AN M.P.'S DEATH

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10847, 12 March 1921, Page 6

AN M.P.'S DEATH

FALL FROM A BANK THE TRAGIC END OF MR"W. D. POWDRELL. STORY TOLD AT THE IXtjUEST. Yesterday morning, Mr F. K- Hunt, S.M., held an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Walter Dutton Powdrell, M.P. for Patea, who died in Bowen street hospital on Wednesday evening. The police were represented at the proceedings by Senior-Sergeant McNamara. FALL INJURES SPINAL CORD. Evidence was given by Dr D. E. 1 Fenwick, who said that deceased was 1 under his charge in the hospital. The case required constant supervision owing to the state of the patient’s nerves. From February 27th to March 9th witness was out of town. He saw Powdrell several times on the day he died, and saw him at 2 p.m. on the 9th. Deceased was then paralysed in both arms and both legs- From an examination of him witness was satisfied that his condition was due to an injury to his spinal cord in the region of the neck. His condition was such that i witness did not think he would recover. He saw him again in the afternoon in consultation with Dr Hardwick Smith, and also in the evening. Powdrell died in witness’s presence at 9 p.m. The cause of death was paralysis resulting from an injury to the .spinal cord in the neck. Senior-Sergeant McNamara: Is that consistent with a fall from a height ? Witness: Yes. It depends on the height and also on the way he fell, I suppose. The coroner: Well, you know the bank at the back of the hospital?— Yes. The coroner: That would do it?— Yes

The coroner: Then his injury might have been caused by a fall over that bank?

Senior-Sergeant McNamara: The' injury might have been caused if he fell on his feet, leave alone a fall on. his head? Witness: I doubt that, but I am not prepared to 6ay it could not. I omitted to say in my evidence that there was an extensive bruise right on the top of his head. SUFFERING FROM NEURASTHENIA. The coroner: Was he a mental case when you saw him first? Witness: He was suffering from neurasthenia. If by mental case you mean insane, his was not a mental case. He was suffering from neurasthenia, brought on by worry and insomnia. Witness added: There was always the possibility of suicide on injury, but the object of my ordering him to be kept under constant observation was not so much on that account as because I wished to know how much he slept, and I did not wish him to be left a prey to his own thoughts. Senior-Sergeant McNamara: When you saw him at 2 o’clock on the 9th was he able to converse at all? Witness: Yes, he was; he was perfectly rational. i asked him if he knew what had happened, and he said he had no memory whatever of what had occurred.. He could not remember. I think' that is probably due to the fact that he suffered a certain amount of concussion if he had a fall. I think he did not remember. DR HERBERT’S EVIDENCE. Dr William Edward -Herbert, who, with Dr Hardwick Smith, is in charge of Bowen street hospital, swore that at about 8 p.m. on the 9th he met Dr Fenwick in consultation on deceased at the Bowen street hospital. He corroborated the testimony of Dr Fenwick as to the then conditioni of deceased, who was lying in bed on his back, and was completely paralysed in arms and legs. There was a contusion on the top of the head and extensive gravel rash on the backs of the hands. Within a few feet of the bedroom he occupied was a bank about Bft or 9ft high. There were steps up the bank, and on the t-op was a garden, in which deceased walked morning and afternoon with his special nuree every day when it was fine. The coroner: Is there any fence along the bank ? Witness; No; there are trees. The coroner: Then he must have de. liberately got through the trees to get to the edge of the bank? Witness: Either that, or walked part of the way up the steps and then tried to climb up the bank. At the bottom of tie bank there was an asphalt path. He thought deceased must have fallen from the hank. He could not have got off the roof, and there was a patient in every room where there was a window. The coroner: There was nothing in his condition to indicate he would do this? • - Witness said not that he knew or, but he knew deceased was at times very depressed. IN A RESTLESS MOOD. Minnie Pauline Kiernan, head sister at the Bowen street hospital, said she saw deceased at 7.0 a.m. on the 9th. He- was restless, and was walking about the room in a dressing-gown. He said he had not had too good a, night. He did not look over bright. From the time oi his entry to the hospital he was under constant supervision day and night. The nurse on duty with him was Nurse Hall, and witness instructed her not to leave him to go to breakfast. About ten minutes later witness was called, and found deceased lying ■ on the footpath at the bottom of the Dank described by Dr Herbert. He had cuts on both hands. She did not examine his head. Dr Hardwick Smith came, and deceased was removed to his room. While in the hospital deceased was sometimes restless. He was always quite but very depressed and melancholy. The coroner: You never had any experience of his trying to get from his attendant, or anything of that kind? —No. The coroner: And at no time did he give cause to suggest that he would attempt . to do away with himself i — No. HIS SPECIAL N[URSE. Lena Ordish Hall, a nurse at Bowen street hospital, said she had been detailed specially to attend deceased. She went on duty from 9 p.m. to 7.30 a.m., and was then relieved by Nurse Campbell. Deceased was mentally depressed and melancholy, and she was instructed to keep constant supervision over him. 'He suffered from insomnia, and on the night of the Bth he slept very little. On the morning of the 9th he appeared to be not very well. At about 7.10 a.m. she was in his room. He was very restless, and walked about the room. Witness was making the bed at the time. She heard

the door of the room bang, and she saw that deceased had gone out. She quickly followed him. and just as she got out the door of the room she heard a thud. She ran outside. and saw deceased lying on the footpath near the side of the building. He was unconscious, and blooding from the hands. She immediately summoned assistance, and in about three minutes Dr Hardwick Smith arrived. They placed deceased on a blanket and carried him back to bed. Deceased was then quite helpless. “DON’T LET THEM SIGN ANYTHING!” S'he saw him at about 7 p.m. on the 9th. He was then speaking, and saying incessantly: “Don’t let them sign anything.” He gradually sank, and died about 9 p.m. During the •*’’ time she was in attendance on him she could see plainly that he was suffering from worry. She did not at any time hear him say anything that would lead her to believe that he would take his own life. Near the spot where she found deceased lying on the footpath was a bank about Bft high. He was lying on his right side, and his head was near the wall of the building. From his room to where he was found was a distance of about 25ft. His room was on the ground floor. Deceased was well physically, and could always walk about. It was possible that the deceased could have received the injury by falling from the bank on to the footpath where she found him.

Senior-Sergeant McNamara: What was tho length of time from when he went out the door to when you saw him lying on the path ?—About ten seconds. Witness added that she was on the' far side of the bed when deceased went out of the room. She followed so quickly that he could not in the time hare gone upstairs and thrown himself out of a window. THE VERDICT. The finding of the court.was: "Thafi the deceased, Walter Dutton Powdrell, died at the Bowen street hospital on the 9th inst. from -injuries to the spinal cord caused by a fall from a bank at the back of the hospital; whether by accident or design there is no evidence to show.”