Person Page 4,374

Dr R E Coolican died. He witnessed the death of Charles Frederick Hilt in April 1956 at Bourke Hospital in Bourke, New South Wales, Australia. He was arrested by Constable Quirk in Oxley Street at 2:30 pm on 25 April. The police later alleged that he struck the constable and a struggle ensued causing Hilt to fall to the ground with the constble on top of him. Four hours later, in the cells, he complained about being "crook in the guts", Dr Lee was called and later transferred him to hospital where he died two days later. Witness Ernest Whitbread alleged that the police had tricked him into signing a blank sheet of paper that was later used to forge a false statement, but he withdrew the allegation after consulting his lawyer. He had also witnessed a statement given by the deceased before his death in which he stated that he had been "held by Warren, struck on the chest with a baton and jumped on". The Coroner, Mr Archie Carmichael, found that he had died from "shock, haemorrhage and peritonitis following a rupture of the small bowel as a result of injuries accidentally received during a struggle in the Police yard with constables on ANZAC Day". He exonerated Constables Quirk and Warren of any wrongdoing.¹