A FATAL ARGUMENT.

Putaruru Press, Volume II, Issue 59, 11 December 1924, Page 3

A FATAL ARGUMENT.

FARMERS SUDDEN DEATH. Collapse at Neighbour’s Farm. An argument between two Morrinsville farmers had a tragic ending on Thursday morning, when Duncan Campbell, a man of about 60 years ofvage, suddenly collapsed and expired within a few seconds, in the presence of two others, Stephen James Beag--ley (Campbell’s sharemilker) and Joseph Roy Kelly (Campbell’s neighbour). The argument had been a heated one, Kelly asserting that the deceased struck at him. Kelly pushed the deceased away in self defence, Campbell falling on to the ground. It was after this, however, that Campbell collapsed. According to a statement made by Kelly, Kelly had agreed to lease for a few months 20 acres of land adjoining him and owned by Campbell. There was a dispute over the period for which the lease was to cover, and they had arranged to meet on Thursday morning. The meeting took place at Kelly’s request on the road outsid e Kelly’s property. Deceased had a copy of the agreement (now in the hands of the police) stating that the lease should terminate before Kelly contemplated it would. Campbell was in possession of the original copy of the agreement. During the discussion Kelly refused to remove his stock from the land before January 20. Campbell then became very excited and made a hit with his clenched fist at Kelly, who pushed Campbell away. Campbell fell on to the grass, but when he got up he appeared to cool down. However, later on Campbell became very excited, anti when he walked a\yay with Beagley, who came on the scene to wards the end of the argument, he collapsed and expired within a few seconds. Medical aid was summoned from Morrinsville. Kelly states that he is positive he did not strike Campbell. Beagley, who had been in deceased’s employ for eight months said that deceased was at times an exciteable man. Before deceased met Kelly he appeared to be in his usual state of health. Beagley saw his employer go to Kelly’s farm at about 9.30 a.m. on Thursday, anti saw the two men conversing. Later on he saw both men throwing their arms about, but he was not close enough to see whether any blows were exchanged or not. In the event of the argument endingin a fight Beagley walked down the road and when he came up to the two men Campbell said that Kelly had struck him on the throat. Kelly denied this, saying that' he had merely pushed Campbell away. The argument continued, and when Beagley thought that an agreement would be reached Campbell asked that Beagley should take him home. Beagley and Campbell walked for a short distance together and suddenly Campbell fell forward on the ground and died in the presence of both Beagley and Kelly. At an inquest held on Friday the jury submitted the following verdict:

“ That the deceased died from natural causes, to wit, heart failure, aggravated by the excitement of a quarrel, for which no blame can be attached to anyone.