sentenced to four days imprisonment. The only explanation for such a lenient sentence is that the judge must have felt that Alonzo was in some way to blame for what had happened to him, for interfering when he was not a well man.