INQUEST.

Evening Star, Issue 3487, 27 April 1874, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest was held at the Hospital at, noon to-day, on the body of one Angus* M‘Phee. The Commissioner of Police watched the proceedings. The following evidence was given ; Martha M'Phee said she was the wife of the deceased, Angus M‘Phee, who was fifty years of age at the time of his death. He was a native of Inverness-shire. Ho was a horse-clipper and groom by occupation, and of the Presbyterian persuasion. He left his house about ten a m. on the 10th inst. to go o Anderson’s Bay to clip a horse for Mr lolmie. He was a little the worse of liquor. He was a man of intemperate habits, and a very little liquor would affect him. When he got drink he would lose the power of his limbs. This had only occurred lately, By a Juror: Ho no drink beforo leaving home on the morning in question. John Brady said he was a groom, and at present resided in Dunedin. About noon on the 10th instant he met M'Phee, who requested him to go to Anderson’s Bay and

help to clip a restless horse. He appeared to be perfectly sober. They had tw© drinks together before getting in the cab, deceased taking liquor on each occasion. They got out to the Bay at about one p.m., and at Koss s hotel deceased met some people whom he knew., Deceased had two more drinks (spirits) there. He then began to get rather noisy, and both witness and Ross advised him to go away, the latter refusing to supply him with more drink. Witness left him in the bar at about 5 p.m., as he refused to go away, and on his return witness asked where he was. Ross said he had gone, but a man in the yard said he had only gone out to the back. Witness walked out to 7? . , found him lying outside the back door, sitting against the wall of the house. He was in the open air. It was a

cold night, with a’chill wind. Some girls were m the yard, but witness could not say whether they saw them; although anyone going into the back yard must have seen him. As he was groaning, witness shook him and told him to get up. He said he could not, as bis legs were cramped. Ha appeared to bejrery much under the influence of drink. Witness attributed his inability to rise to the drink. With the assistance of another man witness managed to get him into

the hotel. He then asked for more drink, but Rosa refused to give him any, and advised him to go to bed. Witness left him in the bar, where he was sitting on a form and Calking to the men... He saw him again lying on a sofa in a room off the bar at about eight © clock next mornipg . He bad blankets and rugs on him, and said in a rambling mood that he was dying, and requested witness to go for his wife and a doctor. W hen deceased got dririk he was completely helpless By Mr Weldon ; Left deceased at Boss s Hotel about nine o’clock on the morning of the Hth inst. Andrew Duckworth helped Brady to lift ! deceased from the yard into the house Deceased complained of a pain in his shoulder, but witness did not think him much the worse for liquor. Ross refused to give him more drink. Placed him on a seat in the bar and lett him there. Mrs Ross promised to prepare a bed for him.

Professor Macgregori said that about 5 p.m. on the 11th Constable M'Lauchlin called at his house at Anderson’s Bay, and asked him to see a man at Rosa’s Hotel, as he would like to know whether to take the manto the Hospital or not. He went and found M‘Phee in the kitchen on a bed. Examined him and found bis whole body paralysed .from the' neck downwards. He was sensible, and spoke like a man recovermg from a debauch. Mr and Mrs Ross informed him that, deceased had got either four or five glasses of beer. Witness then

asked them whether they knew the man had been in the back yard. Mrs Ross said he could not have been there before five, as she had given him a glass of beer then. Ordered his instant removal to the hospital. When he saw M'Pbee considered him in a very bad state, suffering from paralysis from the neck [downwards. Drink alone could not have caused those symptoms, although it might ■have played an important part. Witness could not say what was the cause of death nnlcss he had been informed of the exact time deceased lay in the hack yard. m??, 6 Cor °° er: °ne witness says that M. rhee could not have been there more than an hour. Duckworth’s evidence shows that he had been there three hours., Ross would probably - be able to satisfy them as to the exact time.

■ Witness ; Then drink would not be sufficient unless he had previously been subject to paralysis. The death of an aged man like deceased, with a weakened constitution, might be caused by cold and drink combined. With Or Coughtrey he held the post mortem examination this morning. It should have been held on |the previous day, immediately after deceased’s death.

, Hugh Ross, publican, having been cauhoned, agreed to give evidence. He said |hat deceased refused to go away, although frequently requested to do so by witness. Eventually he said that he was going j witness simply saying, “ All right, Angus’” .He

(witness) was then called-in to the barparlor, and believed M’Phee had gone away. : The Coroner said, as ,he told them at the first, there did not seem to be necessary cause for an inquiry. The only thipg was the doubt • about whether Ross was 1 aware that deceased was lying outside his house during that tin(e, though, as Professor M Gregor had said, exposure might not accelerate his death; / Deceased had most probably died from injury to the spinal cord, through dnnk. The i u, 7 returned a verdict to the effect that deceased had died from paralysis induced by intemperance, and probably increased by exposure to the cold. They attached a rider entirely exonerating Ross from all blame, adding that he was in no way at fault.