BEATEN TO DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14808, 11 October 1911, Page 4

BEATEN TO DEATH.

THE P.ORtRUA TRAGEDY.

AN OVERCROWDED INSTITUTION.

Fi-RTnEB particulars of the horrible tragedy which occurred at the Porirua Mental Hospital on Saturday night/ when a patient named Frank Peter Renajl killed a fellow inmate by battering him about the head and body with a chair, and afterwards kneeling upon him and pommelling him with his fists, show that the assault took place in N°- 3 day room, which is used at night as a dormitory owing to tho overcrowded {state of the hospital. Tljera were eight patients in \\w room, and, according to the evidence of the only attendant ' who saw anything of the tragedy, two others were awake at the time. The attendant on night duty was James Brown. He had visited the dormitory three tiroes prior to U p.m., and had noticed nothing wrong, but a few minutes after 11 he heard a scuffle in the day room, audi arriving quickly on the scene, was just in time to see Renall on top of Henderson pummelling him on both sides with his fists."

An inquest was held by Dr. McArthur, Coroner, and a jury of six.

»r. Hwmll'g story. Dr. Gray Hawaii, medical superintendent of tfee Porirua Mental Hospital, said the deceased, John William Henderson, was admitted to the institution on April 14, 1908, suffering from epileptic insanity, About 11.30 o'clock on. Saturday night the charge night attendant camo to witness's house and informed him that deceased had been attacked and killed by a fellow patient named Frank Peter Renall, who was sleeping in the adjoining bed in No. 3 day mora. Witness explained that, owing to tho overcjowdipg, the day room Had to be occupied at night, shakedpwn* being used fur the patient, eight of whom occupied room No. 3. Witness cam© up to the building as soon as possible, and found the. deceased lying on hie batik oa his waitress quite dead. He bad very extensive bruises on the right aide of tho head and face, and in the front of tho neck and chest, isevoral ribs were broken on the right side, and the chest wall was partially smashed »P. The night attendant said the injuries were inflicted by a chair. The attendant further said that when ho entered the dormitory shortly after 11 o'clock he found the'patient Renall kneeling over deceased and punching him with his fists. Witness 1 examined Ueuall, and asked him why ho had attacked deceased, and Renal! replied that deceased had hit him first, and had struck him'on the face with a chair, - He" powUd to his cheek, but there was P9 evjden.ee of any injury. " Kenall suffers from chrome mania," continued witness. "His" mind is "Wry confused, and he is very rMtlefts, noisy, and talkative. He was transferred from Mount. View Asylum last year, where ho was said to have suffered from recurrent attacks of mania, and was said to be occasionally violent and dangerous, Since being here he has shown no suicidal or dangerous tendenqtee, He has always slept either in a dormitory or with other patients in a day room, excepting on occasions when he was particularly talkative at night and disturbing the' other patients, when he was put into a single room by himself." He bad slept in a single room the previous night on that account.

Saw the Attack. James Brown said he was the officer on charge duty on Saturday night. He had been an attendant at the hospital for 1$ years. Owing to overcrowding No. 3 day room was used as a dormitory at night. There were eight patients sleeping there, including deceased and Renall. Witness saw both men at about 7.45 and 9.15 p.m. All was then quiet. He saw them lor the third time at 10.25 p.m. Defeated was then standing up by his mattress;" but before witness left, 10 miuutee later, deceased had been induced to lie down again- At 11.12 p.m., by the day room clock, witness was again in the room/ "He had heard a scuffle immediately before, and rushed into the dormitory as quickly as he could. '," "I saw the patient Renall on top of Henderson, the witness continued. He was kneeling on Henderson's "chest, and punching him with both hands, first on one side and then on the other. 1 ran over to biro, ■ and "said, * What are you doing, Frank?' Renall jumped back into bed, and said, '"Please, "dad*"(he 'always calls me dud), he struck" mi"on the face."' Witness held a light, but could see no mark on Benall's face. Renall alio said that Headef#op had thrown a chamber over him. Witness then turned the- light on to Henderson, and found bis flannel open. Hi« face and chest were much bruised and starting to discolour. Blood was coming from the mouth and ear, and he was quite dead. Witness removed Renall to a single room, and then finished his round. Dr. Hassail arrived soon afterwards, and ordered the body to be removed to the morgue. Dr. Hat-sail and , witiiejs went, to the donnitory. A chair a littitt distance from deceased's bed was found to have blood and hair on it.

A Patient Hiding, To the Jury : A single room was always kept available for emergency cases at night. "I 5 wo other patients, were awake. One, who was practically an imbecile, was sitting in a chair eloso by, with his arms fojdecL Ho eaitj nothing abciut the occurrence. His was a very tad case of insanity. The other patient awake was hiding behind his mattress, between the bed and the walj. This man said, " Renall killed him. He hit him w|th the" chair and killed him "with the chamberg.*!, The patient witness was erring to could give an account of the occurrence if He liked. "It "all depended upon the mood he was in. He had never known Renall to be violent before. He frequently slept in the dormitory- "My only objection to Renal) was," he added, "that when "I give him a sleeping draught he wants to kiss me. I cannot call him violent." .'-■'* There was no other evidence called. Verdict and Eider. The jury returned a verdict $&! deceased died from shock, caused by injuries inflicted by another patient, Prank Peter Renall, while in a state of mania. A rider was added, to the effect that the attention of the Gqyernjnent should be drawn to the overcrowded state of the institution, thereby causing day rooms to be used as dormitories. - • *