DEATH IN A POLICE CELL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1157, 19 June 1911, Page 4

DEATH IN A POLICE CELL.

« ; AT TIIK LAIIJJTON STATION. A man named Charles Brown died suddenly in'a coll at Lambton Police Station last evening shortly after seven clock, tie had-be™ arrested at Mount Cook at three o'clock in the morning, and taken to Lambton Station at nine a.m. An inquest will be held to-day. It is stated that Brown is a man about ufty years old, and was a labourer Inoccupation who had been for some time living apart from his wife. Jlis last place oi residence is said to have been at Crawlord i'erra:e. The police report upon (ho mailer states that early on Sunday morning Brown's stepson went to Mount Cook Station to complain that his stepfather was creating a disturbance in front of a house, Ko. 7 Howard Street, occupied by his wile. Constable Atkinson went to the place indicated, and Brown was arrested on charges of being drunk, being drunk while in possession of loaded firearms, and with using certain language. Jle submitted quietly to arrest, and was found to have in bis possession a revolver of heavy calibre, fully loaded, and a long sheath knife. At Mount Co.k Station he was carefully searched, and besides the arms mentioned a bank-book showing an original deposit of .Sr'OO was found in his possession. This money, it is staled, had been paid him some time ago as compensation for an injury received while working on the wharf. From the fact that the sum of .fc-IO had been drawn out during the last four months, it is surmised that Brown must have been for some timo out of work. At nine o'clock lie was transferred in a cab lo Lambton Police Station, as offences of the kind with which he had been charged are not dealt with at .Mount Cook. When ho had been in a cell at Lamblon for about half an hour ho told Station Sergeant Darby and the watch-house keeper that ho had taken poison at Mount Cook. Tho officers immediately rang up Dr. Henry, who came down at once, examined Brown, and stated that he could perceive no symptoms of poisoning whatever. Tho doctor, however, administered possible remedies, and Brown then lav doiy.ii, and, in the words of the police", "seemed to be all right." He was visited at intervals of about half an hour during the day, and nothing unusual was observed in his condition. At 5 o'clock ho was seen to lie lying comfortably on his mattress. His tea was given to him, but ho did not touch it. At six o'clock ho seemed to be lying asleep. At 7.15 p.m.' Constable Cummings, having visited the cell, reported that the man was dead. The cell in which he was confined is a roomy apartment with padded walls. A post-mortem examination is to bo made, which will be followed by an inquest at tho Morgue at half-past'two this afternoon.