THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE THEATRE ROYAL HOTEL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5293, 13 March 1878, Page 3

THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE THEATRE ROYAL HOTEL.

• ‘ coroner’s ’inquest. Ah inquest was held at 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon, at the.Theatre Royal Hotel, before Dr.; Johnston (coroner), aud a jury, of, whom. MR Herbert J. Williams was foreman, touch-' ing tha death of James Ahern; I The poroher observed that, there could be no doubt whatever.as to how the. deceased was killed; but on looking at the balustrade over which he had fallen, it was difficult tq..under-, stand how the accident 1 could have occurred, unless he had been-.sitting on the rail at the time. In view of the .circumstances-of thecase, he (the coroner) had deemed it right to hold the inquest on the spot, ,instead, of at. the Morgue, so that , the jury-might see the placje where the actual occurrence took place. Mr. Buckley was in to watch tha proceedings on behalf of the friends of the deceased. The Inspector of Belied was also present, ,- - ; ~ ~ ,■ ! " The jury having viewed the body, the following evidence was taken ' ■ : j 1 Arthur W. * Bradford, - legally qualified medical practitioner, deposed : I was called to the Theatre Royal Hotel at half-past 10 o’clock on Sunday night. I -found the deceased sitting in a chair in the billiard-room, supported by a man whom Xbelieve to be the billiard-marker at the hotel. Deceased was quite insensible. He had a severe bruise on the head, about two inches above the left ear, and was bleeding freely from the ear. There was ho wound on the scalp. From the state of the pupils of the eyes, and from his heavy respiration, I felt sure he had sustained a fracture at the base of the skull. I had him conveyed to bed. Ha never rallied, and remained unconscious until about 2 o’clock in the morning, when he died. The cause of death was no doubt fracture of the skull. I was shown the spot where he fell from the upper room on to the billiard table below, which was smeared with blood.; , By Inspector Atcheson: I smelled deceased’s breath. It smelled strongly of tobacco smoke. I did not detect any signs of drink. By Mr. Buckley : I think if deceased had been drinking heavily I should have been abli to detect it, notwithstanding the effect of the tobacco. The gas was not lighted when I first arrived. The landlord told me the gas lights had : been put out just before the accident. Shortly afterwards it was re-lighted. ; The landlord, Mr.; Bhillips, and another whom! I believed to be the billiard-marker, were present. So far as I could judge, all these people were sober, and so was the messenger who came for me. I cannot say whether there were any other people about the house. I did not notice any. Soon after my arrival Dr. Diver came, and he agreed with me that the case was a hopeless one. He remained until deceased died. Thomas Bailey, landlord of the Royal Hotel, deposed: I knew deceased, who had been lodging in the house for four or five days. On Sunday night, at about five minutes before 10 o’clock, I came upstairs into the vestibule, where I found deceased and two other lodgers, named Gregory and Phillips, discussing about the meaning of the word “ lamb’s-wool,” and they asked me to fetch a dictionary. The clock then struck ten, and I ordered the : lights to be put out, saying: “Let us all get to bed early to-night.” I went to fetch the dictionary, and was just coming back with a caudle, when I was met by the barman, who came rushing up from below, saying someone had fallen oyer the balustrade in the upper vestibule on to the billiard-table in the room below. I told him to go at once for Dr. Bradford, who came almost immediately. I then went into the billiard-table, and found deceased lying on the table. Deceased was carried up to his bedroom, and Dr., Bradford suggested that Dr. Diver should be sent for, which was done. They both agreed that the case was a. serious one. I suggested that the police should be sent for, but they said this was unnecessary and that they -would see to it in the morning. Dr. Diver and. Dr. Bradford were both present when deceased died. Sergeant Price was also present. - -■ , 1 . By Mr. Buckley; I had been walking up and down in front of the house prior to 10 o’clock with Mr. Marshall. I referred to the dictionary as to the meaning of the word “ lamb’s-wool,” and readout to deceased and the other two its meaning—“a drink composed of apple pulp and ale.” At that time deceased was leaning against the counter smoking. There was no quarrelling, but quite the contrary. From the time I left the party until the accident scarcely a minute elapsed. Xt was not unusual for me to turn the gas off before giving lights to the lodgers, as it takes three or four minutes after the gas is turned off for the lights to go out, and before that time they would get their bed candles. Dr. Bradford was on the spot within a very few minutes of the occurrence. When the doctor came in I was supporting deceased in my arms. There was no light in the billiard-room. I I handed Ahern over to the barman J. Smith, and went to get some brandy to give him. As we were carrying deceased upstairs the two barmaids came from their room. One of them had been in the upper bar from 7 o’clock until 10 o’clock. There were other lodgers in the house at the time, but they had gone to bed. By the Inspector : The deceased was in the house, I believe, at tea on Sunday evening. . I ,do not know whether he had been out during the evening. Ido not know what his employment was.

Charles Gregory deposed : I am a compositor, but am just now out of work. I was in the vestibule of the hotel at 10 o’clock 'on Sunday night. Mr. Phillips, the tobacconist, and the deceased, James Ahern, were with me. There was a discussion about the meaning of the word “ lamb’s-wool,” and Mr. Bailey brought a dictionary to settle it. There was no quarrelling over the matter. After Mr. Bailey went upstairs for candles the barman held one of the side room doors open, so as to give light. Phillips was sitting on the sofa; I was sitting on a chair ; deceased was standing alongside Smith the barman. I then heard the sound of footsteps along the floor, followed by a sadden thud below. Smith called out “ There’s a man over the bannister.” By Mr. Buckley : I did not hear Mr. Bailey order anybody to put out the gas. Smith held the door by the staircase whilst Mr. Bailey went for candles. Upon hearing the fall and the cry of alarm from Smith I ran down to the billiard-room and helped to carry the man upstairs. I don’t think more than three minutes elapsed after the occurrence until Dr. Bradford arrived. We were in the vestibule for about ten minutes before the accident. Before that we had been in the dining-room. There was no one behind tho counter in the bar at the time spoken of. I have never hitherto given evidence before a coroner’s jury in my life. I never did so in Otago or anywhere else. ’ By the Inspector : I had been in deceased’s company at dinner and tea that day. I think deceased was in the hotel all the evening, but I had been out myself. We had a couple of drinks apiece that evening. Ho shouted for me and I for him. He was quite sober that night, but looked like a man who had been drinking. James Smith, billiard-marker at the Theatre Royal Hotel, deposed that he returned to the hotel after taking a walk at about half-past nine o’clock on Sunday evening. : Deceased was then standing at the bar , of the upper vestibule talking to Phillips and Gregory. The landlord, Mr. Bailey, was also there. There was no quarrelling. Some argument was going on about the meaning of a word, but it was carried on in quite a friendly way. I sat down at a table and looked over florae papers, and presently Mr. Bailey asked me to turn the gas off, and said he would get candles. I went downstairs and turned the gas off, and came up immediately afterwards. ; I stood at the door and held it open so as to give a little more light. The deceased walked oyer towards me. I could see the other two men whom he left standing at the counter. One of them struck a match at this time. Deceased touched me with his hand as ha came up, and - said : “ Oh, you’re here; it’s all right.” He then went away as if to go to the other two, and almost immediately afterwards I beard a noise as if some one Was scraping his foot on the floor, fallowed by a crash. I called;out immediately to Mr.’ Bailey, who was on the stairs, “My God 1

there’s - a~man over the “balustrade.” Mr. Bailey and myself then ran downstairs, and found .Appeased lying on the . billiard-table. Dr. Bradford was sent for) ! and Came shortly afterwards. He said the case was hopeless. ' The-Coroner summed up, observing that the evidence went to, show that the occurrence was accidental; and that ! therfe did not appear to Ije any:blame attributable; to ;anypne. j At the same time the jury might wish to add to there verdict that some means should be taken with regard ; to the balustrade,. so as to prevent such an, accident as a man toppling over occurring id future. ' . • ! The jury retired, and after a short consultation • returned i-» verdict that deceased wax accidentally ikilled by- -falling over the balustrade in the upper vestibule of the Theatrelißdyal; Hotel,/ahd they strongly ri-,‘ commended that steps should be taken to place some protection: over the opening, so as to prevent r recurrence of an'accident of a similar ■nature. ;■ ■' j The Coroner ’ said “he had no doubt the recommendation of the jury would be attended to.