A FATAL WRESTLING

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 133, 28 February 1908, Page 9

A FATAL WRESTLING

MATCH. '■ ' 4 = '■■■' 11 COMPETITOR'S SPINE INJURED. THE INQUEST. OUGHT MATTRESSES TO BE USED? . IB* •'XEI.EOBAFII—SrECIAt,-■ COMIESrONDIINT.I / i ■■• ; / Napier, .February 27. ■ . An inquost;was oponed/at'.Napior Hospital ihis, afternoon,: before Mr.- H.. W. Brabant, coroner,- op' tlio . body. ; of John. Howell, the ■■ victim 1 of 'the-wrestling;boiit'at.tlio'HawKp's: .■ . , . Bay vHigh!and .Sports p' l , February-19:/ TliOfinquiry was conducted bv Sergeant Smart, - and Mr. J. Constable was jhosen.foreman of>tho jury.- ... ~ REWARKS/DY-ITWE CORONER,: / Tho-Corotoer'%lid-' that a post-mortem ox- , .i .inatibnihad.'.not/ibeenjmado/. but.-it-would ~v •; j, fpr.ithc jury ..to. say,-after.-.hearing-tlio, ~, ridenoo. of the- doctors ..who ■ attended do- . ceased, whether they tlionght' such .-examination..should bo. held. The mail; Tcmplcton, who .had,-.wrestled with deceased; was .not thorc;:.hut',it .was: tho,intention-.of tho-pohco: to,ask;for,.an adjonrnraont.so that-ho.might', bo ,present. r.Wresthng-was-a -familiar sport" at athietic-'gathfirings. -and-iit did not follow that dcccflsijclihad.Loen killed,'hy. this man in/ manslanghtonj unless tho v circumstances I pointed; to;sucljL'being, the case.-. If .tho jurv found that: thevo'iwas no- vinlawfjil sport, and. - ■ 3vory .precaution ■ liad -been -' taken -by tlio: , u n'otb-'j i ing-had been dono bvvtho person who was wrestling .with deceased in aii'imlawfubway— i tliey couldi find-that deceased .had been killed ! ;by. an ;accideut;m tho qourse of lawful sport. : STATEMENT BY ONE OF THE JUDGES. Donald.'.lfiol::M'JHiHaii> : - district engineer, Napieg-one :of,;the,principal witnesses called,• said-ho : acted ras ono" of- .tho judges: of the fvrestU|ig,j)iatcJifs..at -tho sports. Tlie com- . thpir opponents,'and-Howell :voTOW; t w^6stlp^\^th*;.Teliipietoii/. .-^After cohi^: . -; .mehcing' : ''fthpir'j?bo"Bt'^t^ •. about four . got/.down".on'.thpj ground;'' and after - somo- ;, '- /, ! n^wTri^J[p^^-lay;{a^d(^^wa'6ls ! , Drone pn/the'ground,'and-Templeton.sat to-jrorkio^puty.wha't;w(as.-known.asjtho ground: buttock,lon. . .'He. was successful' in turning .'. bf; rempleton'B grasp.' Tho two men then stood upright^.aid sparred for: holds." ' They bothgot '.dotal,,again,. Ho,well -. lying-- faco " down ! ; - again. Jiilclt: beside Howoll;" and : tried; to turn -lum . over;" In -dping so -ho . appeared,to dbcitlo to again attempt a ground buttockv.-/Ho-iiji^do.,two ■ or-'three-attempts - to 'got his.right'haud'umlor Howell's abdomen failed. -HoWoH. then seemed to-invito Templeton:: to put >the groupd - buttock; on. - ' He raised .his'body-.sufficiently for Templeton . ■ tO:plaoo>his lefit hand and forearm'across tho : back'of'Howell'p.'neck and' shoulders-in>at-i!. tempting-.to I ', overturn-Howell;"i\Vhen 'tho ; / latter's' ljody- was vertical; 'feet' upwards,' de- , oeased's head-sewiied to chng/to'tho surface ' of the f Erbund....,.,i, •' ' a' crunching noise.

.; Both; . men-- screwed ■ lightly, round; and while ;:tho • screwing was •:going;: oil-witness distinctly 1 -heard'aicrunchingfinoise;':which.he took to ;■ -bcrcfor / a ihone .. being:/broken or .napped.- Howell-fell.' on'.his' back;;-partly: •' underiTcmpleton;-: and witness; stooped "over them, ,and:.called '.to':Tompletonvto:'let go. Ho-said,- "Is it'.a-..fa1l ; Witness made no reply;, anil askecl : s'owell ! if. ho -was/hurt!'- Ho • called, !'My..Godj'I'am going cold all'"over. ? '' Several; people , who; ran :"up 'thought -that Howell had been • winded.-'' They began' rubbing lus breast and'stomach.: : Witness' Called ~ono of the rbystanders-to run- and 'seo -if :4-. could .'find; a. doctor;/and within one and s . 'fhalf.Mmmites a doctor was knd'ehng besido .'Hwell-examining *;him. /■ Howell; appeared -r- havo : no- feeling 'below j his breast, / and- ••■••-• nil complained of growing cold: 1 .Tust, as • ... doctor came TiirTefflpletomvas. kneeling I,; '.r..HowelU ai)d/- witm^fi;hqara- x pjm': say, .'Jd /man,' I- -am flreadfullv:: norry," -to ,:eh Howell replied,-:- f :l;know-you are, old -. ~i." Ho ; ;t<? answer • anything . ■ ;ced him,-and took .-water; -Ho appeared . , Jite-rational;, y.Thero-w!63'-:nothing: rough or rpiteful ; ,m iTempleton's manner -of; wrestlirtg, and, both/, men, appeared, know• something .about - it.They ~Doth.-appearcd vanxious-to . a good . exhibitioni: for-.tho benefit - of' the '.Ho -.hoard no '-remark, derogatory to Templeton \ .<'•.To ;tho;,Coronor,M Witness/had had expon- , enco of catch-as-catch-oan wrestling, and tlio . .contest-„wasi;carried:: onY,in-;.tho usual : way- :.- Wrestling ■ .of/ all r.kinds i :hadV,an / element' of danger.,. ;Ho/could more or. less -account for- ., , the,> accident, bj' - the* fact, tliat."he thought Howell,-was; i' mat'-wrestlor,- - and not 'a field ' It : was; possible:'.to -perform falls'-'of-a more acrobatic . .nature ,-on - tho carpet than tun! tho field.---; Jn; the/field; wr estjing'- inats ''-weroriot' . uspdi,m -NewrZealand.-:, Hov, - cl]''s ;in]iiry ap, : peared ;tO; ho; tho.: result/of a. puro-iaccident/': Witness hadfiheen-taught; wrestling' by,. Dun-" •,. can- C., Ross ;and, Harry Duun,'and ,ho saiv • ■ nothiiig..,.tof']ead,'.himi:to.-suppose'thero was any 111-feehng between the two men

A TEACHER OF THE,ART., i - ■ v : Fred -Wm; >-:Rowlinso'n;,- : :a. wrestler.'-'.Known- ' tmder ; \fche; stage. h am.e of vCzaiy.'arid, a tcaclier' thqj'Jart; j-iVcxt'iwitncssi-iHe-thatihd'was ;present,/'at:'the^spbrts, ; bn: v Feb- v y r u , : .Templetoii ; • : :jV>y^^wng.«;.sH^dfd!7n^tx : I-*;-.' ".- .&>•;.y/Vll^'i^'biiJicr'bixitoclts' : . : y! ? ™.^!rv v; P^ ea^.vPr'o i:^.to ,tKq' accidoritl - i, -;WS| J ■'■-■ elbows,';- aniiA;;i.:aiid ,! being .'-'on the: ; -. jtinder' ,-; Howell He/lowered: his-heaa'.'dowiiiat-Jho ■sanib'itiiM,' ; raising/the!' ■-; • Howell s; head'-was',touching' the:groimd,' 7 and' , whilo Jus :; bodj'; was' held ,'upright wjth Tcni- „ plowm3' right';tho': latter rapplfcd ttlie '"couiii■ ; escape'from' : be-' 1 u, « thrown;-./ Howell's • head v striking' ' the ; wso;.prerent6d ; 'him , fronj '/escaping, so" ■ that' it-'was found 'that an" accidentVha'diiapppried l ' The' . ; injury ■; Mad; '■'- the'. /body-Was' ? eld ;2Hffi^^ ; Jwnplei6ii- wis' the' :, |irst''iiian* •\tA!jattodr^ ; ,^wpU^^;^^iig: v'tßr^nb : . ! his' ; . body. > " ./' i '-"NO FOUL PLAY. . put o '™ WaS foul :P ]a y- on Tcmplcton's To la.-juryman:'. He, thought Templetoii jh P-'!i^ a Wrrman.£':Tlio: erpiit.was.'advfirtised.' >18; dotal' inatbhifMd was' ' wljiyVTTnirnl| ■'. -.- mto'redj;i'Witness. ; had^instrupted^) ' < ie;:;h'ad- r ;orilyi -duriiig-' • iHe',' ■ oa^thfpd^rbqnths;!,, ; 'He;liad 'ndver;#ien:parti .mi match, before - , To tliQ.poronor: Ho liad'-wrestled in field ! •ir; "without'- mattres^es-'^uiitil^, tionian-.sjjortst;^Mattresses" should l always bo' .bftep'taught-ona mattress, Valid' • had 'gone; through tlib same hold and . ter ' as';occurrcd-bri-{thb-^eld:*- : lf'a'mattress had been used, wi r tp^sg,;doubte(|l, : if' such an accident-could- ha'yo'happened; iiecaiiso de--s ceasod's head was-under- his body, and would have, pressed.down. .-th.ree 'inches..'further before!. bending.*: The ';er,ou.]id; 'proyeniibcl, tliis.. ,£ between'.'clip' : nien,-; ; .and.:.'rieithqr;,,shbwed;-m(icli ; advantage' -ovpr' : thft.,dtber,.-'-Both wel■b: , , ; bv Mr';."ii'.Miiian: ■■: - . -v p;l,-:x ;;■' 'At -this., far', it was intended td:;go. '•': •'•'•'• ''".- k--..;: W ■":.Sergeant; .'Smart : '.said^'..tlmt* ; li6 ; intended to: . <»11--aU-'tW ! 'dritloncftV^ildJSl6/ah^';ieave. : it: to tho:.cprone;-;v'aii'dVjury/j;o.-dcciilb' if an. ad-' jourhmeut>'.w.V : ribCessai'y! ';l|o/ thought that deceased's, : . death;;was purely'', an accident, - and that j.iio': blame , .attached;,to ; TempletonThe' Coroner, expressed'the opinion that' Tenipletoiii sh'oiild ; ihavol : been' fjircseiit.-' -THE,DOCTOR'S EVIDENCE. - Dr, : -' Edtvard ..Seymour, 'Ereet, 'jun.',' House • Surgeon at-Napier- Hospitals-stated that ho was on-tlie Recreation- Ground- on: February 19. He: was watching— thij.~wrestling, and saw . Howell and ( Templeton -in. a prolonged stn|g_gle,';,Tlic.''dcceased.'fell back -at": the end, and -. it:;-.}vaß_ ;^ejl, tljiit.vhp/ was .. hurt. ' • Dr. Macdonald 'examined ileccasedt.'^nd/Jwitn^s • advised that he be taken to thb hospital.

This was done, and ho was examined by Dr. Moore, of the visiting staff, and witness. There was no - sign of fracture or of 'dislocation of the spmo, but deccasod was suftcimg from laceration of the spinal cord. He was paralysed from tho tinio of his admittance mid "died ' yesterday morning about 3 o'clock. l There was no 'doubt that- the spinal cord had been injured,' Tlio-weight of his body on his.head, as described by witnesses, would be sufiicient to cause lacoia,tion of the. Bpine. 'He ascribed! tho oauso of death, to laceration of the spinal, cord, from .tliO'irc.sultijoF: an accident, : r followed Vl by .sec-, ondary;.-inflammation.- (Deceased;,said that he - had '.-twisted his,.neck, badly ,intlio.; fall;. 'Witness. if;,-,lioi. thought; jtho'/igrpund tpo t liard ,to wrqstle on, .hutVhoj saidihe ;did not. think, so.: ,-Bte had said'that, ho thought', tho accident w - as hisi.own faultjj 'as he had twisted his neck in trying to recover himself. He thought that some such pontrivancei as ■a; mattress -ior.-, soft,) dug-out pit should .be used. , INQUIRY ADJOURNED.' ■ ■ Tlio jury, after a retirement, decided to adjourn the inquiry until Monday next in order that, 'evidence might he obtained from other.: parts of the Dominion regarding.tho practice of httilct-ic societies in: providing' mattresses ; for wrestling purposes/ ' " •r-i 1 ■ ■ ■i :' - -