Several mysterious points arose in the continuation before. Mr. C.H, Haines, Coroner. "in HM. Police Court on Jan. 13 of the inquest on Mr. W. J.C. Shoppee, who was killed atier falling down a lift shaft Broadway Mansions on December 31. Medical evidence previously given indicated that Mr. Shoppe had fallen fon his feet. but' a barrier three "feet high was stated a witness to have been found placed across the lift door on the second floor immediately after the occurrence, The barrier showed signs of having been disturbed. The witness who gave this testimony, Mr. F, M. Howard, engineer of the Stang-hal Land Investment Ca, said that he could not suggest any way in which Mr. Shoppes could have got through the barrier, and have left it as it was found.
"He might have thought that he was going down a staircase, but In that case he must have pushed it aside", mid Mr. Howard, "it w uld have been dificult for him to topple over it without the barrier showing. Some signs of damage. But I don't think it likely that be would have mistaken the lift shaft for a staircase, especially as he was a man who knew thes building."
Mr. Howard said that after the acident he and Inspector Moir of the 'SMP, went up to the second floor to see if the barrier was in place. They found the barrier in place, and one light on. This Tight was only Jabout four feet away from the lift. The only ther door close to the lift tha; leading into the hotel foyer opposite. This was a swing Assuming that a man knew his way about the building, and wanted to leave, he would have gone through the swing doors to the East Wing corridor, and from there to the passenger itt' or stairease?—That Is what T would have done in the cir cumstances.
You must have come to the conclusion that it was from the secon: oer that he fell?—Yes.
Once he got inside the barrier. would there have been enough light for him to see the lift well?—No, it would have been quite dark inside.
Could he have stepped over the barrier?—T don't think he could possibly have stepped over it. Me was 0 short man, Witness stated that the Otis Elevafor Company were responsible for repairs to the lift, and precautions were taken by them at the doors which were under repair.
Mr, Haines: The precautions do not seem to me to have been very good ones—The building was not open to the public until the next day.
Would entrance have been refused to anyone wanting to interview one of the hotel staff?—No, Witpess stated that more precautions would have been taken had the building been open to the public, but the precautions taken were ample for anyone working in the building, and there "should. not have been one chance in a thousand of them falling through."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.