A FRACTURED SKULL

Otago Witness, Issue 4066, 16 February 1932, Page 27

A FRACTURED SKULL

MAN DIES FROM INJURIES INQUEST CONCLUDED. The adjourned inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Albert 95 n Han, ey, who died on December 2a as the result of a fractured skull, was continued on Friday morning before the coroner (Mr H. W. Bundle. S.Mj yr i eV’ ,P ath . ol ogist at the Otago Medical School, said that he had made a post-mortem examination of the body of the deceased. Ihe sulphuric and bichromate test wa.s negative for the presence or alcohol. From his examination he was of the opinion that the deceased died tiom compression of the brain due to extensive hremorrhage caused by fracture ot the skull. He would judge that the injuries received by the deceased were consistent with his having been struck fal'len n ° Cked d °' V “ tha “ ' vlth his liavin S wHhVlfr Patl ick . O'Driscoll said that with three companions he was driving a Car ! alo i ng Castle street on Decern--24, and about 11 p.m. saw a tramcar Wi" Castle street near Union street. Witness stopped the ear and saw the deceased lying on the footpath. His hat was lying near the body. The crown fn i IL PUS TT < 1,1 a Httle as Oiough he had Ik thin n ie * e i We u e i n ? signs on deceased's clothing that he had had a struggle. His face was covered in blood. The conductor or driver of the train asked witness to take deceased home, and with the assistance of witness s friends deceased was put in the motor car. Witness had some difficulty in locating where the deceased lived lhere was nothing to suggest that deceased had been robbed in any wav Witness found deceased's address in a' wallet and took him to his home. Witness smelt liquor on the deceased* and from that ( , lru , nk ’ as witness had no reason to think he had a fractured skull. Charles Johnston Gray, a conductor in In e n? une i dln T ram ways, said that on December 24 last he was on the Castle street-St. Kilda run. He left the Exchange at approximately 10.38 p.m. for Howe street. Witness saw the deceased get on the tram with hie wife and familv at the Exchange. He sat outside, and the others inside. Deceased appeared to witness to have had drink, but was not intoxicated. When the tram arrived at the St. David street stop ueceased' appeared to trv and get oft.. Witness was inside the car. and in coming out found the deceased with one foot over on the running board ami the other on the platform, with his body pressed against the seat. Witness asked him it he wanted to get off, but he made no reply Witness took hold of him and tried to lift him up on to the seat A. motor car pulled up beside the tram, lhe driver of the motor called out: “It ie all right, hop in here, Jack,” or words to that effect.

Witness concluded that the people m the car knew the deceased. He got the deceased off the tram, and was assisting him over to the footpath. Deceased was able to walk. The driver of the motorcar got out and took charge of the deceased, who was then leaning up against the back of the motor car. Deceased’s wife and family did not get out of the tram until the next stop at Dundas street. WHien the car was on its return journey witness saw a man lying on the footpath between St. David street and Union street in Castle street on the left-hand side, this being the opposite side to where witness had put deceased out. The tram was stopped, and the motonnan and witness went over to the man, whom witness recognised as the one he had helped: Witness noticed nothing unusual about deceased’s clothing then. A second motor car pulled up, and witness gave directions to the occupants as to the locality where the deceased lived.

Dr R. T. Allan said that he had known deceased about two years. Witness saw the deceased at his home on one occasion, and formed the opinion then that he was in a state of post epileptic coma. Caroline Lily Hanley, wife of the deceased, was recalled, and gave evidence that deceased was wearing a new suit on the night in question. It had not been damaged, except that it had a little dust on it. There was 12s 3d in the pockets. Detective Jenvey said that he had made inquiries in regard to this matter with a view to tracing the motor car which pulled up at the tramcar when deceased got off at St. David street, but without result. He made inquiries in the locality where deceased was picked up, but could get no information which would assist. Witness could find nothing to indicate that deceased had struck his head on a telegraph pole near where he was picked up on the footpath. He had learnt that deceased had been paid £4 on December 24, but could not ascertain how much he had spent between then and the time when he was picked up. The coroner stated that the evidence showed that the deceased was a man who suffered at times from epileptic fits or gave the impression that he suffered from them. He then appeared to the ordinary individual as if he were really under the influence of liquor. It was only a matter of conjecture as to what happened to the deceased after he had got off a tram, when a motor car driver offered to take charge of him, until the time, a little later, when he was found lying unconscious on the footpath and was taken home by the driver of another motor car. Medical evidence was given that the deceased’s injuries were consistent with his having been struck by a motor car, but one would judge that it was not impossible that he fell as he walked across the street. Full inquiries by the police did not carry the matter any further. A verdict was returned that the deceased died en the morning of December 25 from compression of the brain, due to extensive haimorrhage from the right meningeal artery as a result of fracture of the skull.