PADDED CELL TRAGEDY

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 162, 27 March 1923, Page 6

PADDED CELL TRAGEDY

A MAN CHOKES HIMSELF

How a suspected lunatic took his life while an inmate of a padded cell was related to the Coroner (Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M.) yesterday at tho inquest concerning the death of a married man named William Henry Madderin. > Senior-Sergeant Lander appeared for the police. The medical testimony was to the effect that death resulted from asphyxiation. Frank Ward Ansell, with whom the deceased had resided in Mulgrave Street, informed, the Court that early on Sunday morning his companion had awakened him to venture the knowledge that an earthquake had just occurred. The deceased then became somewhat noisy, and when witness essayed to dress him the man cried out: “These are not my clothes; they are covered with blood!” Constable Webb deposed to arresting Madderin in Mulgrave Street, in the early hours of Sunday morning. “He was talking in a wild and irrational way,” added witness, “and was clearly out of his mind.” Constable Brown stated that after a charge of being mentally defective had been preferred against the man at the watchhouse, he was searched and placed in the padded cell. His behaviour was bv no means violent, but he kept shrinking away as if being pursued, and appeared to be in a- state of terror. The deceased refused food, and declared that he had not eaten for days. Several visits were made to the cell during tho morning, but when witness was making his final round at 1 p.m.. he observed the deceased lying on the floor ■with the corner of his jacket jammed tightly down his throat. Until the arrival of Dr. Cowan artificial respiration was applied, but without avail. A verd'et was returned that the deceased died by choking himself while temporarily insane.