CASUALTIES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11493, 28 January 1903, Page 9

CASUALTIES.

Wm. J. Wise, an old age pensioner, was j found dead in his house, Cameron street, i Ashburton, yesterday. As a doctor's certificate is forthcoming an inquest is unneces- j sary. ! (PBESS ASSOCIATION* TELEGBAM9.) WESTPORT, January 27. A pensioner named Ewtng, who in missing from the hospital at is supposed to hare been drowned in the sea. NEW PLYMOUTH, January 27. A woman, who gave her name as Jane Mullin, from Waihi, Auckland, died suddenly in gaol this morning. She arrived here by steamer on Thursday last, and was on remand for a week for medical observation as to her state of mind. AUCKLAND, January 27. An inquest was held to-day concerning the death of John C. Booth, who died on Sunday, three days after a fall in His Majesty's Arcade, which produced a fracture of the leg. Wm. Robt.. Booth, farmer, of Hamilton West, brother of the deceased, said that a fortnight ago he told his brother that unless he came home to the farm to live he should take out a prohibition order against him. George Friend, waiter at the Arcade Restaurant, said the deceased and a man named Wm. Moor had tea together at the Arcade. After tea they came to the counter to pay. Moor eaid: "You invited me to tea, Jack. Aren't you going to pay?" Booth said— "No, I shall only pay for myself." The men did not quarrel, and appeared friendly. Moor, remarking, "Don't get that on to me, Jack," pushed deceased in the face. Deceased put his umbrella back to balance himself, but failed to do so, and fell upon his back. Deceased had evidently had some intoxicating drink. His leg was broken. Deceased did not at any time blame Moor. Dr. De Clive Lowe, who performed the post mortem examination, stated that it revealed no marks of violence excepting v, fracture of the leg. The organs on the whole were in a condition ascribed to chronic alcoholism. The cause of death was shock, made fatal by deceased's condition of the heart and kidneys. If deceased had not been a heavy drinker nothing serious would have happened from the effects of the accident. The jury returned a verdict that death resulted from a chronic state of alcoholism, under which deceased was suffering, that the fracture of the leg was purely accidental, and that no blame was attached to any person.