A WATERSIDE WORKER'S DEATH.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 272, 10 August 1908, Page 11

A WATERSIDE WORKER'S DEATH.

INQUEST AT THE HOSPITAL. vAn .inquest' was held at the Hospital .on Saturday,evening,by Dr. A. M'Arthur, S.M., :.v'9° '-concerning the death of, a wliarf '.*• . !l a b°ur er ;fj al ries Charles Hayes, Talso known a3 '• : : Charles .Woollejy who' fell iiito tile harbour ■ i : hulk Coromandel, which was ..moored outside the dredge; at the Taranaki Street Wharf, on Friday night. • r H?'ry Broun, wharf labourer, stated 'that working on the.coal;hulk Coromandel ". with deceased on Friday night."-' Deceased ' engaged landing baskets of coal, and about H p.m. ho left the stago and came to--waids tho.deck and went forward and leaned, against tho bulwarks on.'the'starboard side. . Witness . saw ',hini there for<some time; .and -then missed -him, but thought ho had gone back-to his work. A little later witness saw a splashing m tlib wator,' and, looking oyer ■, the, side, noticed deceased in tlie'water, and gave the alarm that a,-.man-.-was. overboard'. Two men, Edward Burne and Matthew Tol- , hurst, . over., the, side, and held deceased up until a boat, came to his assist- , anco-and took him ashoro in an unconscious condition: Witness was .under the impression ; that deceased was .a: bit tho worse- for • ' "liquor, but; he had bceit'working since 6 p.m. ; Edivard Burne; wharf labourer, bad known . deceased'for twelve: months. Witness knew hini as: Hayes, and . believed he was a single /' nlari,' 54 years of . ago,-with relatives in" Manchester, England. When witness heard the cry man overboard hp-'knbeked. oif work and clambefcd.-.down. the' side of .the vessel 'and' ■ intothe, water .and .caught hold of the man, • who was- practically oxhausted. When witness could, hoUUhim 110 'longer, Matthew Tolhurst came and gave a " hand and helped to ' ' hold the man until'the hulk's boat came and , took ! hiiri ,ashore. -He was unconscious when lie was put into the boat, but revived under, '" ■ treatment. Deceased ,with aTittld'the .worse '■'.for'ljq'uor-at about 11 p.m. . • ■' . Janet. Duke, with' whom deceased lodged, - stated that she had known deceased for the vj" past eleven as Charles Woolley. This 7 v was; tile name on. a discharge from a' .vessel whichdeceased had shown her, - :■■■' •'. i : Dr. Gilmer detailed-the measures taken to . restore • deceased,.; before sending'*himto ■ the .Hospital,-,and gave-it as his, opinion'that ■ death was caused bv oxposnre awl shock. _ / Dr.!S: E/.i V. iCrown,' assistant medical - ..officer at -the Hospital, /deposed that Hayes was admitted ;to, tho Hospital soon after mid- ■. ; night on Friday; and was in a . semiconscious . condition.- The •usual restorative, measures - wero:taken, but at 5 a.m;:_qn._Saturday the msivbecnme weaker, and, sinking 'gradually, died at' 9/a..m.- r examination showed- tlie'organs of the;body .to,be sound, , There "T/ero no marks Ofviolence on' the i ,- body: - Death was due to'oedema of'the brain,' ' caused by', water-taken intothe. lungs. • . . ;j The jnry returned a verdiet-that deceased • ; cariio by-hls,death by reason of shack and exposure caused'by accidentally falling into tho harbour.'- Messrs. Burne' and Tolhiirst were eonimendd for their action in going into the , water .after Hayes; ■ '