SENT FROM HOSPITAL

Evening Post, Issue 17, 20 July 1936, Page 17

SENT FROM HOSPITAL

DYING MAN IN A CELL

An open verdict was returned recently by a Hammersmith jury at the inquest on Sidney Gordon Cuthbert, 39, of Cranleigh, Surrey, director of two horticultural firms, who was found lying in Lower Sloane Street. Dr. Edwin Smith, the Coroner, had appeal for witnesses who might have seen Mr. Cuthbert leave a public-house after he had attended Chelsea Flower Show as an exhibitor on May 20. He died next day in hospital without regaining consciousness.

The Coroner told the jury that Mr. Cuthbert was, in fact, charged with being under the influence of drink. A police inspector, who thought he was ill, sent him to St. Stephen's Hospital.

Andrew Mackintosh, licensee of the Rose arid Crown, Lower Sloane Street, said that on May 20 in the evening he heard raised voices in argument among several customers.

"Mr. Cuthbert was one of them. A few minutes later he was found on the footway. The two men who had been arguing with him had_ gone out after him. I did not see anyone push or assault him," said Mr. Mackintosh.

The Coroner: Was he drunk? —No, I do not think so. i

Mr. James Burge, for the licensee: There' was no question of his being put out or thrown out of the publichouse?—No.

Stephen Percy Lake, of Prospect Place, New Cross, a salesman, thought that Cuthbert was pushed or received a blow from a man who walked away [afterwards. . • '■

The Coroner: Did he run away?—l

thought he was going to re-enter the public-house to give assistance, but he did not. Ho walked away. FRACTURE OF THE SKULL. ! Dr. Petro, of St. George's Hospital, the hospital from which Mr. Cuthbert was discharged and taken on a stretcher to the police station, where he was placed in a rubber cell, said he considered the possibility of frac-

ture of the skull, but decided that the risk of one was slight.

Mr. G. Stone, for the widow: Had it been properly diagnosed his life might have been saved by an opera-tion?-—I don't think so.

Sir Bernard Spilsbury gave the cause of death as coma due to fracture of the skull and bruising of the brain.

"Had there been an operation it would not have affected the ultimate result," he said. "A single blow or a heavy fall would account for what I found. There was no evidence of bruising such as I would expect if he had been assaulted."

Mr. Stone: In the circumstances of this case would you ' agree that the doctor had no right to discharge the patient at that time and in those circumstances?—l think in all the circumstances it might have been wiser to keep him under observation for a longer time.

Dr. Sandilands, superintendent of St. Stephen's Hospital, said he would not have discharged the man from the hospital himself.

Inspector McDougall said he had taken over thirty statements from people, but had been unable to trace the three men seen with Mr. Cuthbert. There was no evidence that Mr. Cuthbert had been assaulted.

Mr. Stone, who was permitted to address the jury, submitted that Mr. Cuthbert should not have been removed from hospital.

The jury, returning a verdict that death was due' to a fractured skull, caused, by a fall, added that there was insufficient evidence to say whether it was accidental or whether Mr. Cuthbert. was struck by someone.

They expressed the' opinion that Mr. Cuthbert should have been detained in hospital longer.

Sir Samuel Hoare, First Lord of the Admiralty, has appointed Mr. H. V. Markhairii M.C-, to be his principal private secretary, and Mr. R. R. Powell to be" his assistant private secretary. He has also appointed Mr. W. W. 1 Astory M.P., to be his Parliamentary private secretary.