FATALITY AT THE GAOL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3030, 10 April 1912, Page 38

FATALITY AT THE GAOL.

PRISONER COMMITS SUICIDE. At an early hour on Thursday morning one of the prisoners at the Dunedin Gaol named Francis Peter Ranee, committed sukiido under somewhat sensational circumstances. About 8 o'clock, just before the work for the day was to be commenced, the prisoners were standing at the cell doors ready to bo marched down to the quadrangle" to bo searched. The senior officer, who was on duty, missed Ranee from ins accustomed place, and found him on the upper balcony, but was just in time to seo him throw himself over the railing and down into the yard below, where he struck the ground with his head and shoulder. On being picked up he was found to l>e unconscious. He was immediately removed to the Hospital, where he' died at about half-past 10. Deceased was born in London, and oame to tho Dominion in 1910. THE INQUEST. Mr C. C. Graham, coroner, held an inquest at tho Hospital in the afternoon, the interests of tho police being watched by Station-Sergeant King. The first evidence taken was that of Dr Julian, house surgeon at the Hospital, who said the deceased had been brought in about 20 minutes past 8 on that morning. On examination he found him to be suffering from cerebral concussion, and for this he was attended by Dr S. Batchelor. He gradually sank, however, and died at 10,20 a.m. without regaining consciousness, th-3 cause of death being fracture of the base of the skull. John D. N. Beaslev. gaol warder at Dunedin, said that at 8 a.m. ho unlocked the door of deceased's cell in B division on the central floor so that might proceed to his ordinary work. The cell and tho utensils had been oleancd up, and deceased was waiting at tho door for the order to go forward. When the word of command was given he moved off with the rest of the' men. At the time witness noticed nothing unusual about him, him, but instead of going down to the ground floor to be searched ho went along the corridor and up a flight of stairs to the top floor. It was part of witness's duty to see that all tho men had left their cells, and he remained on the landing until they had dono so. When ho saw that the deceased had not gone down into the yard he followed him, and asked him where ho was going. He called to him twice, but deceased took no notice, and when witness got to the top of the stairs ho saw him throw himself over the railing and fall down into the yard below. Witness then went downstairs and proceeded to tho yard, where he found deceased lying on his back with a small quantity of blood flowing from his nose. That was the only mark of injury on tho bod v. He telephoned for the gaol surgeon (Dr Stenhouse),but as he was not available Dr O'Neill wa; called in, and he ordered tho man's removal to tho Hospital, where ho was immediately conveyed in the ambulance. Witness stated that he had seen the deceased every day since his imprisonment and had found him at all times rational and very quiet. Ho had certainly given no indication that he was ever likely to take his own life. In reply to questions by Sergeant King witness stated that deceased was unconscious when he found him in tho yard. The height of the Failing over which he went was about sft, and the height from which lie fell between 25ft and 30ft. Deceased had evidently eaten his breakfast in his normal condition. He thought it was a case of deliberate suicide, as there was no possibility of it having been an accident. Deceased had bad no right to go away in tho first instance. Peter M'MUlan, another warder at the Dunedin Gaol, also gave evidence, which was for the most part corroborative of the first witness's. He stated that at 7.55 a.m. he had been on the balcony facing the yard, and on counting the men as they came out had found the number to be one short. He looked along the corridors and all around, and finally saw deceased with his hands on the railing oi the top balcony—i.e., the one above his cell. He jumped up on this railing and from there threw himself down in the yard below, falling on his shoulder and the back of his head. He had seen deceased frequently since his admission and had noticed nothing peculiar about him. He had appeared to Im> all right tliat, morning, and when taking his breakfast had made no complaint. Thomas Rosson Poynton, gaoler ai; the Dunedin Prison, said the deceased had been in his custody since February 2 of the present year on a sentence of three months' hard labour for being a rogue and a. vagabond, having been committed from the Magistrate's Court at Hampden. His discharge was due on May 1, on which da to his sentence terminated. Witness had seen him every day since his conviction, and considered his mental facilities normal, he never having given any indication of committing an act so rash. lie had .previously known the deceased as Francis Peter Carne while undergoing a (•ontence of three months in Auckland, in 1911, for being idle and disorderly. HU age was 30 years, and as ho was always very reticent about; his relatives nothing was known of his antecedents. His doit eanour during his last imprisonment had been much the same as on the previous occasion. His conduct had been uniformly good, and thero had never been any necessity to punish him for breaches of tho regulations. In summing up the coroner said that, only one conclusion could be come to- - that death was due to fracture of the s&till sustained by deceased jumping off a balcony into the yard below. There was no evidence to show that his mind was affected in any way or that there had been any neglect <>n the part, of the gaol authorities. A verdict of "Death by deliberate suicide " would be returned