CHARLESTON NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 260, 1 June 1868, Page 2

CHARLESTON NEWS.

INQUEST. Mr. Broad R.M., and Coroner, held an inquest on Friday morning, at the Post Office Hotel,o n the body of Constable Rhodes. After viewing tho body, and other preliminaries had been got through, the following evidence was taken. The first witness examined was the Sergeant of Police, who identified the body, aud stated that in consequence of ill health tho deceased went on leave on the 22nd inst., aud took up his abodeat Hunter's Post Office Hotel On the 25th the deceased was suffering from delirium tremens and was attended by Dr Dakers, and on his getting worse next day he was taken to the hospital. The age of the deceased was about 42, and his wife and children! reside near Carisbrook, in Victoria.

Constable Rigby deposed to the state of the deceased, and to his being taken to the hospital. Constable M'Donald deposed,—l took the deceased to the hospital accompanied by last witness, and visited him three or four times during the day,Jand finding in the evening that he was unattended, I reported the matter to Sergeant Kirley and got permission to sit up all night with him. About 10 or 11 o'clock I spoke to Dr. Lee and went with him and Dr. Bennett to the hospital and found the deceased handcuffed and tied down to the bed, and no one attending him. I took out the key and released him, and remained that night until about six in the morning, he was very restless all night. The next evening, by permission, I sent a man named M'Kinlay to attend upon deceased. I was at the hospital that night about 8 o'clock and deceased said he knew me.

Robert Ballantyne Stewart deposed, —I am warder at the hospital. On the morning of the 16th deceased was brought into the ward suffering from delirium tremens, his death was reported to me by Constable M'Ardle a few minutes after ten on the evening of the 27th. Rhodes was handcuffed to the side of the bed, and his feet tied. He was very violent, this was on Tuesday night. John M'Kinlay said, —I was engaged by Constable M'Donald to look after Constable Rhodes at the hospital. I went there in the evening, and looked after Rhodes and saw the doctor there and also the warden. I did not know when Constable M'Ardle came in that Rhodes was dead. They asked me how he was, I said he had been restless, but had been quiet for a few minutes I had just put deceased into bed about 10 minutes previously, he was lying on his right side. "When the constable went to the bed he said he was dead. I went and found him lying face down on the pillow, he was dead.

Constable M'Ardle deposed as follows :—On the evening of the 27th, I went to the hospital to see Rhodes, after coming off escort. I was informed by some of the patients and the last witness that Rhodes had been quiet for some time. I approached the bed and found him lying on his face buried in the pillow, his right arm under him, and his left arm down between the bed and the wall. I lifted him up and found he was quite dead. M'Kinlay and the patients' appeared very surprised. I went to see the warder, Stewart, and asked him if he knew Rhodes was dead. He said, " Oh yes; these ten minutes." I came over and got Dr Bennett, and we went back to the hospital. Dr Henry R. Bennett deposed:— About half-past ten on Tuesday morning, the warder informed me of Rhodes's admission into the hospital, and I went and found him suffering from delirium tremens. In the evening I went again with Dr Lee and Constable M'Donald. I found deceased handcuffed and his feet tied to thebed. I hadhimreleased immediately. The warder was not there. Next morning I visited deceased about 12 o'clock and found him worse and much distressed. I saw him again that evening about half-past eight, and gave instructions to the warder and the man in charge. I said I apprehended danger and that he required constant watching. I subsequently got information from M'Ardle and went back to the hospital and found the man dead. I believe the cause of death to be exhaustion, with congestion of the brain. At this stage an adjournment was resolved upon till one o'clock, to allow of a post mortem examination. On resuming proceedings, Dr Bennett continued his evidence as follows : —Since giving my former evidence I have made a post mortem examination of the deceased, in conjunction with Dr Dakers. On opening the chest I found the lungs congested, and from the appearance

presented I have altered my opinion as to the cause of death. I now consider the immediate cause of death to have been suffocation. The deceased would have died of the complaint under which he was suffering, out his death was accelerated by his turning over in the bed causing suspension of respiration, he being in too weak a state to recover himself. Dr. Lee stated an opinion that he had no hopes of the patient's recovery. Dr. Wm. Henry Dakers confirmed the opinion expressed by last witness, stating that he believed the immediate cause of death was the deceased's falling with his face on the pillow, and being in a state of exhaustion, consequent on his complaint, was unable to recover himself.

Eichard M'G-ill, deposed—l am a patient in the hospital,, and recollect the night of Wednesday, the 27th. On that evening, about 7 o'clock, a man came to take charge of Rhodes. About an hour after Dr. Bennett came in and gave instructions to the warder, and the man who was to be in charge, as to treatment. He told the latter it was necessary to watch the deceased carefully, and the warder told him also, and went away. The deceased and shouting, and the attendant replaced him in bed several times when he got up. About half-past nine or ten Rhodes was violent. The man replaced him in bed, and managed to quiet him. He then went to the table and sat down by the fire with a book, the patients being all in bed except one who was waiting up for the warder to return with some medicine. A patient in the next bed observed to me that he could not hear Rhodes breathing, and called to the attendant, who, however, did not hear him. Hearing footsteps, as I thought, of the patient who had gone into the kitchen, I said, never mind, perhaps Rhodes was asleep, and the patient coming in could see. The constable came in and went to the bedside, and looking over deceased said he was dead. I then saw he was dead, with his face on the pillow. He had been crying out " police" about ten minutes before.

By a Juryman—The warder returned after the police came in. It was his custom to go to the chemists after the doctor had given him prescriptions. By Mr Lightband—The warder was sober the day before. The handcuffs were put on about five in the afternoon. I assisted him in so doing. He was in and out all day. Saw the warder the day following the deceased's death. Did not think he was then sober. Have been a patient since the 12th inst. Never observed him otherwise than sober. Only noticed he was different in manner after the death. When I assisted the warder to fasten down the deceased, the latter was veiy violent and it was as much as I could do to hold him. I thought it was necessary to bind him.

By the Foreman—Dr Bennett paid his visit about eight o'clock, and the warder was away from that time. The man in charge appeared sober and attentive.

Constable M'Ardle, recalled, said— After the death he found the warder in his house ; he had no coat or hat on, and on his asking if he knew Rhodes was dead, the warder replied " oh ! yes, these ten minutes."

In charging the jury, the Coroner said, the enquiry had assumed a seriou3 aspect since the evidence called out by the post mortem examination. "What they had to decide was as to the immediate cause of death, and the evidence on that point seemed very clear, and this evidence appeared to him to reflect blame upon the warder of the hospital. Though an attendant had been specially provided by the police, that did not relieve the warder from the responsibility attaching to his office, and it appeared that he had not acted according to the doctor's instructions. He did not think such a degree of neglect had been shown as to justify a verdict of manslaughter, but if the warder had attended better to his duties the deceased would probably have been alive now, though his eventual recovery was despaired, of by the doctors. He concluded by complimenting the witness M'Gill on the manner in which he gave his evidence. The Jury, after being locked up for nearly an hour, returned a verdict that the deceased was accidentally suffocated while in a state of exhaustion arising from the disease under which he was suffering, and the following rider was appended,—"We consider there was great negligence displayed by the warder in not paying sufficient attention to the deceased. We also consider the doctor ought to have visited the deceased oftener previous to his death."

The following petition for the sale of the town lands of Charleston, is in course of signature :

" The petition of the inhabitants c Charleston to his Honor OswaL Curtis, Esquire, Superintendent c the Province of Nelson, and th honorable the Provincial Counci thereof, skeweth: " That they earnestly desire the with drawal of the township of Charlestoi from the Goldfrelds, and the sale of th town lands, as early as practicable. " The reasons for such desire ar< various, and in the opinion of your peti tioners, cogent. Firstly, as tending t( the permanent settlement of the district secondly, as being initiatory to the erec tion of a municipality, a matter mucl desired to better secure the repair 01 roads fend footpaths, the drainage of th( densely populated parts of the city, tin abatement of nuisances now rife, anc other matters affecting the health and Well-being of the community. "In the event of the favorable con sidera'tion of the foregoing portion oi this petition by your Honor, and the honorable the Provincial Council, it is respectfully requested that to avoid confusion, and to better secure to the humblest occupant of land a lasting tenure, that the town of Charleston be re-sur-veyed, as many sections are divided and subdivided, and since in many instances the improvements, if valued at original cost would not suffice to secure to some occupants their right to hold sections, excepting at a very considerable advance upon the upset price, it is sought to obtain a fictitious valuation upon all improvements—say double their original eost.

" It is almost needless to inform your Honor and the said honorable Council that such was the plan adopted in West Canterbury, and that the same was preeminently successful in securing to the people what they claimed to be their undoubted right. "This petition further expresses a hope that any sale of town lands in Charleston should take place here; and in support of this, your petitioners would again respectfully refer to the sale of town allotments in Westland, which took place at Greymouth and Hokitika, and were attended with the most trifling expense to the Canterbury Government. " Your petitioners would also express the great inconvenience and expense, if not positive injustice, that would be done them by holding such sales in the city of Nelson, which from the tone lately exhibited by the aforesaid Council they fear, unless their grievances were set forth, would be determined upon. "It is further desired by your petitioners, that the valuation should be conducted by two surveyors, one of whom might be appointed by themselves. ** And your petitioners," <fcc., <fcc.

The largest water-wheel which has yet been erected in Charleston, if not on the West Coast, was christened a few days ago in the presence of a large concourse of persons, amongst whom there were at least forty ladies, whose at tractions no doubt added greatly to the pleasure of the meeting. The wheel is 28 feet in diameter, and three feet breadth, and moves a battery of twelve stampers of the weight of 135 lbs. each, and there is a back delivery as well as front, additional tables being provided. It is situated on the Back Lead, and is owned by Kirwan and party. The christening operation was performed by Mrs Kirwan, who named the battery " The City of Dublin." After which the large party were regaled with champagne and refreshments of a coarser character, and a very pleasant afternoon was spent. In the immediate neighborhood is another water-wheel and battery in course of construction, which is expected to be finished in another week, and both are supplied by Savage and party's great water-race. Close to, a third wheel is being put together, and a fourth, belonging to the proprietors of the race, will shortly be constructed, all deriving their motive power from the same race, which is calculated to supply a much larger amount of machinery. On a future occasion we propose to give some account of this race, which may almost said to be now completed, and is the largest work of the kind in this district; it is now held by a registered company, the Cosmopolitan. The company has just accepted a tender for the building of a large water-wheel and battery of twelve stampers, to have a double set of tables and self-feeding arrangement, the whole to be completed in six weeks under a heavy penalty.