INQUEST.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2656, 11 October 1882, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest was hold at the Clarendon Hotel this morning at noon, before J. W. S. Coward, Ksq., coroner, on the body of John E. Bradburn, who was found yesterday on the vacant piece of ground in roar of the White Hart Hotel. Mr E. Binsfcead was chosen foreman of t he jury. After the jury had viewed the body at the Morgue, the following evidence was taken : Elizabeth Nolan—l am barmaid at the White Hart Hotel. Deceased came into the bar yesterday morning about ten o’clock and called for some brandy. He was then perfectly sober. He took a small quantity, and a little while afterward* ho had some more and a oigar. The deceased then went and sat down at the window, and seemed to go to sleep for an hour or so. Mr Charles Sheppard then came and roused him up, telling him he had better go out. The pantryman then came, took deceased by the arm, and they went out together. I never saw any moro of the deceased. By Sergeant Mason—When deceased went out with the pantryman he walked away. He seemed to stagger somewhat going out, but I knew he could not be drunk from what ho had had. The deceased had been in the hotel for about an hour when the pantryman took him out. Henry Lloyd-I am pantryman at the White Hart Hotel. About twenty minutes psst eleven a.m. yesterday I saw deoiased in the private bar of the White Hart, He was then sitting down, apparently asleep. I roused him up and took him out of the bar. He was a little intoxicated, and I led him out. I took the deceased up the right-of-way by the White Hart, near the end of the sample rooms. Deceased stood up and spoke. I afterwards laid him down. He was not then in a condition to take care of himself. Ha lay down on the ground. After he had lain in the right-of-way some two minutes, 1 took the deceased into a paddock

out of the sun. A man named "Dutohy” and myself, each took an arm and led the deceased out of fcha right-of-way into the paddock. I thought deceased was suffering | from the result of drink, and I had no idea that anything serious might result to him. About two o'clock the buttons at the hotel told me that the man was dead. lam not aware that any one had seen him tom the time I took him out till his death. The paddock whore I put deceased is at the back of Mulligan’s shop. It was a grass paddock sheltered from the sun. Daoeased s waistcoat and coat were undone, but loould not say whether his throat was eased by loosening his collar and tie. His head was supported against the perpendicular corrugated iron fence, that is he was propped up with his back against the fence. Deceased was in an ordinary slate of drunkenness. He spoke to me, but I was unable to undereland what he said through his being so drunk. If a man is for some time up country, liquor would affect him more than a person being in town. _... By the Jury—l have been at the White Hurt some throe weeks. The deceased was not sick. I cannot say whether the paddock is the customary place where persons who get drunk in the White Hart are laid down. Edward Stevens was called as a witness, but on coming into the room was found to ba drunk. . Sergeant Mason said this was a most itn portant witness, as he had assisted Lloyd to remove the deceased along the right-of-way. The Coroner said he should have to adjourn the enquiry, and the witness would in the meantime be taken into custody by the police. The witness was then removed in custody. Charles Sheppard—l am employed at the White Hart Hotel as general supervisor and assistant to my brother the proprietor. I saw deceased yesterday morning. The Coroner pointed out that the witness had not seen the body at- the morgue. Hence' ho could not say that the deceased was the man ho had seen in the hotel. As he would have to adjourn the inquest for the evidence of Stevens, the witness would have to see the body meanwhile. Dr. Fredk. H. Hunt deposed to having been called to see the deceased. He was dead. Witness had since made a post mortem examination of the body. There was a contusion of the left ear, and an effusion of blood under th.' scalp. [The witness then went on to describe the post mortem appear* lloo °f the body.] The cause of death, in the opinion of witness, was congestive apoplexy. By Sergeant Mason—No attempt had been made to loosen the necktie and collar of deceased.

By the Jury—l think that it is possible that if medical assistance had been procured his death would have been averted. A medical man could have distinguished between his case and ordinary drunkenness. I attach no importance to the small injury found on the oar. The result of alcohol would be to cause congestion of the brain in a man having a tendency to apoplexy. It would certainly tend to hasten his death, A small quantity of alcohol, even a teaspoonful, would be bad for a man having a predisposition to to apoplexy. I am unable to say from the necessarily hurried diagnosis I had to make whether there was alcoholic poisoning from bad spirits or not. The Coroner said that ns the witness Stevens was evidently in a state of intoxication, and Sergeant Mason had stated that he was an important witness, the (inquiry might now be adjourned. Perhaps Monday would be a good day for adjournment. Sergeant Mason said that there were several other witnesses whose testimony might bo taken whilst the occurrence wes fresh in their memories. The Coroner consented to take these witnesses.

A. B. R, D. Post, employed as buttons at the White Hart, deposed that yesterday morning he saw deceased led out of the middle bar by the pantryman. The deceased could walk, though he was not sober. He was a little bit drunk, bnt not much. Witness did not see him again nntil about three o'clock, when there was a crowd in the right-of-way. Witness went and saw the deceased in the paddock. He was then dead. Mr Charles Sheppard told witness to go and inform the police. The inquest was then adjourned till Monday, 16th, at 11 a.m.