AN ENGINEER’S DEATH.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 November 1921, Page 4

AN ENGINEER’S DEATH.

THE INQUEST OPENED. HOW DECEASED WAS FOUND. The circumstances surrounding the death of Robert Stanley Wooldridge, mechanical engineer, whose body was found in the yard of his business premises at New Plymouth on Wednesday night, were the subject of an inquest held last night by the district coroner (Mr. A. M. Mowlem, S.M.). The evidence was adduced by Senior-Sergt. McCrorie. The first witness was the widow, Louise Elsie Wooldridge, who said her husband was 38 years of age, and carried on business in Gill Street. He lived there too, but she resided apart from him. She identified the body in tlie' morgue as that of her husband. She last saw him alive on Wednesday night about a quarter to eeven, when he was standing on the street near her residence. She had no conversation with him; she put her head out of the window, and he walked away slowly. Robert H. Sleep, blacksmith, who lived in a whare on the premises of R. S. Wooldridge, Ltd., and was employed by the firm, said he saw deceased at twenty minutes to eight on Wednesday night at the whare. Wooldridge spoke to him then about the tester in connection with the furnace, which was then registering 800 degrees. Wooldridge said he wanted to get it down to 750 and would call back later. Before going away he offered witness a ticket for an entertainment, which witness accepted and proceeded to town. He returned about a quarter to eleven and found the whare door partly open, which was unusual. He went inside and struck a\ match, and on returning to the door saw the body of his employer lying in front of the building. The body was quite cold, and witness immediately roused a fellow employee on the premises. Returning, he switched on a light in the yard enabling him to see the body, which was lying face downwards. * He again tried the body for signs of 6ife, but found none. Witness went away to get in touch with a doctor and Dr.* Blackley arrived within fifteen minutes. There were no marks of violence about deceased and the only way in which he could account for the body lying near the whare wae that deceased had been working at the tester, and probably used the light in the whare (winch was on a cable), to see what he was doing. The cable from the light was lying near the body, but witness did not know if it was broken. Dr. Blackley picked the wire up and it gave off a few sparke and produced a slight shock. There was no connection between the wire and the testing apparatus, and there were no other electric wires about. The deceased had mentioned to him on occasions when they, were together ‘that he was not feeling well. The last time he this was about a fortnight ago. Robert P. Bond, secretary of the company of R. S. Wooldridge, Ltd., of which deceased was managing director, said he last saw deceased at five o’clock on Wednesday evening. He appeared to be in his usual state of health then. The last occasion on which Wooldridge had complained of not feeling well was just about a week before his death. Deceased then repeated what he had said on previous occasions, to the effect that he could not make out what was wrong with him. He complained of feeling weak. Before witness joined the firm in July last Wooldridge consulted a specialist in Auckland in May, by direction of hife New Plymouth adviser. He had also told witness that he was not accepted for war service on account of a weak heart. During witness’ connection with him Wooldridge had more than once referred to this weakness. The coroner adjourned the inquest till 7 o’clock to-night and ordered that a post mortem, examination of the body be made to-day.