Robert West McDowall, 1896-27/3/1923. "lying on the rockery"

WINDOW CLEANER’S DEATH

VERDICT OF MISADVENTURE 

While cleaning the windows of Mr J. S. Campbell's house in Constitution street about 8.30 yesterday morning a young man named Robert West McDowall fell from the second storey on to a rockery about 25ft below, and received such serious injuries that he died immediately. The deceased was a son of the Rev. Robert. McDowall, of Kaitangata. He was a single man, aged 27, and he lived at 36 Dundonald street, Anderson’s Bay. In the afternoon an inquest was conducted at the morgue by Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M. Sergeant Dunlop represented the police. 

Dr Newlands, in describing the injuries of the deceased, said there was a copious flow of blood from the nose and the front of the skull was badly fractured. Evidently the whole weight of the body had come on the head. In his opinion death was due to fracture of the skull and laceration of the brain, and it must have been practically instantaneous. There was nothing to show whether or not the deceased had had a fit of any kind. 

Hector Porteous West, chief clerk in the railway, said the deceased was his nephew. His general health was good, but at long intervals ho was subject to fits — about once or twice a year perhaps. 

Mary Campbell, residing at 16 Constitution street, said the deceased arrived at her place about 8.35 a.m. that day to clean the windows. On being admitted he went upstairs to commence the work. The windows had a ledge about 8in wide, and an outer lodge of about the same width. These ledges were sloping. A few minutes after the deceased started work witness’s little boy ran downstairs and told her that the man had fallen from the window. She went outside and found him lying face downwards on the rockery. Witness then rang up her husband, who at once called in Dr Newlands. Deceased had kept on his boots when he got on the ledge, and had closed the window. 

James Shaw Campbell, husband of the previous witness, said that when he arrived home in response to a message from his wife, he found the deceased lying on the rockery apparently quite dead. The window ledge was sloping, and would afford a risky foothold. He understood that on previous occasions the men who cleaned the windows had removed their boots. Dr Newlands arrived within a few minutes of the accident. 

Richard Rodwell Barnes, a window cleaner, employed by the Dunedin Window Cleaning Company, said he had cleaned the windows of 16 Constitution street on a number of occasions. He had kept on his boots, and had found the foothold safe enough. He did not consider it risky. 

The Coroner said it was clear that the unfortunate man must have slipped and fallen off the window ledge. Even allowing for the evidence of the last witness, it appeared to him to be a risky procedure for a man to stand on concrete ledges of this kind without first removing his boots. A verdict would be returned that death was due to injuries caused by an accidental fall from a window ledge.  -Otago Daily Times, 28/3/1923.

Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin.