TRAGIC DEATH OF STUDENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1010, 28 June 1930, Page 1

TRAGIC DEATH OF STUDENT

Leap From A Lofty Window CORONER CRITICISES BIBLE INSTITUTE CRITICISM of the attitude of the authorities at the New Zealand Bible Training' Institute was expressed by the coroner, Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., when an inquest was held this morning' into the death of Leslie Selwyn Gardiner. Gardiner, who was a student at the institute, died at the Auckland Hospital yesterday as the result of injuries received when he fell from a fifth storey window down a light well at the Y.M.C.A. A verdict that Gardiner died from the injuries he received as a result of jumping- from the window while temporarily deranged was returned. The coroner remarked that, if the young man had been taken back by the institute and cared for there, he would probably still be alive.

Mr. C. O. Butler appeared for the Y.M.C.A., and Mr. Stevens for the Bible Training Institute. According to Vernon Thomas Drew, secretary of the Y.MjC.A., he had been approached by Dr. Stewart on Wednesday last, and asked if he could accommodate for a few days a young man who was suffering from a nervous breakdown and arrange for someone who was out of employment to take care of him. “This I ‘agreed to do, though at the same time 1 agreed to take no responsibility,” said witness. “The doctor stated that the young man would do what he was told, but needed a watchful eye; Gardiner eame to the institution on Wednesday evening and, for the first few hours, was attended to by someone who came with him. Then Mallinson and Walker slept in the room with him all the first night. Walker looked after him all day Thursday and, oil Thursday night. Dr. Stewart provided someone to look after him. Walker was in charge of him from 8 a.m. on Friday morning, and he was with him when he_ escaped out of the window. The reason why we treated the doctor’s request as a special case was that the doctor informed me that the boy’s lather was on liis way from Gore, and could not arrive in Auckland before Friday night or Saturday morning.” Thomas Walker, a salesman, at present unemployed ami living at the Y.M.C.A., was with Gardiner when he escaped from the window. “1 had been looking after Leslie Gardiner since Wednesday evening,” he said. “I came on again at 5.15 yesterday morning. Gardiner was asleep, but woke about 9 and appeared all right. Shortly after he was given an orange and he devoured it. Afterward he had a cup of tea. We left the room together once and Gardiner returned to bed quite peacefully. A few minutes afterward the matron called to see him and told him some friends were calling on him in the afternoon. After the matron left Gardiner became violent and got out of bed, making for the window T overpowered him and put him back •<> bed and was tucking the blankets round him when he grabbed me round the arms and got out of bed. I struggled with him and the mat slipped under my feet. Ho got away from me and climbed on the bed by •the window, trying to get out. I grabbed him by the waist and shouted for help. One of my feet was on the window-sill amj one was on the bed and I was pulling with all my might when the bed slipped back. I lost my hold and he went straight through the window, falling to the ground ,»i: his back. The window is on the fit i floor and is about SO feet from the ground.” DOCTORS EVIDENCE Dr. J. G.*Stewart, of Takapuna, said he was visiting his patient, Gardiner, at the Y.M.C.A. at 11 a.m. yesterday. On arrival at the Y.M.C.A., witness had gone to the young man’s room and found it unoccupied. “I was told that he was in the basement, and had fallen out of the window of his room,” continued the dottor. “I went clown to the basement and found Gardiner unconscious. His right arm was broken and He had severe scalp wounds. I accompanied him to the Public Hospital, where ne received immediate attention. I remained with him about an hour. auJ he appeared to be sinking. 1 suhse quently learned from the hjospital that lie was dead. Gardiner's bedroom was on the top floor of the Y.M.C.A. There is a well in the middle ol the build ing for lighting purposes, and it was down this well that he fell.” “I do not think he committed sui cide, but merely wanted to get away.” the doctor continued. “He could not remain with his relatives at Bayswater as there was illness in the family. I tried to get the principal of the Training College to take him for a few days until his father arrived, but lie flatly refused. I tri.ed several hospitals, but could not arrange for his admission. The Y.M.C.A. secretary finally took him, and it was arranged that a young man should always be in attendance on him. Up to the time the young man went to the Y.M.C.A. he had developed no suicidal tendencies, nor was his mental condition such as would warrant me certifying him as insane. All he wanted was watching ” The doctor said Gardiner was suffering from tubercular inflammation of the chest. He was never at any time violent in witness’s experience, and witness was of the opinion that his mental condition would improve with his physical condition. REFUSED BY INSTITUTE “I made repeated applications to the principal of the institute to house the young man until the arrival of his father, but met with a flat refusal each time. The Y.M.C.A. did everything possible to help. “The boy could have been at , the bottom of the harbour for a week, and they would not have known.” asserted the doctor, after remarking that no inquiry about his whereabouts had come from the institute. Gardiner’s aunt had telephoned the institute while the young man was there to see if any o:f his fellow students would go over and cheer him up. John Oswald Sanders, secretary oi the New Zealand Bible Training

Institute, said Gardiner came to the Institute at til Upper Queen Street <iu March 1, 1930. He had been a •capable student and had done well in all the examinations he took. He was very highly strung and was not a robust man. From May 30 to June It, he had been away for a holiday at Kimboltctn. On his arrival back after his holiday he had complained of feeling tired, so was told to go to ! lied. That had been on a Sunday. Hr. \V. H. Pettit had seen him and sai l | iie was run down and needed a rest, i Xo mental tendencies had been noticed, i On Tuesday lie got up and went for | a walk. Later in the week he had ' said he did not feel much better, and i suggested that ho should stay with an mint, at Bayswater. He was Inld | not to come back until lie felt thor- ! oughly well. Last Sunday, in rr- | sponse to a request by Gardiner, one ■ of the students had gone to Baysj water to see him and found hjCl in a t nervous condition. INSTITUTES ATTITUDE ! “On Monday evening I received a message that he could not be found ! and I took a search party over to : Bayswater, but failed to find him.'* witness continued. “Another party found him on the Takapuna Beach at ; S a. ill. He was later put into a | nursing home in Takapuna, but he broke through a window and got into the sea. He was brought out by two men. He had been under Dr. Stewart s : attention from June 22. Or. Wednes- ; day evening he was taken to the Y.M.C.A. by Dr. Stewart and placed iu the charge ot a young man there. Several of our students relieved liim, four being with Gardiner through the Thursday night. Asked by the coroner why the young mail had not been taken hack i>y the Institute, witness said there were no facilities for the treatment of such a case. There were 25 women and 30 men at the institute, and Gardner was not in a fit. state to he accommodated there. He had told the students who found him when he first wandered away that he had spent the night in a lunatic asylum and ; they would not let him sleep. Dr. Pettit who had seen the young matt before he left the Institute, did not consider Jtis return advisable. “When he left us to go to his re- [ latives he was only a little run down, ! as far as we knew,” continued witI ness. “We sent over search parties I to look for him when he disappeared | and when he was taken into the Y.M.C.A. we offered all assistance.” 1 At this stage the young man's uncle. Mr. S. M. Stuart, of 40 Norwood Hoad, Bayswater, asked permission to make ! a remark. “When Gardiner arrived | at our place lie went straight to bed. lie could not walk.” he said. “As to the search party, there was no volunI tary offer.” Mr. Sanders explained that ; iie had been taking a lecture and as spoil as it was over, I about 9 p.m., lie took a search ■ party over to the North Shore. Garj diner had seemed all right and there j was no question of over-study, as he ; had not been allowed to work. Mr. Stuart said the young man had j been taking a mission during his holidays, Mr. Sanders claimed I that he had been merely takj irig part. The students were not ! under the control of the institute dur—- | ing their holidays. Mr. Smart: 1 am afiaid Mr. Sanders ;is prevaricating. The ypung mail had t to report before his fellow-students on j the mission he had been conducting, ! and that was what was worrying him. 1 Mr. A. C. Stevens called Dr. W. H. Pettit, honorary physician to the in- ! stitute. Dr. Pettit said he had been | called in to see Gardiner last Sunday I week. Gardiner was nervous, and | had not been sleeping well. Ho bad | said he rested during the early p*irt ! of his holidays, but later was attending a mission, though witness underj stood he was not taking any pari.. The Coroner: Could they not have looked after him at the instituteV Witness: It was reported to me that Jhe had attempted to commit suicide, j and the institute was not a suitable I place for him. | The Coroner: Don't you think you ! should have rung the other doctor ! about it? Witness: No. It was my duty t > i advise the institute as to the course it | should follow. If the boy needed suJ pervision, he should be in a nursing home under the care of competent nurses. The Coroner: You look not the slightest interest in the boy. Witness: J 7 was under the control | of another medical man. Gardiner's father, who had just arrived in Auckland, said he was a Baptist minister at Gore. Asked by | the coroner whether lie had anything , to say. he expressed sorrow that »be • institute had not informed him of his j son’s condition, as he was a boy who I would not open up and tell, himself. "I do not know Dr. Stewart, but I would like to thank him publicly, it ! this is the right place to do it, totall he has done for my son.” said Mr. Gardiner. “This is one of those unfortuna* s affairs that occur now and again at- institutions for the care of suc’i j cases as these/' said the coroner, re , turning his verdict.