SUICIDE IN CELL

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 82, 31 December 1928, Page 16

SUICIDE IN CELL

PRISONER HANGS HIMSELF EVIDENCE AT INQUEST An inquest was held in the Magistrate's Court on Saturday morning, to inquire into the circumstances leadiug up to the death of Thomas Pauling, a labourer, aged 34, who was found hanging in a cell in the Mount Crawford Prison, in the early hours of a recent morning. The Coroner was Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., and Sergeant Pender conducted proceedings. Charles Montrose Jenkins, a taxi driver, said that he last saw deceased alive on December 23. He had been drinking, but not to excess. Deceased was never the worse for liquor. Constable S. J. Lush stated that at 6.45 p.m. on December 24, he saw deceased in Lambton Quay. Deceased told him that he had been drinking heavily for the last fortnight, and declared that if witness did not lock him up he would commit suicide. Witness took Ijim to the Central Police Station, and charged him with helpless drunkenness. Next morning, when witness took hini some breakfast, deceased asked if be could get some poison. Deceased was brought before the Court on December 26, and remanded for medical observation.

John Down, Superintendent of the Mt. Crawford Prison, said that he was present at the prison when ■ deceased was admitted. Deceased appeared quite rational; he showed no indications of committing suicide. Deceased was visited through the night by the night-watch from time to time. He was in a regulation cell. Witness had received no instructions about any suicidal tendencies on the part of deceased, and accordingly treated him in the ordinary way. Deceased was to have appeared before the Court on Friday morning. Robert Scollay, a night-watch officer at the prison, said that on December 27 he went on duty at 11 p.m. He commenced his round of inspection of the cells, and completed it at <11.30 p.m., all being in order. Deceased was in bed when witness passed his cell, and appeared to be asleep. After that, witness passed the cell every half hour, everything being quiet. At 1.45 a.m., he turned on the light in deceased's cell, and discovered that deceased was not in his bed. but wa.4 hanging from a window bar by means of a strip of blanket, placed around his neck. Assistance was called, and deceased taken down. He was then quite dead. Deceased’s feet were five or six inches from the floor. ness had no reason to believe that deceased intended committing suicide. Joseph Edwards, Orderly Officer at the prison, said that at 6.50 p.m. he spoke to deceased, who appeared quite rational. At 8 p.m. deceased was in bed, and asleep. At no time did he show any suicidal tendency. The finding was to the effect that deceased committed suicide between 11.30 p.m. on December 27, and 1.45 a.m. on December 28, by hanging himself in a cell in the Mt. Crawford Prison, no blame being attachable to any officer.