PORIRUA TRAGEDY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1253, 9 October 1911, Page 4

PORIRUA TRAGEDY.

SHOCKING EVENT, ONE PATIENT KILLS ANOTHER. THE JUKY'S KIDER. A tragedy of a shocking kind occurred at I'orirua Mental Asylum late on Saturday night, when ono patient lost his life at the hands of another inmate. The deceased was John William Henderson, and his alleged aggressor i'rank Keuail. What happened is sufficiently explained by tko narrative of the- inquost, which was conducted yesterday by Dr. M'Arthur. JJr. ilassell stated in evidence that, at about 11.30 on Saturday night, the night attendant (Mr. James Brown) called him up, and stated that Henderson had been attacked and killed by itenoll. The two patients had been sleeping in No. 3 (lay room. He (witness) proceeded to the room immediately, and found Henderson lying on his back on his mattress, quite dead. Ho was bruised about tho head and body, and blood was apparent at the mouth. The night attendant informed him (Dr. Hasselt) that tho injuries had been inflicted by a chair, which had been partly broken in tho assault. Kcnull showed no mark of injury. When ho was asked why ho had attacked Henderson, ho replied that Henderson had struck him on the face. Kenall then pointed to his cheok for evidence of that, but thero was no mark or injury. Ho suffered from chronic mania, and had been transferred from Mount View Asylum last year. He had been very restless, noisy, and talkative. He was said to suffer irom recurrent attacks of mama, end to be occasionally violent Since, being at Porirua, however, ho had not shown homicidal or dangerous tendencies. Witness and Dr. Jeffries liad held a post-mortem, Tho injuries consisted of extensive hruisings on the right sido of the bead and tho face, The 6kull was not fractured. The tissues in front of the neck wero bruised. The larynx was fractured and otherwise injured. Tho front of tho chest, especially on tho right sido, was very extensively bruised. The second, third, nud fourth ribs were broken, the third in two places. The chest wall had sunk, and them woro other injuries. The cause of death was shock from tho injuries received. James Brown, night attendant, deposed that shortly after U o'clock ho heard a scufflo and went itno tho room as quickly as possible. He saw Itonall kneeling on Henderson and striking him with linth hands, lie at onco 'an over'and asl.ed Kenall what ho was doing. Ronall thereupon jumped into lied, remarking Hi at Henderson had struck him in tho Irco, Ho also stated that Henderson, hod thrown something at him. Henderson was then quite dead. Tho jury returned a verdict that Henderson died from shock caused by injuries inflicted by Itenall while tho latter was in a state of mania. Tho jury added that it was desirous of. drawing tho attention of the Government to tho crowded state of tho hospital j wme of tho day rooms had to bo used as dormitories. Henderson was 44 years of ago and a butcher by trade.