INQUEST.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1297, 16 May 1878, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest was held at 11 a.m. to-day at the Court-House, Lyttelton, on the death of Daniel Divine, police constable at Lyttelton. Mr R. Anderson was chosen foreman of the jury. The following evidence was taken : Thomas O’Grady, Sergeant-Major of Police, sworn, said —The deceased came to this s'ation in 1875. In 1877 he was on sick leave from the 17th August to the 28th September; previous to that and up to his death he performed his usual duties. He was on night duty on Tuesday from 10 p.m., and remained on duty to 6 a.m. yesterday. It 1 p.m. yesterday 1 was coming put of my office, when I saw deceased coming out of the back door of .the station into the yard, he appeared in his usual health. I went home to dinner, and at 1.30 p.m. I was called by Constable Bullen to see deceased, and found him dead in the yard of the police station. There was blood on his face, and he was bleeding from the mouth. Deceased was a very temperate man. Constable Moulray sworn, said—About 1.30 p.m. yesterday X came to the station. Deceased was standing at the looking glass putting on his cravat, and I commenced talking with him. He was laughing quietly without any effort, when he gave a cough. I remarked, “ You have a cold.” He opened the window and looked out. He seemed to be choking A splash of blood fell on the floor. He went to the back door, and I caught hold of him and held his head for a fe# moments. He was vomitting blood, and I asked where it was coining from. He said from his throat, and 1 asked him if I should go for a doctor, and he said “yes.” I was about half a moment. He was then leaning on his elbow vomitting a torrent of blood, i saw Constable Bullen and sent him for Dr. Donald and ran back. Deceased had then fallen on his back, and was quite dead. Dr. Hugh Macdonald, sworn, said—l have made a post mortem examination of deceased. I found the body well nourished ; no marks of violence on him. On opening the chest 1 found the left lung highly congested, and a mass of blood in it. One of the vessels in the lung was ruptured. He died from rupture of a blood vessel in the lung.

The jury returned a verdict that Death proceeded from natural causts.”