DIED IN A CELL

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 72, 24 March 1923, Page 12

DIED IN A CELL

DEATH OF ARTHUR SIMMONS.' VKRDICT: SKLF STRAN<U*I..ATION. ' Mr. .1. W. Poynton. S.M., resumed the ini|iiiry vc-tcrtl:iy aftoriuien into the circumstances conncctoil with tlie death of v mini naiiiccl Arthur Kininuiiis. wlm was fniinil dead in the cell at tlie Alirklancl Police station with ;i flannel hnily j licit tic-ci ronml his lliroiit. iinlica; ions ' I pciiiliiio to si,-,insulation. Sergeant i [•'liuinijjan I'onilni'ti'd tho in<|iiiry ami' I Mr. (Yedie wiUclu-d proceedings an' I lichulf of clcccasccrs fumily. Mr. I'orry [ I was present on behalf nf the licensee jof the hotel where ilcc-ensed w»s i ! nm-HU'd. Dr. Tewsh-y stated that 'dcaili wns due to str'aiipilatinn, unit; ' mk'hi have lieen cansml l>y the slni]i |iroclu,-ccl in Court. The' widow of ' , di'i-cuMtl stated thut her linsliaiicl suf- ' ; fi>ri'il sonic years ago from internal j hemorrhage, Durincr the work prior to : : his death, he had n slight ic.-urreii, c of ] tint trouble. Her hu-.li.unl and liiTself 1.-iinii' to Auckland ami st.iyed at an' he:c>!. On the morning of the ilav ijf hi. arrest she urraiij.'l'd with her 'hu->- ; I liilllil to mod her in (.luci'li Si reel ill 1 neon. She kept the appoint inr-iu. Ijti! ' lifr hn-hand did nol. KviiliMiee wiw ),'i\cii by Harold M. l-a,i.- that clecca>eJ Imiijfht a hot tip "I Whisky at the i:iler>lie Hotel. lie iiskivl witness in draw the cork as lie wished to take the bottle with him on the train, as ho was point; to the Waikntu. When deceased left the hotel he did not appear tci he under the intlii- ' eiic-o of li-rjnor. lictween 4..'!0 and .") p.m. Dei-eased came liv.c-k to the holi'l and said he had missed the train. Witness' saw him apain at .">.:{() p.m. Simmons i nulled into tlie front bar in a very e\- : cilcd condition, mid said he would i shout for all the boys. He added. "My : name's Simmons, I'm a pood fellow.'" ] IVi cased put three pounds on the liar.Witness told him to keep i|U!ct. and take his money hack. The man then: olleri'd to titriit unylioily in thp liar, and took off his coat. He also said some- ; body wanted to han.if him. Witness sent for thp police. Witness saw deceased apiin sometime after (i p.m., \ after the bar was dosed. The man was ! removed hv the constable. , Albert Kay. porter at Kllerslie Hotel, said he thought deceased was on the . M'rsre of delirium tremens. Evidence was ; given by Mr. 11. B. Mnosey. resist* ir of electors in Parncll. who depored that he counted a roll of notes that deceased handed to him in the presence of wit- i nesses. It totalled CI 2O. Constable W.I Thompson, of Kllerslie. deposed that he arrrstecl accused at 5.30 p.m. on March -0. and brought him to thp city watch ■ house. Witness sonic-lied him and took . away his braces nnd aNo his hoot hu-es. I The man was placed in a padded cell. ; He had then calmed down considerably. ' . Witness last saw him alive at ten minutes to 7 p.m. The man was then lin charge of the watchhouse keeper. | Constable \V. fi. Wood, wntehhousp keeper on March 20. stated that he visited the eel! at f> p.m. and snw deceased in the padded cell. The cell j was visited every half hour from 0 p.m. | to 4 n.m. Deceased appeared somewhat excited during the night. hut there was -nothinsr in the man's I demeanour to give witness the idea thu ! jhe would attempt to take bis life. Witness saw deceased lvinp; on the floor ! with a Mannel bolt tied round his neck. i Witness at once cut the flannel, ami I artificial respiration was applied, but without avail. Dr. Tewsley arrived in a few minutes and pronounced that life was extinct. Tn answer to Mr. Poynton. i witness said it was unusual to strip , prisoners. Mr. Poynton said the (pies- j ! tion was whether the police had taken [ every care. The regulations were that I prisoners should be visited not less than j every throe hours. In this case the man I was visited every half hour, and -•"• , I minutes before he was found dead had i ! been given a drink of water. Thp man was no doubt a decent cilizen, hut with a weakness for liquor. The verdict was that death was due to strangulation,; j self inflicted. j I i