THE INQUEST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2244, 4 March 1897, Page 55

THE INQUEST.

The inquest on the body of Leonard Willie Styles, who was killed by a fall from the upstairs window of the North Dunedin branch of the Bank of Now Zealand, was held at the Hospital on Saturday, before Mr E. H. Carew, coroner. Mr W. A. Scott was chosen foreman. Mr A. S. Adams watched the proceedings on behalf of tha deceased's employers, Messrs Brundell and Hayward. Dr Andrew Menhouse, resident surgeon at the hospital, deposed that Leonard Sbylea, the deceased, was brought to the hospital at about 11.30 on Friday morning. fite was suffering from a compound depressed fracture of the skull above the temple and from fractures of both arms abova the wrists. He w*e unconscious. Witness attended to the injuries and set the fractures. Dr Brown operated on the fractured skull, and raised the deyve«ed'portion and removed a broken p : ece. Deceased did not regain, consciousness, bub sank rather rapidly vad died about a quarter past 3. The cause of death was concussion ofwfche brain' with fracture, of vault of the skull, and probably also a fracture of the base, there being bleeding from the nose and throat. Sneh injuries could huve been, caused by a fall of from 14ft or 18ft. Charles H<snry Hayward, cabinetmaker, deposed tbat deceased wss-ia his employ at th» time of the accident. He was sent t« work at the Bank of New Zealand in George street by witcesß'B inutructions. Witnewi did nob know what windows were to ba cleaned. Cleaning windows was part of the work the firm undertook. Deceased had aoS previously been sent out to clean Windows, hut he had always cleaned thoie at the shop, which were large ones. By Mr Adams : Told deceased in the morning when he had half au hour to spare to go over to the bank and assist Mrs Dick to clean the windows. Did not see him before be went. Witness's window* were about 12f6 high, and were cleaned from ladders. By a Juryman : Deceased h&d never objacUd to go on a ladder or ciimpl&incd of giddiness. William Styles, gardener, residing at Opohb, recognised the body as that of his son, *?ho was 15 years old last April. He had been for about 12 months in the employ of Mesn-s Brundell and Hayward. Deceased bad not been accuetonaed ta window cleaning. He had alwayß appeared to bo healthy, and witness had nevsr kuown him suffer from fits or giddinens. Decoazed was supposed to be apprenticed to Messrs Brundell and Haywaid to learn the upholstering business. No deed or agreement was eigned, and no time was agreed upon. George Scott depoaed th>t he was in the employ of Messrs Molliaon and Co., drapers, *ud knew deceased by sight. At about a quarter past 11 on Friday morning witneaa was dressing the front of the shop, which mi opposite the Bank of New Zealand. First saw deceased on the second storey of the bank, cleaning the tdp window in London street. Deceased went inside from that window, and came out at another window nearer the corner. He was not standing on the wiudow sill, but on a ledge about a fooC below the kill. The ledge was wid* enough to stand on. Witness saw him get a cloth from a girl inside, and then pull the top sash down. Witness was going, into the shop, and thought he heard a noiie and heard a girl scream. When he looked round deceased was in mid-air, with his arms stretched out. He fell on to the pavement, his hands striking the ground first, and then his head struck. Witness saw Mr.Nisbet ran to the spot and carry deceased into the bank. When deceased was on the ledge the position did not strike witness as being dangerous, but he thought it was rather high up to be without protection. He thought the ledge on which deceased was standing was about 15ft from the ground. If he had kept the window up a little he could have held on to the sash, bat witnesß did not know whether he was doing so or not. James Nisbet, painter, deposed that he was standing at the corner of London street waiting for a tram when he heard a cry, and lookiDg round saw deceased fall to the ground. Witness went to him and carried him in an unconscious state into the bank. He knew the window in question. Where deceaied had been standing was a cornice, 2ft below the window, Bin or lOin wide, and with a downward slope. It was about 18ft from the ground. To a person unused to that sort of work it would be dangerous to stand on the ledge to clean windows. The danger would be that when the top sash was right down there would be nothing to hold on to. If the sash were left up a few inches it would give a grip. To a person used to it, the ledge was quite safe to stand on without having a hand-hold. Harry William Brundell, partner with C. H. Hayward, deposed that on Friday morning deceased went across to the bank and came back again. Witness asked him what he was going to do. He said he was going to take the steps over to Mrs Dick'g to clean the windows. Witness asked him if he was going to clean the windows from the top of the steps, and deceased replied " Yet." He then told him to be very careful, and take no ritks. Deceased left the ■hop, saying he " would be all right." Witness did not know what windows were to be cleaned, but thought it was the lower ones. Edith Ellen Dick deposed to asking Mr Hayward if he had a boy whom he could send across to clean the upstairs windows at tho b&ok, where witness and her husband were at present living. Mr Hayward Raid he had a boy who could do that work, and deceased was Beat oTGCt Ha proceeded at M QS99.to fl© tto

work. Witness taw him while at the work/ and remonstrated with him about standing on the ledge. He had cleaned nine upitairi windows, and was at the last when the accident happened. He was in tho act of going out of the window when ho fell. Annie M'Grath deposed that she was in the service of the last witness, and was cleaning the upstairs windows of the bank residence with deceased. They were al the last window. About 10 minutes before the accident Mrs Dick and witness warned deceased not to walk along ! the ledge outside from one window to another. Deceased had just gone out of the window when |ha fell. Mrs Dick asked him to take off his boots, but he s&id ho did not need to take off his boots, as he felt quite safe. A verdict was returned that deceased waa accidentally killed by falling from an upstairs window, no blame being attachable to anyone.

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