WATERSIDER'S DEATH.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18892, 6 January 1927, Page 3

WATERSIDER'S DEATH.

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. ! Mr H. P. Lawry, Coroner, conducted an inquest at Lyttelton yesterday concerning the- death of Frank Robert Hodcr, a waterside worker, who died at the Cliriskhurch Hospital on Now dear's Day following a fall down a. flight of stairs at the Firo Brigade Station. The inquest- had been adjourned at Christchurch on Sunday. Richard Fontori, lieutenant of the Lyttelton Volunteer Fire Brigade, said he saw Roder at the station about 9 o'clock on New Year's Eve. Roder was under the influenco of liquor. Shortly afterwards witness asked Roder to leave the premises and accompanied him to the ground floor. Roder said he wanted to go down to tho basement, and witness loft him. Roder had been a member of tho brigade tor twelve years and was familiar with the stairs. Dr. B. H. Gilmour ' gave evidence that ho had attended Roder at midnight and found him to be suffering from a fracture of the sjuill. He took him in his car t 0 the Christchurch Hospital. Robert Carson, foreman of tho brigade, said that he saw Roder in the morning, w'hen he was showing 'signs of liquor. He was under tho influence of liquor ,when witness saw him at the station at 9 o'clock in tho evening. Lieutenant Fen ton escorted him down the front stairs. Witness was later informed by Charles Colo that Roder was lying at the foot of tho basement stairs. Witness found him in a sitting position, and was under the impression that ho was in a drunken sleep. • He was removed to his* home on a stretcher. The Coroner returned a verdict that death was due to a fracture of the skull, caused by falling down the flight of stairs.