THE THAMES HOTEL FATALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 210, 4 September 1900, Page 5

THE THAMES HOTEL FATALITY.

THE INQUEST,

An Inquest touching the death of Jeremiah Harrington, who died as the result of a fall from the top storey of the Thames Hotel on Sunday morning, was held before Dr. McArthur (Coroner) at the Hospital yesterday. Sergeant Gordon represented the police.

Henry Luks, son of the proprietress of the Thames Hotel, deposed that deceased and three comrades occupied room No. 23 on the top storey on Saturday night. Deceased came to the hotel about a quarter past eleven. One of the party asked: "Can we have a drink?"} They then wont and had a drink, and went up to their room at 11.30. Deceased and party had only one drink, and deceased was perfectly sober,' both when he came In and when he went to bed. At ten minutes to four on Sunday morning witness was lying in the commercial room on the second floor under No. 23. Witness heard. a window go up and immediately afterwards he saw something pass the windows of the commercial room. Witness ran to the window and saw a body lying on the footpath underneath. He sent for Dr. King, and the man was conveyed to the Hospital.

Dr. F. W. King deposed to being called on Sunday morning about 4 a,m. to the Thames Hotel. He found deceased unconscious. There was a great effusion'of blood ' over the right frontal bone, his nose was broken, and had evidently been bleeding severely. He could move his limbs. He. became conscious during1 his removal in the ambulance and tried to get up. On reaching- the Hospital witness handed him over to Dr. .Bett. The lower part of the upper sash of the window from which deceased' fell was about 24ft 2in from the ground, and the width of the sill, architrave and thickness of the wall was about 2ft, so that he could not have fallen out of the window; he must have stooped to get ouA. He did not think that deceased was drunk, nor did he think that he deliberately cast himself out of the window. He was probably looking for the lavatory. Dr. Douglas Bett, resident surgeon at the Auckland Hospital, deposed that deceased was admitted at twenty minutes past five on Sunday morning. He was conscious but dazed, and suffering from shock. He was also suffering from internal injuries in addition to the injuries to his head. Ho died about a quarter past six. Death was due to shock from internal injuries, and general shock to the system* due to the fall. He must have struck something in falling. Witness was of opinion that deceased was not drunk at the time of the accident. Constable John Morris also gave evidence. The telephone wire near the window was broken, as if deceased had struck it in falling. The party of sailors were quiet and sober.., r Frederick Moss, stoker, of H.M.s. Porpoise, Frederick Collins, and George Henry Pitt, A.B.s of the same vessel, deposed to being deceased's companions at the Thames Hotel on Saturday night. Deceased was perfectly aober They could throw no light on the accident After a short deliberation the jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death.'