INQUEST.

— : — * The adjourned inquest touching the death of Cecil Henry Lascelles, wio died on Friday last, was 'held 'this morning at the Shades Hotel, before Mr R. Beetham, Coroner. Inspector Broham conducted the inquiry. Ralph Anderson Chafey, station-manager' at Highfield, stated that on the evening" of Nov. 7, Cup Day, he was at the Cnristchurch Club, and saw the deceased there in the billiard-rcom, between 9.30 and 10. The deceased was a. great friend of witness. Witness and another friend were playing. a game of billiards, and during its progress \lr Lascelles came in, and they began chaffing on« another. Mr La&celles gave witness a playful dig in the . ribs ; wit-ness stooped down to pick 'him up off the ground and put Mm on his shoulder, with 'the object of putting him down on ihe seat running round the room. Unfortunately, deceased's weight just over-balanced witness, who tripped and fell. He did his best to ease deceased when he found they were falling, but, unfortunately, deceased was underneath with his legs crossed. They heard something crack like a, pistol-shot, and, after looking at one another for a moment, they realised that Mr Lascelles had had his leg broken. They were both quite sober. George Gould, merchant, deposed that he was. at the Chris tchurcli Club on the evening of l&v. 7. Witness had just played billiards with Mr Chafey, and was talking to him and Mr Lascelles, for, perhaps, a i minute or so, before the accident. Mr Lasi celies made some joking remark, and made some playful motion as if to dig Mr Chafey in the rißs. Mr Chafey put both arms round Mr Lascelles and/lifted him on his shoulder. It appeared to witness that Mr Chafey lifted Mr Laiscelies higher than he had intended, and they both fell to the floor. There was not the slightest ill-feeling on the part of either Mr Lascelles or Mr Chafey. Everything had been in the utmost t'ood humour. Dr B. M. Moorhouse stated that he had witnessed the accident, and tha descriptions given by the previous witnesses were correct. Witness attended the deceased, who was suffering from compound fracture of both bones of the leg. He progressed very well, the last time witness saw him having been on Nov. 16. On Nov. 17, on returning from his round, witness received an urgent call to sec Mr-Lascelles, but found him dead. Ho had. no doubt that death was caused "by emholism ; that was, a clot 6f blood carried from the seat of injury to the ;beart. The .deceased had been a very healthy man. To a Juror : There was no neglect in nursing implied. Nothing could have been done to prevent the embolism. Dr Walter Fox deposed to having been called to sec Mr Lascelles hurriedly on Nov. 17, at about 5.45. On arrival witness found him dead, death having occurred perhaps about a quarter of nn hour previously. There was no evidence of circulation, but witness endeavoured to resuscitate deceased, but without avail. Mr Beetham said that he did not think it necessary to call Mrs Lascelles, who had been present when her husband died. The jury had heard the medical evidence as to the cause of death, and Mrs Lascelles would be unable' to throw any fresh light on the subject. The jury expressed the opinion that it would not be necessary to have Mrs Lascelles' evidence, and found that the deceased had died from embolism, the result of an accident received at the Christchurch Club on Nov. 7.