DIED IN HIS CELL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1158, 20 June 1911, Page 6

DIED IN HIS CELL.

INQUEST OPENED. POST-MORTEM SHOWS POISON. EVENTS AT THE LOCK-UP. ' ■ Tho City Coroner (Dr. A. M'Arthur, S.M.)' opened : au inquest at the morguo yesterday afternoon regarding the circumstances surrounding tho death of Charles Brown, who died in tho padded cell at tho Lambton Quay Police Station on Sunday evening. It appears that Brown was a labourer, 52 years of age, and a native of Lngland, anil it is understood that he made a will on Saturday bequeathing his monetary possessions to the hospital. Sub-.lnpcc-■tor Sheehan represented the police at the inquest. Traces of Arsenic. Dr. W. Kington Fyft'e, who had made a post-mortem, stated tnat tuere were no marks of violence. Rigor mortis was very marked. There ' was no staining about the mouth. Parts of' the stomacn were intensely inflamed. The intestines wero also iu that state. Witness made three independent tests for poisoning. Ho tried lteinsch's test with copper, and found arsenic; also a weak solution of ammonia added to silver nitrate, and got the reaction for arsenic; lie also added hydrochloric acid lo zinc, plus the contents of the stomach and the gas, which resulted blackened silver nitrate. Daith was caused by syncope, due to a' large dose of arsenic. Sub-Inspector Sheehan: —"What tunc could you state would ho have taken the arsenic?—" Well, 1 can only go by the book, and that says that ten hours is the maximum period from tho lime of taking till the first- symptoms. There was one case of 23 hours, but, there, it was supposed that a dose of morphia stayed the action of the arsenic. 1 could not say at what time tho doso would have been taken." ' ~,,,, Dr. C. Henry, who was called to the Lambton Quay Police Station on Sunday morning about 10 o'clock, stated that deceased was then retching, and had complained of' pains over tho region of the heart. Witness stated that tho retelling was exaggerated, and there were no distinctive features about tho fluid which deceased vomited. He stated that_ he had taken arsenic, but did not say wlien, and there was not sufficient clinical evidence to support his statement. Witness was informed by the police that accused, when arrested on a previous occasion, had complained of feeling ill, and had stated that he had taken poison. Witness administered an emetic, and afterwards a hypodermic injection of morphia, atropine, and strvclinine, and then left. At 7.15 p.m. witness was again called to the police station. Deceased was then lying dead in the cell. . To Sub-Inspecto." Sheehan: Wltnoss did not consider it necessary to send tho patient to the hospital, and had given no instructions to that effect. His symptoms woto those of a ma- at the end of a drinking bout. After treating tho patient; ho - (witness) did not consider that the caso required further immediate medical attention, and gave no special instructions except that "an eye was to bo kept on him." Ho was in the padded cell, and was supplied with all the comfort which should bo provided in the circumstances. Victor William Brown, stepson of deceased, stated thnt he had called at the Mount. Cook Police Station to havo his stepfather removed from outsido his mother's house.. A constable accompanied him back, and' made an arrest. Before witness went to the polico station he had noticed that deceased had a revolver, and ho still ; liad it -when arrested. Witness and his brother (George Brown) went back'to the'police station,-and he (witness) saw deceased searched, and was of onhiion that-he was thoroughly searched. Witness, after drawing out a notebook from his pocket and referring thereto, went on to say that deceased had threatened his (witness's) life on February fi, and had also threatened witness's mother's life on April 12. On tho latter occasion he broke into the house. • Deceased was separated from his wife. On the occasions when lie used the threat deceased was under the influence of liquor. Constable Atkinson stated that, when he arrested deceased, the latter was carrying a revolver loaded in six chambers, andalso l't rounds of ammunition.'and a big sheath knife, besides other property. He was thoroughly searched iu the presenco of the watch-house keeper and tho last witness, and then remoml to the cells. During that time deceased made no mention of poison, and. no threat to injure himself-

"Rather be Dead than Here." Constable Cummings, who was watchhouse keeper at Mount Cook when deceased was brought in, declared that deceased v;as thoroughly searched. Witness produced a property sheet showing deceased's effects. The case was treated as one, of_ drunkenness, and the mail was placed in the cell with other prisoners and given four blankets. Sergeant M'Crorio visited liim at 2.30 a.m., and witness visited him and the other prisoners at 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., and handed him over at 5 a.m. to the next relief. Deceased made no complaint, and 110 application for bail. Constable Bisset, who relieved Constabln Cummings in the Mount Cook Station at 5 a.m. on Sunday, stated that he saw deceased among the other prisoners, and when (at 7 a.m.) deceased, with others, was removed from one cell to another, he was oryine, and said: "I.et me out of here, and I will leave my bank-book as n deposit." _ Witness replied that lie could not let him out until the sergeant came. At. 8 o'clock, deceased was still crying, and witness informed him that the sergeant would be there in half an hour. At 9 a.m. deceased asked Sergeant Rntledge if he could be admitted to bail. The sergeant said: "Wait for a few minutes," and then left, and, before locking the door, witness remarked to deceased: "You might get out in a few minutes if you keep quiet." Deceased replied: "I would rather bo dead than be hero any longer." When, witness returned to the watchhouse, Sergeant Rutledge told him to bring the deceased in. aud lie was taken away in a cab to the Lambton Quay Police Station. At this stage, Sub-Inspector Sheehan intimated that there were still a number of police witnesses to call, and the Coroner therefore adjourned the further hearing to the Magistrate's Court at 2.15 p.m. tomorrow.