FOUND DEAD.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 December 1925, Page 9

FOUND DEAD.

INDICATIONS OF A FALL.

TRAVELLER’S TRAGIC END.

Deatli under sudden and so far unexplained circumstances overtook Mr. Henry Coulter Glendinning, of New Plymouth, either late on Friday night or early on Saturday morning, and when his body was found at 5.45 a.m. on Sat,urd)ay, lying face downwards near the back door of the Red House Hotel with several severe wounds on his head and his scalp, he had apparently been dead for a considerable time.

Deceased had last been seen leaving the last car from the breakwater on Friday night. An inquest into the circumstances surrounding his death was held yesterday morning, when medical evidence was given that death appeared to have been caused by a fall from a considerable height on to some hard object, and the coroner (Mr. C. R. Orr.l Walker, S.M.) gave as his finding “that i deceased had met his death at New Plyimouth on the night of December ,11 or j morning of December 12 from wounds .on' his head caused by a fall on to the I asphalt of the yard of the Red House Hotel, New Plymouth. t Deceased was a single man, about 50 i years of age, and employed as a travel--1 ler in the business of Messrs. John Avery, Ltd., warehousemen, New Plymouth. He was well-known in bowling circles, being a member of the Fitzroy Ciub, and previously of the. West End Club. He was also a- member of the Masonic craft. He had a good war record, leaving New Zealand with the Bth Reinforcements, and wounded at Messinees and La Ba-,. . ...e, after which he was made a corporal. He • lived in lodgings in Gover Street. I In the evidence given at the inquest held yesterday morning, it was stated by Dr. P. C. Davie that when he examined the body early on Saturday morning it indicated that death had occurred from four to six, or even eight hours previously. He had a severe wound on the back of the head that probably caused his death, another wound on the temple that might have caused His death, and a severe cut on the chin, as well as other minor facial wounds. He must have fallen from a great height on to some object on the ground. i Charles Peers, porter employed at the [Red House Hotel, stated that after risking at 5.30 a.m. he found deceased lying i by the kitchen door, and he immediately notified the doctor and the police.

To the coroner: If deceased had fallen from the fire escape he would have struck the fence below, which was about five feet from the back door.

Edwin Dudley Whittle, son of the licensee of the Red House Hotel, stated that he had retired at 10.30 p.m. on the previous night, and had heard no noise. He did not see deceased, but understood that he was in the hotel. Deceased knew the house, and when staying there he was in the habit of coming up the fire escape, as was usual for boarders after hours. There were marks and a nail bent down on tile fence which seemed to witness to indicate that deceased had climbed over the fence. Constable Butler, who removed the body to the morgue,, said that beyond the wounds mentioned by Dr. Davie there were no marks of violence on the bodv.

Roy Scrivener, a bootmaker t of New Plymouth, said that he knew deceased fairly well, and had seen him get off the last ear from the breakwater at ten minutes to eleven on Friday night. The coroner then gave his verdict as stated.