CORONER'S INQUEST.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 96, 19 September 1877, Page 2

CORONER'S INQUEST.

- On Saturday last the District Coroner, Dr. Bockstrow, held an *inquest at the Palmerston Hotel, on the body of a man named Sven Olsen, who had beta found dead on the road near Awa Puni, on the previous Thursday evening. The following Jury were impannelled f — E. Leary (Foreman),;. E.; iMarsh, B. Mackie, W. Summerhays, Gi A. Green. ' E. Powell, H. Fisher,, H\ Graff, T. King, E. M'etard, T. GK Hammond, and H. Bosyrell. 1 - Martin Bausen, being sworrt, deposed : I am a locomotive driver^ residing near Palnierston. I have seen the body now before the Jury, and recognise it as the body of Sven-Olsen. Deceased came to me on Wednesday,- the 12th inst., and inviled me to go to Palmerston with him. We came together, at about ten o'clock at night, but finding'the watchmaker's shop closed, we returned to my_ house, where deceased remained for* that night. 'On Thursday morning at 8 o'clock I went to town a"n& got his watch, and met dcceased'at the Palmerston Hotel at 10 o'clock, wh£n we both returned to my house. We, then went to see a man named Ihle, and defcetfsed asked him if he would come to my place to have some , brandy. Deceased got his "horse and went to the Palmer**fon Hotel and returned with a bottle of brandy, a This was .about 12 o'clock. We had a -few glasses each, but left some m the bottle. Deceased was sitting- m ujy ' place, talking and drinking till about six o'clock, when he got his horse* and told me he would go down and see Martha Neilsen, and would be back iv five minutes. I have not seen tifm alive since. , >- By the Coroner— At about 11 m the morning, when I met him at the Palmerston Hotel, he fold me he had taken three or four glasses. v By the Foreman — I did not drink with him while we were m town together. .There were .about two drinks ■ left m the brandy bottle when deceased left m the evening.- We had no beer m the house, nor any other drink be* sides the,brandy. ' By the police — I am not sure where he got the brandy. ■ He told me he got it at the Palmerston Hotel. By the Jury— rWheh deceased left my * house to procure the bottle ofj&randy, he did not seem quite sober. Ido not know how many drink's he had from the , • bqttle. He saddled the horse' himself. He was used to horses, and a verygood horseman. "'/ Albert Arnisen, deposed : t knew the deceased'; he was a Swede, aged 21 years. J reside at Motoa, neagjwxtoh. Deceased left me on Tuesdj&y^l inst, td come to Palmerston to get' his' watch: I have not seen him since. Have known him about 5 years. He used sometimes to' go on the spree, but for thejlaist three or four months has kept sober. - By the Foreman — Have been" m tea * company while drinking. ;' he could not drink very much; half a bottle of brandy would make him quite drunk. Could not say whether a quarter would. He had between £2 and £3 when he left t for Palmerston. He was recHess.when * inliquor.' By the Jury— His 1 horse -was a good one ; a racer. Deceased was a hard rider. He bought' a spur m Foxton, and said he "wolild be m Palmerston m two hours. „ . . ■ ■ ; Andreas Hansen Ihle, deposed : lam a contractor, an&creside at Pahnerston.. On Thursday, about noon, the. deceased and Bausen came .to my house, and J wanted me to go to Bausen's and have a drink. Olsen then appeared sober. We . all went to Bausen's. We had about three-quarters of a bottle of brandy between three of us. After drinking the brandy, Olsen was not quite sober, but " saddled his horse and rode away, saying ' he would be back m five minutes. This was about six o'clock. He rode away very fast. 3ffe appeared to sit Well m j the saddle. I left Bausen's a quarter of an hour after, and went m the same direction. I did not see deceased lying 1 on the road: .By the Foreman— On arriving at Bausen's house we drank three-fourth^ of a bottle of brandy, which was m the house. Deceased then got on his horse to go to Palmerston and get another bottle of " 'brandy. By the Coroner — Gfke bottle he' .brought back wss* fuH. We did not - quite finish it;

By the Jury-^I had not to pass where deceased 'lay on .my %ay hdnie. I ' thought when he left that Ee%as going to; Palnierston again, but saw that lie turned m the other direction. Thefe was, abput a bottle jand a half of brandy 7 consumed.. ... .:: Martin Bausen, re-called „' Ihle. and deceased accompanied' me home j there was a quarterof aibptUe of brandy at, my house. / This was the remains oj a bottle^ from which Olsen and myself drank on Wednesday evening. When We finished this, Olsen left for another bottle* This was about 3 o'clock. Henry St. George Boswell, deposed : .1 am: a settler, residing at Awa Puni. On Thursday last, at* about 8 o'clocMh the .evening, Mr Lemon and myself were m the house when a man named Poulsen came and told us that there was the body of a man lying dead about 60 yards from ourgate. ! ; We went at once and found^deceased lying with his face m some water/ We pulled him out ; shook him, and spoke to him. We carried the body across, the'road. I gave notice to the police. About three-quar-ters of an hour previous to finding the body, we heard a ishoutas of a drunken man. When we found the body it was j warm ; the feet were toward the railway line and the head firmly stuck m the 'mud. ' :;» ' ' '~! /'>■' ■ ■ ■" ' - Louis Poulsen, deposed: I am a laborour residing below Awa Puni; lOn Thursday night, a little before. 8 o'clock I found a body lying oh the foad close -^Nshe railway line. I called the' last witness, and assisted to remove . the body. About 7 o'clock the same evening I saw deceased riding up^ and down as fast as he could go, singing and shouting. * . > By the Foreman-^-I was digging m my garden by moonlight when I saw deceased riding past ; I was on my way to a neighbour s when I found the body. r Neils Petersen, deposed : I ?am a set*, tier residing at Awa, Piini. On Thursday evening, at about 7 b'cloctf I was^; sitting m my house, -when I -heard a" man singiag as he rode furiciusly past my place. E[e did notl'call :'at my hquse although he passed three or four tinies 1 during the day. Gulbfand Hanson,, deposed:; 'T ..am, "working on the railway, line.s Olsen rode past at about 3 o'clock^ He told, me he had taken a bottle of brandy "to Bausen's' on the; jjrevibus day, and that Ihle; had bet him £1 that he could -ilpt got a bottle of brandy without paying.cash for it. j saw him go into the Palmersiqn HoteL He Jwas not drunk. Sydney Skerman.v deposed^ I am a .duly qualified medrcat pi'actitibner, re-. : siding at: PalmerstonV Bye order of the"l 1 \naAe,a:pQst i mortem examina- ; 'tion.of the bpdy of deceased; There was a .good deal or nrad. over t^e face and ; liiouth, and the nps/rils were al most block- ; . voi-up Wiili mud.r.Afjs^^^o*£U.is&on-'ttie back bJF iho. hi>adn;as The^pn)y eternal injury/ The air passages were lined with mud, and the i windpipe contained a few small stones.- The: luugs were filled • with dark blood. v The stomach con.-'."; tamed ;half digested food, and smelt' ,; of » alcohol. -The, internal, organs': were - Very much engorged with blood ; the brain was slightiy engorged . I con- ■ sider deceased met his death by suffb- ; cations -■;.' 'y-,^ --?■;■ -^'^ X" .*• the ; Cbrpner^— I could ,see 'by,' the state of the ■ sfoniaeh that/he Jbad been, drinking excessively, >;,,,.; rax.: By the^ Fbreman-T-i^cpnsider the p mortem appearances m; e^ry; way -satisfactory as indicating the cause of ; death. l Mr G. Roe stated to'ith^^oiirt ihat c he" had -jserved! deceased swith iaiiy' drink on' Thursday, norididjheiknow of i: any v hivMg-been^ served "to hiiri. : ' '^; Albert Osberg,^^^ waiter)in ; theiPalmer^ stbn Hotel, deposed :. I knpw^eceasSdr ./''^eis/.afnMnd^iDme.; I serving in ; ' * 'thfe bar'dunng wliole; of ; Thursday : riftfernoon. .Betwjsen,: three;; andi^fprirl o'clock I served' Mm .^ttL.?!, (bottle of - brandy. ; -Ir served hini . unknown to ,Mr ■■ Roe, because he did; not pay] cash. >[At ' jthis'stige ;the Coroner gave witness into^ idustPdy' for improper behaviour while : .•, under examination.] . t "-5 - l |^^ The .Coroner v summed up s tho evidence 1 W& 'th^^ Jnry! rjetired, and after a short /interval returned the following verdictf V u i-^That on the 13^h Sentember the de T c^ajsed, Syen ;01^eiiV whi|ej,in a state 6£ intoxication, Snd .incatpkble? therefrbm;i did ; fatl:from : : .iuS.:£o^sie..f^'e;,d9wnwatdS''' ' m a ? p^Jbl of wafer, situated on the Foxton Line, near Te AwajPuni, wkereby, . being smbthered, he did die."