Individual Notes
Note for: Henry James Fuller, 1856 - 10 MAY 1902
Index
Burial: Date: 14 MAY 1902
Place: Karori Cemetery, Wellington
Individual Note: Name, Year of Birth and Place and Year of Death and Place from R Cameron
*Marriage Details Date: 1879, Folio No: 301, Names: Henry James Fuller and Emma Hambling*
The Evening Post 12th May 1902
Died in the Cell
Henry James Fuller, aged 46 years, a carpenter residing at No. 17, Stafford street, was yesterday morning found dying in a cell at the Lambton quay Police Station. It is understood that Fuller had not worked since Wednesday, when he left his employment on the Jessie Osborne, and that on Friday he came home under the influence of liquor. On Saturday morning he left home at 7.30 and returned at 9.30 under the same influence. He left his home for the last time at 11 a.m. on Saturday, and about 5 p.m., on the same day was found in a state on intoxication in Lower Cuba street by Constable King, who took Fuller in an express to the lock-up, At 8.50 p.m. Sub-Inspector O'Donovan and two constables visited the cells and found everything satisfactory. Visits to Fuller's cell were made during Sunday morning as follows; Sergeant Cullen, 0.35 a.m.; Constable Egan and Constable Collett, 4.45 a.m. At these visits Fuller made no complaint, and appeared to be all right, and it is understood that a prisoner who shared the cell with him noticed nothing wrong with deceased. About 6.30 a.m. Constable Collett went, in accord with the usual practice, to shift the two prisoners to another cell. Fuller did not respond to a call, and the constable then found that he was either dead or in the act of expiring. Dr. Adams arrived about twenty minutes afterwards and found Fuller to be dead. Pending the result of the post mortem examination, it is difficult to speak with accuracy as to the cause of death, but it is evident that deceased's heart and lungs were both in a very weak state. He leaves a widow and seven daughters aged from four to eighteen years, a son aged five years, and a married son, An inquest was commenced at the Morgue this afternoon at 3.30 o'clock
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The Evening Post 13th May 1902
The Friends of the late Henry James Fuller are respectfully invited to attend his Funeral, which will leave Clyde quay, Tomorrow (Wednesday) 14th May at 10 a.m., for the Karori Cemetery. J Flyger & Co, Undertakers & Embalmers
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The Evening Post 13th May 1902
The Death in a Cell
The Police exonerated from blame
An inquest on the body of the late Henry James Fuller, carpenter, who died in a cell at the Lambton quay Police Station on Sunday morning, was held at the Clyde quay Hotel yesterday afternoon by the District Coroner (Mr. J. Ashcroft), Mr. W. J. Scott was foreman of the jury, Inspector Ellison and Sub-Inspector O'Donovan were present.
Dr. Adams, who was called to the Police Station just after the deceased died, and who made the post mortem examination, deposed that the body was not well nourished and was anemic. Both lungs, especially the left one, were much congested, and were adhering to the pleura. The heart was fatty and flabby, but not organically diseased. The liver was rather enlarged and engorged and the kidneys were congested. There was also no food in the stomach. The cause of death was heart failure, from acute pneumonia. He did not think that the fact that man was lying on the floor of the cell had anything to do with the death. He saw no sign of irritant poison. In a case of acute pneumonia the patient sometimes lapsed into a state of coma, and unless he was closely examined and his temperature was taken it would be hard for a layman to tell whether he was not insensible from drink. The night was not cold, and the cell was warm. The deceased was warmly clothed, and he had a blanket. Witness thought the man was in a dying state when he was taken into the cell.
By Inspector Ellison - The deceased had apparently been suffering from pneumonia for about a day before he went into the Police Station. If he was drunk it would be difficult for a layman to distinguish that he was also seriously ill.
Mrs. Fuller - the widow, of deceased, gave evidence that her husband contracted a severe cold last week.
Constable King gave evidence that he arrested the deceased at the corner of Cuba and Victoria streets at 5 p.m. on Saturday last. The man, who was lying down, smelt of Whisky, and was helplessly drunk.
Constable Collett deposed that the deceased was undoubtedly suffering from drink when witness took charge of him at the Police Station. There was no one in the cell when deceased was place there. It was the practice to place a man who was helplessly drunk on the floor of the cell in preference to placing him on a bench, from where he might roll off. In Fuller's case a part of the blanket was used as a pillow. The night was close, and consequently the heater was not used. The heater was always used when the weather was cold. About two hours after the deceased was placed in the cells another man, also helplessly drunk, was put in, and witness then saw deceased. At 8.45 p.m. witness again saw deceased, who, in reply to a question, said that he was all right. Witness then went off duty, and on returning at five minutes to 5 next morning he again saw deceased, who spoke to him. At that time there were two men besides deceased in the cell. A few minutes after 6 he passed in a drink of water to one of the three men there, and he called out to them, "Are you all right boys?" One of them said, "Oh, yes." At 7.20 he again visited the cell, and found the deceased dying. He took the man outside and placed him in charge of another constable and rang up for Dr. Adams, who arrived promptly.
Sub-Inspector O'Donovan gave evidence that he visited the cell at 8.45 on Saturday night and examined deceased, who told him that he was all right.
The Coroner, in summing up, said he thought that the police were not to blame for the man's death.
The jury returned a verdict in accordance with Dr. Adams's evidence, and added a rider commending the police for the way in which they had treated deceased.
Karori Cemetery Headstone show
In loving memory of H. J. Fuller died 10 May 1902 aged 46 years
Emma Fuller died 14 August 1947 aged 85 years
In loving memory of their daughter Ivy Graf died 18 Feb 1985 aged 88 years