KILLED IN A STREET BRAWL. THE INQUEST. WHO STRUCK THE FATAL BLOW!

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 147, 19 December 1905, Page 2

KILLED IN A STREET BRAWL. THE INQUEST. WHO STRUCK THE FATAL BLOW!

The inquest on the body of the young man Basil Graham, who was killed in a street row in Cuba-street on Saturday night, was continued after we went to press yesterday. Robert Scotley, wharf labourer, said he knew deceased, and was in his company on Saturday evening from about 7 o'clock. Harvey was also with them. About 9 o'clock they were in the Royal Oak Hotel, and afterwards walked down Cuba-street. Witness heard someone say "Good night, Adolphus," and Graham turned and walked back to some four or five young fellows who. were standing at the corner. Harvey also walked back, and witness heard Graham say something about the men "getting to" him. It' was arranged that Harvey should fight one of the men, and they went towards Taranaki-place for that purpose. Harvey and witness went in front, and when near the Royal Oak corner Harvey said "They're at it." As they turned to go back witness saw Graham falling. He did nob see any one strike him. Graham got up" again, and a constable told them to move on. Witness got Graham a few yards down Taranakiplace, and then they went into Cubastreet agaiil. A few yards up the street they came on to the same men, and deceased hit one of them, "a little chap," in the face. He was told that the name of the man deceased struck was Cameron. • When Graham struck Cameron, another and bigger man struck Graham, and witness struok the bigger man, who in turn knocked him into the road- He did not know that man. When witness got on to his feet he saw Graham lying on the footpath ; Harvey was trying to pick him up. Graham was unable to walk, and a constable took him away, down the road. Some of the bystanders assisted the constable to get him along. Graham wab under the influence of drink ; "he was not sober and he was not drunk." ,He was sure- Harvey would not have injured Graham. He could not say who it was struck Graham. Claude Harold Chant, a dairyman, living at Mom-street, said he was standing outside the Royal Oak Hotel about nine o'clock on Saturday evening in company with Arthur Connor, Arthur Osborne, Dennis Sullivan, and John Cameron. They were all milk-cart drivers, and all but Cameron were sober. He did not know Graham or the two men who were with him before that night: The three came out of the hotel, and Cameron left him end his other friends and went over to them. Witness followed them up, and heard them talking about fighting. Harvey said something about taking two of them on, and Cameron picked out Osborne and himself. At the cornor of Taranaki- ' place ho saw Graham make a rush, at Cameron, and they both fell._ Witness picked Cameron up and took him away up the street a little way. A few others came up, and witness left Cameron with them and joined in the crowd. Later he went back to Cameron and they started up Cuba-street. Graham came up to them and after a few words hit Cameron in the face. Witness rushed at Cameron and took him out of the' crowd and saw no more of Graham till he was in the hands of the police. He saw no one strike Cameron after he had struck Cameron. Graham was under the influence of liquor. While going up Cuba-street Cameron complained that he had been struck with a bottle in the scuffle at the Royal Oak. Graham denied that he used a bottle on him. Witness saw a bottle fall wlien Graham rushed at Cameron. , John Cameron, living in Taranaki-place, said he did not know Graham previous to this affair. Witness saw him come out of the hotel, and one of the party said, "Good night, Adolphus." That seemed to anger Graham, and the young man who was with Graham said "You had better come round the corner." They all moved away , and deceased made a hit at him. He thought, the blow was with a bottle, and his eye was struck. The bottle then fell. . As Graham came forward he came against witness and they both fell, Graham being on top of him. Chant picked witness up, and they went up Cuba-streeb together, the others following on behind. When he got near Pearce's boot shop Graham came up and hit him behind the ear. He did not hit Graham back. Chant got hold of his arm and took him away. Just afterwards Chant said, "They're taking him away," and he saw Graham being taken away by a policeman and another man. He saw no one 6triko Graham, nor did he see Graham lying on the footpath. Arthur John Connor, Clyde-quay, and a member of the party with Cameron, said that after Graham had struck Cameron some one (he did not know who) struck Graham, and Scotley then struck the stranger. The crowd closed in, and be next saw Graham being carried away. James Donaldson, a looker-on at the disturbance, also stated that after Graham struck Cameron another man, unknown, Graham, apparently on the right side of the neck. A few seconds afterwards he saw Graham lying on the footpath, and witness helped the police to take him to the station. He was uncpnscious when they picked him up. Alexander Walker gave similar evidence. Constable Townsend, who took Graham to the police station, said his heart was beating whon they got him there. A doctor was sent for at once, and he pronounced life to be extinct. Artificial respiration was resorted to before the doctor arrived. Leslie Harvey stated that when he found there was going to be a fight he said lie would fight instead of Graham, "who had a few drinks in him." Wlien going towards Taranaki-placo Cameron struck Graham on the face, and Graham then struck him. The police moved them on, and further up Cuba-street Graham struck Cameron. Some one immediately stepped from out of the crowd and struck Graham. Ho would know the man if ho enw him again. Scotley struck the stranger, 'who knocked him (Scotley) into the road, and then gave Graham a second blow behind the ear. Graham then staggored on to tho footpath and fell. Witness had seen the man who struck Graham before on several occasions, but had no idea who he was. He was a- labourer of some sort. The jury found that Graham died from «, Dlow or from a fall resulting from a blow given by some person unknown.