Inquest at Otaki.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 11 May 1918, Page 3

Inquest at Otaki.

The Coroner for the district (Mr W. C. Nation) 'held an inquiry yesterday afternoon ait Otaici into the cause of the death of James Waldron, aged 78, who ha dlbeen a resident of that ftown for about thirteen years. Deceased had been in a very feeble state of health and on Tuepday he was 'knocked down by a, boy .riding a bicycle. Deceased was conveyed home and fput to bed..

Dr Huthwaite deposed that deceased was a very weak, frail man and a shook from a fal! would bring on a sudden attack of heart failure sufficient to cause death.

Mrs Lanaway, with whom deceased ! had been living said she wa,= a daughter and for ten or eleven years had looked, after her father. He was very frail in health. On Tuesday he was brougjht home after being knocked down by a bicycle and he complained of hurts on his right shoulder and hip. He gob up on Wednesday for a while but had to go to bed again. He remained in bed on Thursday and -she lelj'- him at 11.30 that night quietly sleeping. Between 6 and 7 on Friday morning ?he went to llvi's room and found him dead. He evidently had passed away in his sleep. He was a native of Lancashire, England, and. had been in TVew Zealand about 40 years. He was & widower.

Alfred Spaceman deposed to bringing deceased home in a brake. He said lie hud been knocked down by a Maori boy on a bike, and was hurt on the rigjbt shoulder and hip. An eight-year-old Maori boy said he was riding a bicycle on the path wtifth his head down. He tried Ho get past but bumped against Mr Waldron, who fell down. He tried to help him up but could not. Constable Satherley gave evidence as to deceased's injivries, and said from tihe appearance of the body he must have parsed away in Ms sleep. The Coroner returned a, verdict 'that the deceased, Jamesi Walton, d'ied in his sleep from failure of the heart s

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