INQUEST.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12586, 22 August 1901, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest was held in the Hospital last evening, before 'Mr H. W. Bishop, District Coroner, and a jury, touching the death, ot a man named Richard! Emerson, who died in 'tbs 'Hospital bn. Tuesday. ■ •Dr Orooke, house 1 surgeon ‘at the Hospital, said that deceased was admitted on the after moon of August 17. Ho was bleeding from a wound over the left eye, and was bordering on dhlirium tremens. The wound could have been caused! by falling down some steps, and did not appear dangerous. Deceased was able to answer' questions, and admitted that he jhad been drinking heavily for some time. Delirium tremens developed, and! deceased! became very violent and unmanageable on Monday. He died early on Tuesday maiming.

Dr Charles Morkane, assistant surgeon, at the Hospital, gave similar evidence. He stated that he had made a post-mortem examination, and had found) that deceased had very extensive congestion of both lungs; the" brain was somewhat, softened, and there was a bruise over the left, collar-bone. This skull was not fractured. There was. a contused wound on the forehead, and two wounds on the scalp, crossing one another. The wounds would hot have been dangerous to a healthy man, and might, have been caused by a fall diown,stairs.. Death, was due to exhaustion from delirium tremens, combined with congestion of the lungs. The delirium tremens might not have com© on without the accident. Deceased might not have appeared drunk shortly before the accident, but he was certainly so when, admitted.

Olaira Palmer, a nurse in the Hospital, and Edward Adams Carlyle, a wordsman, gave corroborative .evidence. William Joseph. Jardline, barman at the Empire Hotel dive bar, said deceased had called in occasionally for about a fortnight before the acoidenit. Ha seemed of sober habits, but complained cf suffering from, his chest. ‘ On’ Saturday, August 17, witness saw deceased ih the bar about midday. He was then sitting down, and! was sober. He had a small beer with a man named! Fraser. Later, witness, saw deceased fall ■ down 'the wooden stairs leading from the bar to the lavatory. He picked deceased, up, semiconscious, and bleeding from a wound on the forehead, and! took him in a cab to the Hospital. There Dr C'roake asked where Emerson had' got his drink, and said 1 he should have been taken to the Police .Station. Witness could swdair Emerson was sober at the time. A handkerchief was tied over the wound in the hotel. Witness did mat report the matter to the police.

John Fraser -stated that bn had seen deceased during the week previous to the Saturday,. and he had) shown some 'signs of drink. On the Saturday he was quite sober, and they had only on© drink together. Deceased had complained of pains in the chest.. , Percy Mumford hlso saiddeceased had been quite sober in the hotel.

'Robert Emerson said! the deceased, his father, had 'been drinking off and on for the past month. On the morning of Saturday he was shaky from the effects of previous drinking, and complained of pains in the chest. Thomas Emerson said' he saw his father on Sunday week, when he was in bed in a shaky condition, .and with! a bad cold. Last Sunday deceased told him be had fallen downstairs as the. result of a fit. , -,r -•

.John Carl,,,the licensee of the Empire Hotel, said the. stairs to 'the. lavatory were about nine feet high and well-lighted. Deceased was sent straight to the Hospital alter the accident, and! appeared to he sober.

Dr Cboofce explained, in regard- to his remark that the man “should have been taken to the Polite Station,” that he had simply meant that the man .was so drunk that he .was surprised he had not been taken' in charge. Deoaased might have appeared sober accident,, fs it might have aggravated’, the effects j of previous drinking. The jury, after retiring for a time, found, that death was due to exhaustion and congestion of the lungs, in accordance with the medical evidence. They added .as a rider that they were of opinion that a fall hastened deceased’s death, and that sufficient care had not been exercised in supplying him with liquor.