DEATH IN PRISON

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22928, 5 January 1938, Page 14

DEATH IN PRISON

MAN FOUND STRANGLED SOCKS KNOTTED ROUND NECK CONSTABLE'S DISCOVERY [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION'] NAPIER, Tuesday Arrested last evening a few minutes before eight o'clock on a charge of assaulting a young girl, Edward Frank O'Neill, aged 54. was found dead in one of the cells at the Napier police station throe hours later. O'Neill was placed in a cell at the police station and was visited as usual at the change of duty at nine o'clock by Senior-Sergeant W. Pender and two constables. At that time he was quite nil right and asked for information regarding the possibility of obtaining bail. Shortly before 11 o'clock the watch-house keeper, Constable E. L. 0. Harding, visited the cell and the man appeared to be sleeping. Constable Harding approached the cell bunk and spoke to O'Neill. Receiving no response, ho removed the blanket, which partly covered the man's head. He then pulled him away from the wall, where ho was lying in a normal attitude, and noticed that his face was black and that his socks were knotted tightly round his neck. The constable released the socks and called the senior-sergeant and Dr. A. G. Clark, and although the doctor arrived within a few minutes the man jrns (lead. Meantime, the seniorsergeant and the constable had tried to resuscitate tho prisoner, but their efforts failed.