INQUEST.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2660, 16 October 1882, Page 3

INQUEST.

The adjourned iDquest on the body of E. J. Bradburn took plaoe aS 11 a.m. to-day, at the Clarendon Hotel, beforo Dr. Coward and a jury of whom Mr B. Biiißtead was foreman.

Mr Garriok appeared to watoh the case on behalf of Mr J. O. Sheppard, the proprietor of the White Hart. Sergeant-Major Mason stated that the man Edward Stephen?, who bad been committed for oontempt of Court for ooming drunk at the last inquest, was still unable to appear, as he was Buffering from the eilccts of drink. He produced a certifioito from Dr. Nedwill to that effect. The Coroner eaid a? they ware assembled the evidenoe available might as well b» taken. M. C. Sheppard deposed to having ce-->n the body of deceased on the llth inst. On ths 10th he had seen the drcaased sitting in the private bar of the White Hart betwoec 10 and 11 a.m. He appeared to be asleep. Witness did not seo him supplied -with any liquor. Witness woke docoased up, and ho replied " All right." On again returning to the bar the pantryman wes removing deceased. Witnes3 told tbo pantryman that there was a man asleep in the bcir, and he had better take him out. The pantryman had hold of deceased by the arm, and tbo latier ■was walking out similar to any man vrho was being assisted. The aria of the pantryman was under that of deoiased. Witneis saw him take dtceeaed out of the bar, and never saw the latter afterwards alive. About two o'clock the witness was informed that the roan was dead. The body was lying at the back of Mulligan's drapery shop. There is a kind of grass paddock there. Witc*Bi informed the polioe of the onourrene'e at the timo of bis removal, ■i'he deceased was a little intoxicated. No instructions were given to the pantrymen whew to ploee deceased. Witness said ho

had a yard man to Bend for a po'.icem: n to h give deoeased in oharge. Witness thought when tha pantryman got deceased ontside 7 he would walk away. He was able to do so i according to the belief of witnen. ' By the jury—Witness had no hand in re- ,' moving deceased. The ease of a removal of a man from the bar wes a very rare '" thins;. No enquiry was made by witness as ? to what the pantryman did with the deoeasod, as ho thought he would walk away. It w not p customary to have " drunks" at the White s . Hart. Persons who have got drunk eliewhere sometimes were to be seen on this 1 section. These were persons who had never 1 had a drink in the White Hart. The section I is not used as a reoeptaole for broken bottles. f The White Hart has a place where broken bottles are placed. 1 Joseph Oram Sheppard deposed to having seen the body of deceased before its removal ' to the morgue. He was in the White Hart ' on the .morning of the 10th, about 10.30, in the private bar. He was then perfectly sober ; he was standing at the bar. Witness was asked by deceased to drink with him, and he did so. The deoeased only had the one gfoss which was before him so far as witnesß knew. Witness left him standing at the bar. He had no knowledge of the removal of deceased to the seotion in rear, but was informed by his brother about two o'clook that some man was dead at the back. On going to see, witneis found it was deceased. By Mr Garriok—There was nothing in the appearance of deceased to indicate anything unusual about him. By the Foreman—Does the drink you sell usually have the effect spoken of in the short time on deoeased ? Witness—The effeot all depends on the health or constitution of the man taking liquor. I see from the medical evidence that a teaspoonful of spirit might kill a man subject to apoplexy. The barmaid is leaving for Dunedin, but is here to give evidence to-day. She waj leaving before this occurrence. Christian Klingenstein deposed that he knew the deoeased, and had done so ever sinoe he came to the colony. Deoeased always appeared to be healthy, and was very strong. He was twenty-nine years of age, and of intemperate habits. He used to have boots of drinking. Nothing serious resulted from these bouts so far as witness was aware. He thought if he kept on drinking as he had done some eight or nine months before that it might result in his death. Deoeased was in the hotel on the night of the 9th. He had come from Timaru, and was both healthy and sober. Witness had never seen him so well before. By tha Foreman—He used to drink beer principally. It would take an enormous quantity of bear to produoe a effect on him, It would require s.mj ten or twelve pints. W. T. Haddrell deposed that he was in the billiard room of the White Hart between II and 12 in the morning of the 10th inst. Some voices in the right-of-way attracted his attention, and he went to the window. Witness saw the deceased being helped across by two men from one side of the right-of-way to the side of the house. The two men were an employe of the hotel and a man named "Dutohy." Deoeased was tupported by two men, one on either side. They sat deceased against the side of the house just below thobil-liard-room in the right-of-way. Witness asked what was the matter, and one of the men replied that the man was drunk. About two or three minutes afterwards the men removed deoeased from the right of-way and put him in the paddock. This time one had hold of the arms of deceased and the other his legs. . They placed deoeased in the vacant seotion behind Mulligan's. When witness saw de- ' ceased first in the right-of-way he was in a helpless state. By Mr Garriok—Witness could not say \ whose voioes it was he heard in the right-of- ; way. Ho could not say whether the men laid or sat down the deoeased in the paddock. By the Foreman —Deoeased did not offer j any resistance whilst being carried across to j the paddock. ( By the Jury—The deceased appeared to be drunk, as he was helpless. The deceased was j not handled roughly. Barnabas James Hale deposed to having seen the deoeased in the White Hart right- J of-way on the morning of the 10th. This was about a quarter to twelve o'clock. He was lying full length near the billiard room door. Witness went forward to see wbsther he knew him, but ho did not. Deceased looked thoroughly over- , powered by drink. Where the deoeased was • lying he was exposed to the sun. Witness . had reoeived an anonymous letter sinoe he had been named to attend as a witness. The letter told hint to mind his own business. Tho letter produced was the one, and was • signed " Fairplay." It said that he should keep his mouth shut, and not be so fast in using hie tongue. By the Jury—Witness did not know the writing. The letter was laid on a boot trunk : in the shop addressed to him. Constable Wallace deposed to taking charge ; of the body of deceased, and having it removed to tbe morgue. Sergeant-Major Mason said this was all the evidouoe he could produoe at present. _ ' Mr Garriok said he desired to re-examine ' the barmaid as to who paid for the liquor ' had by deceased. : Elizabeth Nolan, re called, said that the deceased gave her a. pound note for the drinks served by her. She deduoted 2s, and gave dcooaied back 18s. j By the Jury—Witness did not make the ! remark to any one in the bar at the time deoeased was taken out that he_ was dying. There was no one in the bar at the time so far as she reoolleoted. Witness never thought anything about tbe man becoming stupefied with so small a quantity of drink and in so short a time.

Joseph Hadfield deposed to seeing the deceased on the morning of the 10th in the private bar of the White Hart about twenty minutes to eloven or twenty minutes past. 8o far as witness could eee at this time he was sober. The inquest at this stage was adjourned till 2 p.m. On resuming at 2 p.m., Sergeant-Major Mason oalled the following evidenoe: — William A. Brown deposed that on the morning of the 10th instant he was in the White Hart Hotel private bar. Deceased was there at the time; This was near noon. He was Bitting at the far end table in the bar where writing materials are pie cad. His hack was to the window, and he was faoing the bar. Witness asked the barmaid for Mr Sheppard. Deceaied was at this time leaning his head down on one side and making a strange noise, resembling choking or gurgling. Tbe barmaid looked very frightened, and made the remark, "My God, the man is dying," or " goiog to die." Witness was not suro whioh. Witness replied, and said he thought it was only the effect of a fewextra whiskies From the position the man was in he thought he was drunk. Witness afterwards left, and went towards the office, and whilst in the office the buttons came to tell Mr Charles Sheppard to rotnove the man out of the bar, as he was ill. Witness understood the boy to convey the idea that the deceased was ill. Mr Sheppard gave one of the employes instructions to remove the deoeassd from the bar.

By Mr Garriok—Witness took the man to be druuk, and that he was in an ordinary drunken sleep. The view witness took of the matter was that it was a common oase o? drunkenness. By the Jury—This was all the conversation witness had with the barmaid. _ Deceased was in the same position when witsees •*oat out as when he went in. The deceased looked as if he was quite drunk. By Mr GaTriok-Witness thought it was about twelve o'olook, but could not s»y positively. By the Jury—The barmaid, when witness said that deceased was drunk, staged that she did not think bo. Mr J. O. Sheppard did not are the man removed, beoauss Mr Charles Shoppard had had him taken away before Mr J. O. Sheppard came ba k. Joseph Clark deposed that, on the morning of the 10:h instant, he p aaaed through the right-of-way of the White Hart from Lichfield to High street. He saw what he took to be a drunken brawl close by the last door ia the right-of-wiy. A mars, who appeared to be in a very dTunken state was being lifted up by another man from the ground. Mr Charles Bheppard was present on the occasion. Witness did not str.y to cce any more. By Mr Garrick—The man appeared to have fallen down backwards just oomiug out of tho hotel. By the Jury—Thii was about half-past eleven o'clcok. Mr Charles Sheppard did not render any assistance or give any orders ; he was only looking on. Witness was perfectly certain it was Mr Charles Sheppard who wn looking on. If witness coula have found a policeman in High street he would have sent him on.

Sergeant-Major Mason said thia was all Ae , evidence the police had to produoe. The Coroner, at the request of the ]ui-y, read the medical evidence taken at the first inquest, and that given by Mr Charles Sheppard at the adjourned inquiry. The jury, after a lengthened deliberation, brought in a verdict—That tho deoeased died from oongestive apoplexy, aocelerated by the use of intoxicating liquors and the inhuman treatment reoeived in connection with his removal from the White Hart Hotel. The jury desire to add a strong vote of censure on the authorities of the White Hart Hotel, and that the Coroner bo requested to bring the matter under the notice of the Onristohutch South Licensing Committee. The Coroner said he should decline to take the verdiot as submitted. He would take the verdiot bb follows:—"That the deceased died from ooDgeativo apoplexy, accelerated by the use of intoxioating liquors," and then he would odd the rider of the jury stating that the authorities of the White Hart deserved oensuro. No inhuman treatment had been proved, and therefore he could not take the verdiot in that shape ._ lhe Fortmin desir3d to pciat out that he had asked Dr. Hunt whether the deoeased in all probability would havo reoovered had medioal assistance been at hand, and his reply was in tho affirmative. Tbe Coroner said that this might be so, but he would desire to oill the attention of the jury to the faot that in reality the verdiot they wished to record was one of manslaughter, but they did not state against whom. Mr C. M. Grey, one of the jury, wished to know whether the ooronor had the power to overrule the unanimous deoision of the jury as to their verdiot j it might appear inconsistent to him, but not to them. The Coroner said he had power to refuse to receive a verdict whioh was not legal. The Foreman said that tho ooroner wes willing to retain that portion whioh implied grave censure on the proprietors of the White Hart—what was there to censure if not the inhuman oonduot f Surely they were not censuring them for selling the glasses of liquor. The Coroner said that the jury had the power, if they liked, through their foreman to send their virdiot to the lioensing committee, or he would do so. But he was unable to rooeive a verdiot whioh wes illegal, by not stating who was charged with the manslaughter, which the verdiot of the jury imputed to some one. The Foreman said that the jury would again deliberate on the verdiot. The jury again deliberated, and on reassembling the vsrdicfc was given in the following form : —" That the deoeased, J. K. Bradburn, died from oongestive apoplexy, asoelerated by the use of intoxioating liquors, and the treatment reoeived in connection with his removal from the White Hart Hotel. The jury wish to add a strong vote of censure on the authorities of the White Hart, and that the Ooroner be requested to bring the matter under the notion of the Ohriatohuroh South Licensing Committee." la this shape the verdiot waß recorded, and the proceedings closed.