FATAL FIGHT ON PONTOON.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12881, 1 May 1913, Page 5

FATAL FIGHT ON PONTOON.

VERDICT OF MANSLAUGHTER

(Per Pie.ss Association.)

.^ AUCKLAND, April 30. Tho inquest into the'death of Manuei Santos, die-d on April 18th after a fight with Harold Gladstone Brown on the Harbour Board'g pile driving, ricailoon, was leoiichided .-■

Aousta Ojiala, foreman in the Board's employ, described tho. fight, mnd tho ttscysed's fall into. the water. Ho ■srid r Brown . seoined afterwards^ i>o he. sorry for what .he had done., ; I)avid Penman, engineer, said he did not 530,.th0 fwkt blow .struck. . .They were 6cparated by a man working, the pile di'iver, and each man went back 'to his work. A few minutes-later S<anrtos' ag-ain went up to Brown and said something, to him. Brown, i-etaliated. by pushing Santos,, who' fell into the :harbour. Bxowii.' merely pusbsd him. He did not strike him."Subsequently, iwhen dee&a.S'sd was tin the ongine-rooin, witness "heard, him cry out "Oh, my heart." *

The Co.i-onfeTv'bn-ieflj' addressed .the jury and stated tii&t the'evid'eiied - absolutely reduced the raso :to" one_ of manslaughter.- The medical evidence was of the highest miivortanco. The doctor had:'.ascribed death to syncope 'following on Blows on the hoael, and immersion. .The evidence showed that those blows were struck by Brown. The jury, had no option, but to bring in a verdict'"of manslaughtor: ' The' jury returned--.a verdict i,hnit-de>ath was due to syncope following!, on blows on the heed struck, by Harold . 6-ladstono Brown,' iincL-that Thrown thereby foloniou,s]y. caused tho death of Manuel Santos. •