MAN KILLED IN A STREET BRAWL.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 142, 18 December 1905, Page 8

MAN KILLED IN A STREET BRAWL.

In Cuba^street on Saturday night about 10 o'clock a brawl occurred resulting in the deavh of Basil Grahom, 24 years of age, who followed the occupation of a fruit hawker. A constable noticed deceased .-md several men scuffling at the corner of Ta-ranaki-place and Ghnznee-street shortly before ten o'clock: He' quelled the fiisturbnee. and the men walked away. Whtn opposite Pearce's boot shop they had an altercation which ended in a,' free fight, Graham falling on the footpath. A constable and several bystanders lifted him up and, finding him in a serious condition, carried him to the Manners-street police station. Dr. Gilmer was called in, and after examining the body found life to be extinct. Deceased is said to be a single man who resided at the Central Coffee Palace in Lower Cuba-street. j THE INQUEST. An" inquest on the body was held at the Morgue this afternoon, before .Mr. J. Ashcroft, District Coroner. Sub-In-spector O'Donovan represented the police. Mrs. Graham, mother- of the deceased, Malcolm Basil Hay Graham, said he was 21 years of age ; he was a fruit hawker. She had never known him to be of intemperate habits. She did not like the company that he had got among.' She heard that he had some words with a young fellow ; but she also heard that they had made it up. Her son had told her that certain men used to follow him up and annoy him. About four years ago he was in a trance for about two hours. A young man, whose n«me, she, thought, was Harvey, told her that her son had fallen on to the back of his head, and he thought had been taken to the hospital. Harvey and her son were working for themselves. Dr. Gilmer said he was called into the Manners-street Police Station a few minutes after 10 o'clock on Saturday night. He found Graham there ; he was already dead. There were no marks of violence. A post-mortem examination showed that all the organs were healthy, except that the heart was, s>lightly enlarged, though not sufficiently so to account for death. He found the brain to be markedly congested, and there was a clot in the lower part. That undoubtedly had caused sudden death. There was no external evidence of a blow. The clot was probably caused by a fall. It was on record that violent blows had been witnessed, and yet no external evidence was found. In case of sudden death occurring, the external evidence of the blow would be less likely to be seen. It was possible that a blow on the jaw would have caused the clot without leaving any mark. The most probable, cause was that the man fell by some means, and his head struck the kerb. (Left sitting.)

During the month of November the arrivals jn the colony numbered 3510, and the departures 1298. In November, 1904, the arrivals wore 3677 and the departures 1193. The annual picnic of the tramway employees will be held at the Railway Recreation Ground, Upper Hutt, on Christmas Day. Arrangements have been made for a pleasant day's outing. Tho Master of the Ohiro Home acknowledges with tluinks further contributions towards the Christmas cheer at the Home as follows: — Messrs. Fielder and Co,, ! £1; Duthjo and Co., Ballinger and Co., Thompson Bros, and Co., the Wellington Gas Co., £1 Is each; Mossis. Barber and Co., £2 2s. Messrs. Harcourt and Co. will hold a eaio of furniture at No. 12, Pipitua-street, i Jojoorrow .at 1 p.m. . .