INQUESTS.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 54, 1 August 1874, Page 2

INQUESTS.

An inquest was held on Thursday, 30th inst, on the body of Elizabeth Ann Harris, aged 2 months, who had been found dead in bed on the morning of the 30th inst. The inquest was held at the house of Mr George Butler, Gebbie’s Valley, before T H. Potts, Esq, J.P. Mr John Gebbie was chosen foreman of the jury, who proceeded to view the body of deceased. It appeared from .the evidence of the parents, that at bed time on Thnrsday night, the deceased child was quite well. When they awoke about 6 o’clock on Friday morning, the child was lying quite dead on its mother’s arm. The Jury found that the deceased, Elizabeth Ann Harris, came by her death by being accidentally overlaid.

An inquest, was held at Oram’s Somerset Hotel, on Wednesday, the 29th instant, before Alfred Saunders, Esq, J.J?:, acting Coroner. The name of the deceased was John de Cain, a compositor, lata from the West Coast. The following is the substance of the evidence given :— Sergeant C. W. Greenwood deposed to having beei sent for, and to having caused the bodj to be brought to the township, from what is known as the Middle Gravel Pit, on the line of railway. Thomas Shadrach, sworn; lam in charge of the said gravel-pit, and the deceased arrived there at 5.30 p.m. on the 23rd instant. He seemed knocked up, much shaken, and in low spirits. I gave him tea, bread, and beef, and made him as comfortable as I could. He said that he had missed the coach for Timaru, for which reason he was walking I gave him a blanket and some empty sacks, and he turned into a bunk for the night, but appeared restless. At about a quarter past six next morning he jumped out of his bed and ran outside, where he reached heavily. When he came in again I gave him some water, but he did not care about it, and he died in about a minute after. I brought the information to the police. C. F. Money deposed to being a hotelkeeper in Christchurch. Recognised the body as that of John de Cain, who arrived by the West Coast coach at Christchurch on the 9th instant, and remained at his (witness’s) house till the 21st instant, when he left for the South. He was in bad health when he arrived, and also complained of having hurt his leg through a fall from a horse. I advised him to go to the hospital, but he refused, saying he had an engagement as compositor on the “Timaru Herald.” He had very little money [only a few shillings], and I received none from him while staying with me. He always seemed very sleepy, and often wished to die. He seemed a very sober man while with me. Dr Trevor sworn : I am a duly qualified medical practitioner residing aL'Lshjhurton. Made a post mortem examination of the " body of deceased on Saturday, the 25th ult. There were no external marks of violence. I saw a wound, about five or six days old, on one of the legs. There was a little blood in nostrils and between the lips, evidently vomited. I opened the scalp, the inside of which was much congested. On removing the same I found the brain in a similar condition, and several small blood vessels were ruptured. I also found about 2 ozs of serous iluid in the cavities of the brain. Opened the chest and found the heart, liver and stomach healthy. The. right lung was considerably congested, and there was a large quantity of iluid in the pleura. I consider the immediate cause of death to have been serous apoplexy. The coroner having addressed the jury, they at once returned the following verdict :—“ That deceased, John de Cain, died on the 24th July, 1874, of serous apoplexy.”