THE EVANS INQUEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15174, 13 December 1912, Page 8

THE EVANS INQUEST.

ANOTHER WOMAN'S STORY.

CONTRADICTS PREVIOUS

EVIDENCE.

ALLEGES MALTREATMENT.

DOCTPRS' OPINIONS DIFFER.

fBY TELEGRAPH. —OWN

Waihj, Thursday. The inquiry touching the death of rederick George Evans, the striker who died from injuries sustained during the disturbance on November 12, was continued to-day, before Mr. W. M. Wallnutt, District Coroner, and a jury of six. Mr. S. Mays represented the police and Mr. J. R. Lundon was for the relatives of deceased and the Federation of Labour.

Mrs. Cottie, under examination relative to tho incidents at the Miners' Union Hall on tho morning of November ,12, gave it as her opinion that the first shot fired came from outside the building. Three or four moro shots followed in quick succession, and witness and' others ran out through tho back door of the hall. Evans was running in front of her, and she had a clear view of him. As far" as sho could see, deceased had no weapon in his hand. A moment later the constable ran past witness on her right-hand, side, and she distinctly heard him say: '' Here's Evans. This is the man we want.'' The constable reached Evans and struck him down with a baton. She had been watching Evans closely, and was of opinion that deceased had not fired a shot. It was impossible for him to have fired without witness seeing him do so. There had been no report from a firearm 'up till the time deceased fell, and sho had not heard any shots afterwards. Up to the time Evans was struck down the constable had received no injury, but just afterwards she heard Wade say, " I'm shot."

The crowd gathered round Evans when ho was on the ground and kicked and hit him and tried to lynch him. Sho even saw a policeman kick Evans when he was being carried away.

Variations From Other Statements.

To Mr. Mays: Deceased was running away when struck down by the constable, and did not appear to trip and fall forward, as stated by Miss Hislop. Witpcss was not more than three yards distant when the baton blow was delivered, and had a clear and uninterrupted view of what happened. She would say that Miss Hislop was mistaken in stating that Evans was struck when on the ground by the constable, and that Mrs. Sorrenson had also been mistaken in saying that deceased had been struck with a baton by a worker when on the ground before the mob carno up. The mob certainly kicked at Evans, and she would bo surprised to hear that, according to tho medical evidence, there were no marks of violence on the body, and that the kicks had evidently not reached tho deceased. She had not discussed the riot with any person, apart from the detective, since its occurrence. All she had done was to show Mr. Lark (a federation supporter) where Evans had fallen when struck.

Constable Maunsell, who was tho first officer to reach Evans after the latter had been struck down, said ho' had not seen the workers—three Or four of whom were already thereuse violence towards deceased. The men were holding Evans down and searching him.

The State of the Brain.

Dr. Craig was next placed in the box, and said if Evans had spoken coherently after being struck down, the subsequent lapse into unconsciousness would nave been due to laceration and hemorrhage of the brain. The bruising of deceased's eyelids and the displacement of the cartilage of the nose might have been caused by deceased falling face downwards on the ground. Evans received • medical attention, at the earliest moment possible after his injuries, and nothing further could have been done to save his life. Very little value would attach, as far as the brain was concerned, to a second post mortem examination held 48 hours' after tho first post mortem. This would apply more particularly to the case of deceased as witness had made a dissection of the brain.

Evidence of Only One Blow.

Had Evans been kicked about the body as alleged, some of the bruises would certainly have shown, but. none were to he. seen, either during life or after death. There had been nothing to suggest that deceased had been struck more than once on the head with a baton.

The Second Post Mortem.

To Mr. Lundon : Witness did not know how long it was after the first post mortem examination that tho second post mortem was held. In the condition the brain was in after the dissection made by witness, it would have been impossible, fop any medical man making a subsequent examination to have corrected any misapprehension witness might have been labouring under, but there liad been no misapprehension as far as ho was concerned. The outward evidence of the cause of death remained for any medical man making an examination. He could offer no explanation of Dr. ■ Savage's statement that at a post mortem made the day after that at Waihi there were no signs of violence except of one blow over the bridge of the nose, tho left eye. and the 'left ear. He could not .agree with Drs. Savage and Bull that Evans had a very thin • skull, nor with Dr. Savage that , laceration of the brain of the right side was duo to a blow of the front of the left side of tho head, and that there, was no trace of injury by any other blow. The abrasion on the back of the scalp was visible at the original post mortem, and would have been there on November 15, when the second post mortem was made. The Court then adjourned until, tomorrow morning.

CONSTABLE WADE'S CONDITION.

THE BULLET LOCATED.

fllY TELEGRAPH.OWN* CORRESPONDENT.]

Waihi. Thursday. With the aid of the X-ray apparatus, the medical men attending Constable Wade, who was shot, during the disturbance at the Miners' Union Hall on November 12. have located the bullet. It is embedded between the ribs and hip bone, on the right side, at a depth of about an inch and a-half, and had traversed some five inches from the point of entry. It is not intended for the time being to make an attempt to extract the pellet.