INQUEST.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 872, 19 July 1910, Page 8

INQUEST.

At the morgue yesterday, the Cit) Coroner, Mr. \V. E. Haselden, S.IT., conducted an inquiry into the circumstances attending the death of William Johnson, ship's cook; aged about 50 years, who died suddenly at 107 Taranaki Street, on Sunday afternoon. Sergeant Murphy appeared for tho police. Iludolph Fray, laundry-keeper, stated that he let a room to Johnson last Saturday morning. The latter had some whisky and water before going to bed on Saturday night. He then. appeared to be very drunk. On Sunday forenoon he had some more whisky. Although ho came to dinner on Sunday he could' eat nothing, and went outside complaining that _he felt very sick. Soon, afterwards witness heard a fall, and going out found Johnson on his knees, with liis head on the ground. He was carried inside, and medical assistance was summoned. Dr. Ilaekin arrived at 2.45 p.m., but Johnson died teji minutes afterwards. Johnson had been heard to say that he had a wife and children in Plymouth, England, and he was believed to have a nephew, a ship's fireman, in New Zealand. . Dr. Kington Fyffe, who had made a post-mortem examination ot the body, stated that death was due to syncope, the result of in a man suftei' ing from phthisis and pneumonia, complicated by acute alcoholism. A verdict was returned in accordance with t])o medical evidence.