INQUEST AT KAIAPOI.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2504, 17 April 1882, Page 4

INQUEST AT KAIAPOI.

On Siturday afternoon an inquest was held before O. Whitefoord, Esq., coroner, and a jury, of whioh Mr T. G. Blackwell was foreman, at the Magistrate's Court-house, touching the death of John Bennington. Ann Bennington, widow of deceased, stated he was eeventy-one years of age. They had been married over forty years and had resided flftean in Kaiapoi. On Thursday he was ill about 10 a.m., but batter aftsr breakfast, and wont into tbe garden to work. Abcut eleven o'clock be took some ginger wine, but complained of spasms. She then gave him some brandy,.and he felt better, but afterwards complained of a ohoking sensation. She put a mustard plaster on, and sent for Mr Pinching, chemist, who gave deceased a draught in water. Deceased said he felt better. Mr Pinching sent him a powder and a draught whioh she gave him at intervals. Mr Pinching saw him in the afternoon and ordered another mustard plaster, whioh seemed to do good. . In the evening deceased read the newspaper, and was read to till past nine, when he went to bed. At half-past ten, ho sat up and seemed uneasy. At eleven he got .up* and she wanted to get him some medicine, but he said he would get it himself. Before he could do so, ho fell down, and Witness tried to administer a little brandy, but deceased never moved Or spoke. Pbe wont for Mrs Hills, a neighbor, and sent for Mr Pinching. Mrs Hills gave evidence of seeing deceased immediately she was called, he was stretohed out between the bedroom and kitchen doors, and quite dead. There was & cup of brandy and water near. W. H. E, Pinching stated on Thursday Mrs Bennington asked him to go and see -her husband as she thought he was dying, and take up anything ho thought of use. She said be complained of pain in tbe chest and a feeling of ohoking. Witness knew deceased, and took Hoffman's anodyne and ammoniated tincture of valerian. Deceased was on the sofa, and said he had pain in his ohest and a choking sensation. He administered a teaspoonful of the anodyne and valerian, whioh seemed to revive him. He thought deoeased was amffering from indigestion, and gave oalomel and jalap powder, and warm alkaline mixture to correct any acidity. He told Mrs Bennington to give the latter every hour, and"if he was faint a spoonful of the stimulant. Witness saw him in the evening, when- deceased was apparently relieved, and was engaged reading his newspaper. He told him then not to take the medioine so frequently. , He was called at 12 30 a.m. on Friday by Mrs Bennington. On going to the house he found deoeased's body lying just outside the bedroom door, the head resting on a pillow. The medicines produoed were those he prepared. Dr. Ovenden deposed he was oalled by Edward Hills en Friday morning. He saw the body of deceased, whioh was well nourished and properly olad. He deteoted no marks of violence. From the taste and smell of the medioines in Court witness believed them to be what Mr Pinching had described. There was nothing injurious in them, and they would probably be used in a oase similar to what Mrs Bennington described her husband suffering from. The jury, after a brief deliberation, returned a verdiot that deceased came to his death from natural oauses.