IN A CASE OF LIFE AND DEATH.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1106, 20 April 1911, Page 5

IN A CASE OF LIFE AND DEATH.

OFFICIALS SLOW TO ACT. Yesterday afternoon the City Coroner (Dr. A. M'Arthur, S.M.) held an inquest at the morgue touching the death of Charles Henry Leatban, who died suddenly at the Sailors' Rest on Tuesday afternoon. Station Sergeant Darby represented tho police. Deceased, it appeared, was between 6o and 67 years of age, and was a wharf labourer by occupation. He suffered with heart trouble, and had been under medical care for the■ past, four years.. Dr. 'Henry's evidence wasc.tS the, L effect -that, death was apparently due to rupture of an aneurism of the heart. In the course of evidence a wharf labourer (Harry Buddin) alleged:that, .after deceased began to vomit blood, there was some delay in obtaining medical attention owing to Harbour Board officials declining to ring up. Constable Melville, who was present on the wharf at the time of the , occurrence, explained that the Sailors' Rest telephone was only an extension from the Tolls Office, through which it connected with the Exchange. The doctor arrived shortly after he was summoned. The coroner returned a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony, and added tho following rider: "That, in all cases where life and death is nt issue, the Harbour Board officials should at once telephone ■ for medical assistance. There appears to have been somo hesitation in doing this in the present case."