INQUESTS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2039, 6 September 1880, Page 3

INQUESTS.

An inquest was held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, before J. W. S. Coward, Esq , coroner, at the Hospital, on the body of Lewis Wallace, whoso death from taking a quantity of brandy has already been reported. Mr Wm. Giles was chosen foreman of tho jury. The jury having viewed tho body, the following evidence was taken :

William Fabian, a boy of some twelve or thirteen years of ago, deposed that he was with the deceased on Wednesday night last. Deceased told witness he wanted him, and he went with him to the railway gates on the Colombo road. Deceased had a bottle of brandy with hiou He said he watched a drunken man out of Johnston's Kingston Hotel, and that when he fell down a bottle of brandy rolled out of his pocket. Deceased oaid he picked it up, and he offered witness a drink. Witness took one out of the bottle, which was full of brandy. Witness was not in the habit of drinking brandy. Deceased then took o drink himself, and jußt then three boys camo up. Deceasod asked them to take a drink, and one named Ayors did so._ The other two refusod. Deceased said to witness, " Como on down home, now; it is getting lute"; and on the road home deceasod had threo drinks and witness one. Ho left him at the corner of the road he livod in. Witness was just going home, when some one told him that deceased had had a fit. Witness went and told three other boys that deceased waß in a fit, and they carried him home. Thiß was about five or ten minutes after he had the last drink.

By Sergeant Morice—Witness did not tea what became of the bottle. Deceased had the bottle when witness left him. The spirit was drunk out of the bottl9. The brandy was in an ordinary wine bottle. It was about halffull of brandy when witness saw it last. Deceased drunk much more than any of the other boys. The brandy did not make witness sick. It was very strong. David Hobden deposed that the deceased was his brother-in-law. He was sixteen years of age. He was subject for the past two years to epileptic fits. About a week ago he had a fit which lasted some ten minutes. On Wednesday last he was in good health, and went out about seven o'clock in the evening, and was brought home insensible about nine o'clock. He then smelt very strong of spirits. He did not rouse all night out of his insensible state. Dr. Prankish was sent for at seven o'clock on Thursday morning, and saw him five times during the day. The dootor then ordered deceased to be taken to the Hospital. Deceased had not recovered from his insensibility during the whole time. The reason why witness did not send for a doctor earlier was that deceased was subject to fits. Deceased was not in the habit of drinking, and witneas never saw him the worse for drink.

W. E. Davies, house surgeon at the Hospital, deposed that the deceased was admitted to the Hospital about 9 30 p.m. on Wednesday last. He was then unconscious, his pulse being imperceptible. Witness did not send for the visiting physician of the week, as it was apparent he would not live many hours. Deceased died about five hours after admiseion, at about 3 a.m. on Friday. Witness made a post mortem examination of the body. [The witness then described the appearance of the various organs.] Congestion of the lungs and of the brain existed. The deceased died from asphyxia, caused by congestion of the lungs. Witness could not say positively that the death had resulted from alcoholic poisoning, but the post mortem appearances were not inconsistent. By Sergeant Morico—Witness believed that the state of the organs would account for death resulting from disease, apart from the question of taking the brandy. By a Juror—The post mortem examination showed that the appearances were not inconsistent with alcoholic poisoning. Nothing, witness believed, could have saved deceased.

The Coroner said the consideration of the matter was simplified by the fact that the deceased had found the brandy, and it had not been given to him by any one. The evidence as to the deceased having fits showed that the brain was diseased, and this was borne out by the post mortem appearances. The jury would therefore consider the matter.

Sergeant Morioe said the polico had made every inquiry about tho matter, but had been unable to discover anything with regard to the drunken man spoken of. The only clue to the bottle was that some broken glass had been found in the street near where the boy was taken to his home.

The Coroner said the medical evidence wont to show that the death had been caused by disease, though of course it might be that it was accelerated by the spirit taken by deceased. The evidence also showed that even had the brother-in-law sent earlier for a medical man it would not have availed.

The jury, after some deliberation, returned the following verdict:—"The jury are of opinion that the medical man should have been sent for before he wbb, and that the deceased died from disease of the lungs and brain, accelerated by drinking a quantity of alcohol."

The Coroner cautioned the witnoas Hobden as to sending in any future cases of illness in his family for medical aid at once. The witness said ho thought the deceased would come out of the fit at any moment.