THE LATE SUDDEN DEATH.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IV, Issue 324, 16 October 1875, Page 3

THE LATE SUDDEN DEATH.

CORONER’S INQUEST. Ax inquest was held at the Masonic Hotel on Wednesday, the 13th instant, before Captain Tovey, J.P., Coroner, to enquire into the cause of the death of the late Alexander Graham, who was found dead in a sitting room of the Masonic Hotel on the Tuesday evening previous. The following gentlemen were sworn on the jury: Messrs Bodeil (foreman), W. H. Bennet, Clarebrough, Banyard, Eemington, Ehodes, Maxwell, Koller, J. Wrigley, jim., T. ,J. Henshaw, Leatham, Allelley, and Gardiner. The jury having viewed the body, William Bote, the first witness, was called. He deposed: I and Mr Murray, skipper of the cutter Elizabeth, went into the room where deceased now lies yesterday afternoon about three o’clock, and took deceased some tea; he drank the tea, and we sat t alking with him about half an hour; Mr Murray then went away to Ins cutter, and I sat talking with deceased; he asked me to got him a glass of ginger wine, but as there was none in the house I brought him a glass of port wine, after taking which ho said he felt better, and that ho -would have a sleep; he pulled the clothes round him, and I wont out of the room; I did not hear any more about him till about twenty minutes to seven, when I heard that he was dead.

By the foreman : It was about four o’clock when be bad the port wine ; I did not hear of deceased having anything the matter with him until bis mate brought him into my room the night before last; be then complained of fooling pains in his face. By jurymen: Deceased was not given to drink immoderately ; be complained of suffering from result of cold; Ido not kno w that bo was subject to fits; be bad not been drinking to excess.

By the Coroner: I have known the man about three weeks; bo bad not been drinking to excess, but had been drinking moderately; since I knew him lie would drink in the evening when lie came ashore.

John Murray deposed: It was about seven o’clock when I came ashore with deceased on Monday night last from the cutter Elizabeth; I left him at Cook’s corner, and told him I would see him at Mr Bonnet’s in ten minutes; the ton minutes had hardly elapsed when some young man told me deceased was taken away to the lock-up ; as soon as I heard that I went in search of him, and met Constable Whelan, who asked me what was the matter with my mate; I told him he complained of pains in his face coming along the beach; I met deceased coming from the green where the constable had left him; I asked him what was the matter, and he said he was bad; ho wanted me to take him somewhere where he could get a bed; he asked me that when the police found that he was not drunk as he was supposed to he how was it they did not take care of him when they found he was bad ; and he further said, “ My God, it will kill mel said, “Never mind, I wall find yon a bedhe said I would have to be quick, as lie did foot think he would be able to get as far as the bod; we came to the Masonic Hotel, but there was no one visible in the house at the time, the front part of the house being closed, so I laid him down in Mr Maxwell’s back premises, in the room where the men sleep; he complained of it being too cold for him, so I went in search of a bed for him again, and found one at the Masonic Hotel; I went to the chemist and got him some medicine, and stayed with him all night; ho began to feel better towards morning; I left him for about an hour and a half in the morning and went aboard; when I came ashore between twelve and one I asked him if he would like anything to eat; he said he did not care about anything to eat, but after a good deal of persuasion I got him to eat a couple of eggs and some bread and butter, and drink some tea ; about half an hour afterwards he said he felt a good deal better; he dosed off to sleep, and woke about a quarter to four in the afternoon, when he asked what I was going to do about finishing my job here, and I told him that if he thought he would be all right by the morning I would wait; he said he would rather stop where he was two or three days, and that I had better get some one else to finish the job ; I went to look for some one ; on my way back about

seven o’clock Constable Whelan met me and told mo the man was dead ; I forgot to mention that on Monday night deceased got up once in the night and spat up a lump of congealed blood about the size of an egg.

By the foreman : I never hoard the man complain of illness before : ho used to say that for thirty years he never had any sickness; he did not complain until Monday night, when he complained of a pain on both sides of his face; I have known him about eighteen months. By jurymen: It was between eight and nine o’clock when I found the house closed; the bed I got him was on the sofa in the sitting room —the bed-rooms were all occupied; deceased was the worse for drink on Saturday night last; I took him on board; he drank brandy; he was not suffering from the effects of drink on Monday ; he was very wet on Saturday night; he was not in the habit of taking care of himself; lie changed his clothes on Saturday morning when ho came ashore at the Armed Constabulary barracks; there n T as nothing dry on board.

By the foreman; Deceased only drank at intervals of two and three months.

By the Coroner: Deceased was about forty-six years of age. Constable Whelan deposed: On the evening of last Monday, about 7 p.im, I wars standing at Mr Rennet’s corner, when I saw 7 the deceased rolling about and fall on his side; I saw 7 two men go up and pull him about; I took deceased away from the two men and led him up towards the barrack hill; I got him on the outside of my bouse underneath the barrack bill, when he said to mo, “ Will you let mo sit down a bit, I feel all right now if I get a rest;” I said, “You have not bad time to get drunk since I saw you last;” be replied, “I have not boon drinking since Sunday night; if you let me sit down here for a short time I shall bo able to go away again;” I said, “If you come into my house I will get you a drink of water;” he said, “ No, thank you, if you will go and tell my mate, Captain Murray;” I came down and met Mr Murray, and asked him what was the matter with Aleck; he told me be wars complaining of a pain in the face, and I told him wdiere deceased was ; be said, “I will go up for him,” and I said, “All right,” and left, as I bad to go down town to stop a disturbance between some drunken men; I met Murray about an hour after telling him wdiere I left deceased, who told me be bad got a shake down for him at Montgomery’s, as be could not get a bed on account of their all being taken up. I asked him if bo bad blankets to put over the man, and be replied be bad.

By a juror: I saw deceased on Saturday night, and ordered him home as he was the worse for drink; I believe he went aboard afterwards.

By the Coroner: On Friday night I had to tell Mr Montgomery to order deceased out of the house after ten oclock, as he was not a boarder; he was also the worse for drink at the time; he wanted a bottle of brandy, which Mr Montgomery would not let him have.

Dr F. W. Armitage deposed : About half-past six last evening I was fetched by Constable Blake to see deceased; I came back with the constable and fouu d the deceased already dead. I should think he had been dead about two hours; he seemed to have died without a struggle; I examined his body this morning but could find nothing to indicate that he died from other than natural causes; during my examination there was a sort of blood vomit issuing from the mouth of deceased, which apparently came from his stomach, from which I judge that the deceased had ruptured a blood vessel; he evidently died from natural causes, and I do not think there is any necessity for a post mortem examination. This closed the evidence.

The jury having consulted together for a few minutes the foreman gave their verdict that the death of deceased had resulted from natural causes.