INQUEST Ow fnswEN sit Before Ar. C. H. Malues, HAM, Coroner Shanghai, Jan, 6, How a foreign police sergeant, who, in the early hours of December 13 was travelling inside an S.V.C. armured car weighing 33% tons, felt two bumps when proceeding along Robi son Road and how he got out of Vehicle to find an Indian watchman, Bishen Singh, lying flat on his back in the middle of the thoroughfare, was described at an inquest held in HAM. Police Court yesterday. Heard before Mr. C. H. Haines, Hat, Coroner, the Inquest was on Bishen Singh, who died later in the General Hospital from his injuries which ineluded fractured vertebrae. At a previous hearing evidence had been given that Bishen Singh was lying in the road when a police search yan and the armoured ear in which the pollceman witness was a passenger, were proceeding towards him.
Dr. 1. G, Anderson, who was the first witness called at yesterday's hearing, told the Coroner that Bishen Singh was under his care in the General Hospital on December 13, and that he died on December 14. Describing hhis injuries, Dr. Anderson stated that there was "some bruising the back of the left shoulder but there were no injuries or bruises on the arms or legs.
The injuries, he said, were directed towards the left side of the bod} Probably the force had been directly from behind, The injured man did look is if he had been and ecushed and the consistent with the offside wheels passing over the point of the choulders. The fracture of the ribs was in with the front fold of the arm pil, "I would have expected more damage to the ribs if the verter were broken ax well." he added. "It be without" breaking the not likely that the vertebrae would The doctor continued that there was no indication that something. had gone across the back. The me jury to the vertebrae might have been caused by a wheel passing over the left shoulder and the spine resting on a stone or something like that. Answering Mr. Haines, Dr. Anderson stated that he didn't notice a smell of alcohol in. Bishen Singh's breath. "The man regained. consciousness but he "did not say wything important. Wis death was. directly" due' to his injuries, which. suggested his having been rin over only one vehicle. There were no injuries to the head, Dr. Anderson added that the man's injuries gave him the impression that he had been In answer to questions put with the permission "of the Coroner. by Mr. P. Watkin Williams, ro-presenting the SACO, Dr. Ander-fon stated that the ribs were each broken in one place. They were all broken inwards." The breaking of the ribs could not have caused a fraclwre of the vertebrae, Tt was possible thatthe Injuries to the Yerlebrae were not caused at the same time as the injuries to the clavicle and ribs.
For the benefit of the witness, Mr. Haines then explained that a Chinese woman, who had given evidence at a previous hearing, had stated that she Suv this man lying on the road and had seen two vehicles coming along. She had shouted to the driver of a police search van, which had passed between her and the man on the road. The driver of the armoured ear, the Coroner stated, had given evidence that he felt two bumps. "It seems quite obvious," Mr. Haines went on, that the man was ying flat on his back and it Tooks as if this partie cular van went over him, What is fuct clear is, was this man free of injury when this van went over him?"
Dr. Anderson stated that the only answer he could give was that the Injuries were consistent with the wheel of a vehicle weighing 314 tons having passed over the left shoulder. The injuries (0 the vertebrae, he said, could have been caused by a vehicle having run into him. from behind when he was in a standing position. If that had happened he would have ble to move and would have remained where he fell.
Foreign Sergeant George Skibin of the SALP. told the Coroner that on ght of December 13 he was on duty in armoured car, No. 6, on Robison Road, with armoured in the rear, AN about 24% armoured ear was proceed. rth to south along Robison ess" was sitting to the right of the driver and slightly to He was looking towards the front and he noticed a Chinese woman ross the road. When she was to the Fight of the car he felt two bumps and, knowing the road to be in a Rood condition, he was puzzled and {ola the driver to stop.
Upon getting out of the car he saw an Indian ying on the read. "He was almost in the middle of the read felled, "and was Unconscious!" Alter calling for ay ambulance' witness examined the Indian more closely. "When T bent over him," he said, "he was moaning and there was a smell of alcohol from his mouth, It was very noticeable. I noticed that didn't move.
Witness said that he did not see any marks on the man's shoulder ale though his overcoat was solled at the bottom. "itis turban was Tying. about two to three fect (0 the west of him. When the ambulance men picked him up his Heft arm hong Timp, The armoured ear had dim lights, witness said, and the street lighting Was very poor. The enguiry was then adjourn ed until January French Consular Court
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