TUAKAU

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 71, 18 August 1915, Page 2

TUAKAU

(See also page 4.) OLD SOLDIERS' DEATH. BODY FOUND ON ROAD-SIDE. The startling discovery was made by a little Maori boy early on Sunday murnitig last of the dead body of a man on the Tuakaui'uakau Beach road in the cutting, about two miles out of Tuakau, near the Waikato river. The remains were subsequenty identified as those of Mr Esau Gale, an old settler and a militry pensioner, who lived in the neighbourhood. On Saturday he had, in accordance with his usual wont?, v<sited Tuakau and wai walking home. At the spot wberi his body was found conveyances to negjtiate the cutting take either side of the road, and with traces of wheel-marks found on deceased's clothing the police supposition is that deceased whilst walking cljse to the bank of cne she of the road was accidentally knocked down in the dark, unknown to the diiver, by n cart whose occapant3 probably had their attention fixed on a conveyance proceeding in the opposite direction they were passing in the narrow portion of the road. The medical evidence, given at the inquest, shows that any such accident, however, only led up :o and was not directly responsible for the demise, death actually being produced from heatt disease after the deceased bad fallen to the ground. The occurrence evidently took place in the early part of f Saturday evening, but the body was not found until the Sunday morning. The circumstances attending the death were enquired into on Monday afternoon at Tuakau, by Mr C. Rcadley, Acting-Coroner, and a Jury consisting of Messrs W, H. Northraore (foreman), H. Craig, W. Glasgow, W. Maddern, J. Firret and T. Dickens. Sergeant Cowan, Pukekohe, represent id the Police Department. Mrs Alice bale, the widow, deposed that the deceased, who was 78 years of age, left his home abcut 11 o'clock on Saturday morning to walk' to Tuakau to transact business. He was then in his ususl state of health. He had, however, been troubled with heart spasms for some considerable time, and was also rather frail on hie feet. Alfred Henry Lapwood, launch •prop'ietor, stated that he knew dec;aseJ and had seen him on Saturday afternoon about 5.30 p.m. about a mile out of Tuakau walking towards his hem?. He was then quit? sober and apparently well.— By Sergeant Cowan: Deceased, when he saw him, was carrying a bag that looked like a potato bag. Edward Lapwood, settler, deposed that he lived in the vicinity of where the body was found, and on Sunday miming about 6.45 o'clock a ♦young Maori boy came to his house and told him there was a dead body of a man on trie road. He went to the spt and recognised the body , ai that of Gale. He gent word to Constable Taylor at Tuakau. The body was on rs right side with the head tJ the bank and fees towards the middle of the road. On the clothing on th 3 left shoulder there were marks of mud, as of a wheeltrye. There was also mud on the left Bide ot the forehead.—By Sergeant Cowan: The deceased's bag was by the right side of the body and bis cap was about three feet away.—By the Foreman: There were no wheel marks on the road near the dec ased'a shouliere, but there were wheel mirks near bis feet.

Police Constable Taylor aiioke to btiog sent for and seeing the body en the road. Death had evidently taken place some good time previously. He conveyed the body into Tuakau. He noticed marks on the clothing as if of a cart. He bad seen the deceased in Tuakau on Saturday afternoon and be was all right then. \ Dr Wake, of Pukekohe, gave evidence as to having examined the body and beyond bluod o:zing out of the mouth there were no external signs of injury. He added that he was unable to give a certificate of death without a postmortem examination. The proceedings were thereupon adjourned until yeitsrday (Tuesday) morning for a p st-mortem examination to be carried out in the meantime.

Upon the iiqucst being resumed yesterday, Dr Wake deposed that as the result of the post-mortem cxamin?tion he ha I found traces of extensive muscular valvular disease of Un heart which would be sufficient to account for the sidlen death. There was no injury apparent. From the nature of the disease ha would have expected death to be sudden. The Foreman stated that deceased was recently attended by Dr Cheesuian and it was known at the time that he was not expected to "pull through." Dr Cheesman warned deceased that the walk from bis residence to the township of Tuakau was t'jo much for him. In anwser to the Jury, Dr Wake said that there appeared to be a mark on the shoolJer, but it was clotted blood, that had flowed from the mouth A verdict in accordance with ths medical evidence waa returned, viz., that 'Jeath was due to heart failure.

The late Mr Gal?, who was born in Dorset, England, arrived in New Zealand h 1855 as a member of the 65th Rsgimert. He served through the Maori war. He was wellknown in ths Tuakau district, and prior to tha erection of the Tuakau bridg' he !ad charge of the ferry punt.

The funeral took place yesterday afternoon at Tuakau, the Rev. F. B. Dobeon officiating. A phasant function wa9 tendered to Mr Kenneth Boyd, who is leaving to join the Reinforcement Draft, and to Mr W. Deeble, on trie e»e of his matriage, by some fifty of their fellow members of the Tuakau Rugby Football Club on Monday evening last. Mr Dynes presided, and on behalf of the company presented Mr Bavd with a silver watch, suitably inscribed, and to Mr Deeble hs nan led a silver teapot, also inscribed Tha usual toasts were honoured, and songs were rendered by Messrs C. Fearn, C. Stewart, L. Stevenson, T. Drnmgool, E. Revell, 11. Fulton, Ericaon, Patters n nnd H. Williams. A recitation, "[he Boys of the Tuakau Football Club," was given hy Mr M. Ulack. and a violin colo was rendered by Mr L. Braund. Mr A. H. Northmore kindly officiated at the piano,