DEATH IN GAOL.

Evening Star, Issue 15074, 4 January 1913, Page 2

DEATH IN GAOL.

An inquest was held at Wellington restercay m regard to tho death of Michael Malone. lie was arrested on the wharf for drunkenness on December 30, was bailed out. and was rearrested in the same pl.i o for a similar offence on December 31. Ho was remanded on New Year's Dav f.>r curative treatment, and on the foliowii;g day lie died.

Dr Fyffe_ said at the inquest: "My honest opinion is that the- man was done to death." It was an absolutely unlit ca?e to be treated at the gaol, and the hospital would not receive such patients. Witness detailed the deceased's condition as revealed by the post mortem. He wr.s mra-ked in some 12 or 13 nlaces. Titer3 was a fracture of the s.kull three inches and a-haH long. The cause of death was compression of the brain from hemorrhage, due to tho fracture of the skull, and to a rupture of the middle meningeal artery in a patient suffering from delirium tremens. Witness did not think the injuries couid have been caused by the falling about of a. j drunken man. He" thought the man had I been knocked about. From the fracture it appeared to him that the deceased had. been either kicked or had received a blow from a heavy instrument. Constable Greggan stated that when ho arrested the deceased on December 50 deceased was very drunk, and was bleeding from slight wounds on the right cheek. Witness removed him in a- cab to the police station. Deceased was quite helpless. Ho stated that he had fallen down. At 7 o'clock next morning he was bailed out, and about 10.20 a.m. the same day witness saw hint on the wharf again, when he stated, in answer to questions, that, he had tripped over a, guy rope. His physical condition vras much the same as it was on the occasion when witness first saw him. Witness brought him to the police station again. He had used no force to the man, who made no complaint of any kind. He was. not- in a- fit- state to appear in court, and was remanded for a week's curative treatment. He seemed to be as drunk on the second occasion as on the first. The inquest wae adjourned till to-morrow.