.MTA4.MTUwNTU

First Session

I - Herbert Lorne Wordsworth Turnbull, regularly qualified medical practitioner, practicing in South Vancouver, being duly sworn, saith: -

Coroner; - You have seen the bodies of these victims, tell the jury what you found.

Witness; - I examined the bodies of the victims yesterday afternoon about two oclock, between one and two.

I first examined Lorna Evans, a girl about seven years of age. I found Lorna Evans dead, with considerable stiffness of the body. She had bruising on the middle of the forehead, a slight one on the nose, a slight one on the chin and one on the right cheek. She was not undressed so that I did not make any further examination. I next examined Mrs Evans.

Coroner; - Doctor, can you tell us as you go along in each case the cause of death?

Witness; - I consider the cause of death in Lorna Evans was drowning. I next examined Mrs Evans, a lady about forty years of age, found some evidence of stiffness, a cut on her elbow, a slight cut. She was not undressed, but without undressing her I could find no other evidence of injury. I can say the cause of her death was from drowning. I examined the body of Kenneth Ritchie, a man about thirty-five years of age; found he had a slight cut on one eye, nothing else excepting I concluded that he had died from drowning. I next examined the body of W.H. Walker, a man about sixty years of age and found he had a cut on his forehead and on his ear, no other visible signs of injury. Concluded his death was from drowning. Next examined the body of Frank Keen, a man about forty or forty-five years of age. I found no visible signs of injury on his body, concluded he died from drowning.

BC Archives, GR-0431 Box 10 File 4 / BRITISH COLUMBIA. ATTORNEY GENERAL/ Inquisitions/inquests conducted by coroners in British Columbia.