Employee Before giving his verdict on the death of Richard Maurice Tinkler in HM. Police Court yesterday morning, Mr. C. H. Haines, H. M. Coroner, made the following statement:
"I do not propose to sum up all the evidence. I shall only make a few comments. The evidence I have heard shows a most extraordinary story and the facts stand out in strong relief. The first is the entirely unnecessary and unjustifiable bayonetting of Tinkler after he had been disarmed and, secondly, the failure of the Japanese Naval surgeon to recognize the gravity of Tinkler's injuries and the refusal of the Japanese Naval authorities to allow competent British authorities to attend him until too late.
"With this second fact is coupled the further fact that if an immediate operation had been performed, Tinkler's life may have been saved."
Mr. Haines then gave the verdict as follows:
"I find that Richard Maurice Tinkler died on June 7, 1939 at the General Hospital, Shanghai, as a result of injuries inflicted on him by persons not subject to the jurisdiction of this court, at the Lun Chang Mills, Pootung on June 6, 1939. Death was due to shock and haemorrage resulting from stab wounds in the abdomen which caused per-formations of the intestines. I fud further that death was accelerated by the failure to perform an immediate operation after the infliction of the injuries."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.