Clive Brewster's Death

Clearly the Result of a Very Unusual Accident

AN account of the circumstances sur surrounding the death of Mr. Clive Brewster, in Bombay, on April 23 (May PIM), shows that there was no reason why he should have taken his life—he clearly died as the result of an unfortunate and very unusual accident.

Mr. Brewster arrived in Bombay from Karachi by plane about 1 p.m. on April 23; booked in at the Taj Mahal Hotel; went to his room on the fifth floor: and, about 25 minutes later he fell from the open window of this room, 80 feet, to the ground, and was instantly killed.

There was a suggestion that he was suffering mental distress at this time. It was reported that his second marriage had been unhappy, and that he had broken his solitary plane journey from London to Fiji at Bombay in order to transact some business.

That was quite wrong. He was not, on this occasion, on his way back to Fiji.

He was making a special visit to India, and he had arranged to return to Lon don, and there join his wife, and the two of them were to proceed thence to Suva, where a house was being sought for them.

Mr. Brewster’s condition was perfectly normal. There was nothing at all to in dicate any mental distress, or anything unusual. Alone in his room, Mr. Brewster had unpacked one of his bags. Apparently, he then approached the window, the sill of which was unusually low—less than 3 feet. He was a tall man. more than 6 ft. 1 in. There seems no doubt that he sud denly over-balanced and fell.

LADY ELLEN ELLIS, of Tamavua, Suva, sister of the late Mr.

Brewster, in a personal letter, says: “The last letters from my brother to my husband and myself, and also letters from Mrs. Brewster, clearly indicate. that their marriage was a most happy and suc cessful one. It is true that Clive did not find conditions in England to his liking, and preferred to return to the Pacific: but that is hardly surprising in a man who had spent most of his life in Fiji and Australia. . . .

“Clive, like many airmen, has been for many years subject to giddiness when standing at a height and preferred even not to climb a ladder. He had the mis fortune, in January, when he and his wife were ski-ing in Switzerland, to break two small bones in his ankle —and this weakened ankle may have given way as he looked out of the window, and so contributed to cause the tragedy.’’

These further details remove every sug gestion that there may have been cause for suicide; and those who knew Clive Brewster knew that with his tempera ment he was about the last man to con template anything of that kind. No con clusion other than that of accident is possible; but it certainly will remain on record as a very unusual and unfortunate accident.