DEATH IN LIFT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 296, 14 December 1936, Page 8

DEATH IN LIFT.

EX-JOCKEY KILLED.

CITY BUILDING TRAGEDY. DETECTIVES' INQUIRIES. Six detectives are making inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the death of a former well-known jockey, Mr. John Tilslev, aged 42, a married man, of Nelson Avenue, who was found dead in a goods lift in City Chambers, at the corner of Queen and Victoria Streets about 9.15 on Saturday night.

The body was discovered on the floor of the lift by the caretaker of the building, Mr. L. Carr, who communicated with the police. The deceased had been injured about the head and arms. It is believed he had a broken neck.

Although inquiries made by detectives have failed to show exactly how Mr. Tilsley met his death, there is good reason to believe that while ascending in the left, he was jammed between the side of the lift and the plaster wall on the Theatre Lane' side of the building, and then fell back on to the floor of the lift. The lift, of an old type, is operated by pulling a wire rope which extends the whole length of the lift shaft. Mr. Tilsley was in the habit of visiting one of the rooms in the building fairly frequently. Mr. Tilsley was a well-known jockey and rode many winners some years ago, including Te Onga, which won the Great Northern Hurdles in 1914. He had been employed on relief work for the past two years. He was a married man with Ave children, whose ages range from three to 15 years. The inquest was opened by the coroner, Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., this

morning. Detective-Sergeant A. B. Meiklejohn appeared for the police. The only witness called was Robert Tilsley, a brother of the deceased. He stated that he last saw the deceased ten days ago when he was in his usual state of health. Witness gave evidence of identification. ~ The coroner then adjourned the inquest sine die. A post-mortem examination is being carried out by Vi. Walter Gilmour, pathologist at tiic Auckland Hospital.