UNKNOWN MAN'S DEATH.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 174, 16 May 1916, Page 2

UNKNOWN MAN'S DEATH.

Inquest Adjourned

The circumstances attending the death of an unknown man, who, as reported in our laet issue, expired on the way to Pukekohe after being found in a collapsed condition in a plantation on Mr W Landon's farm at Bombay on Thursday afternoon, were enquired into by the District Coroner, Mr Cecil Koadley, in the Pukekohe Courthouse on Saturday afternoon. The medical evidence disclosed that death waa attributable to a fractured pelvis, probably caused by a fall from the loft into which the deceased had gona for a night's rest, but the enquiry was adjourned until to-day 111 expectation tb it in the meantime tha deceased's companion would be located and would be abb to give information ai to the deceased's identity

Sergeant Cowan watched the proceedings on behalf of the police

The first witness called wsb Henry Wilson, whose farm adjoins thst of Mr Landon's at Bombay. He d'pnsed that whilst walking down his piddock about 3,30 pm. on Thursday he saw a man (deceased) lying on the ground in a plantation bebnging to Mr Lacdon. He went to him and saw that he had same pine needles and thistles in his hand and was biting them. Be asked him what he was doing there, and the man replied "I am all right." Witness asked him how long he had been there and the answer was "twelve minutes." He then asked him where he had had his dinner, and the reply was "at the Grey Statue." Witness could see that there was something wrong with Ihs man, who was shaking all over, so he went for asistance, and secured Mr La'd in's and Mr J Towns a nd's help. The fjrmor triad to telephone from the pot ortice to the Fukekohe police, but owing to the gab the telephone was out of order, so witness and Mr Townsend decided to take the man to Pukekohe. He and Mr Tosnsend went back to the man, who still appeared dazed and answered questions in an uicorherent manner. The man had only otie boot on, and as he, witness, had previously found the other boot in his cart shed he went f.r it and deceased put it on, saying it belonged to him. Dfceased, with their assisttince, walked about 30 yards aid then sat down again to put in his boot, which bad come off. Whilst sitting down he fell backwards and his eyes began to roll in his head. Some other men cams along and they carried deceased to Mr Landon's shed and offered him some cocna, same ot which he forced him to drink, but deceased then broke the cup with his teeth and witness had to take the pieces of the cup out of his mouth. Witness thought the deceased was in an epeleptic fit when he bit the cup. They then put the deceased in a trap and started to drive in to Pukekohe, the journey taking from 10 to 50 minutes. Witness watched the deceased all the way, but he never moved. When near the New Zealand Loan Company's saleyards witness opened one of his eyes, but linding it did not close again he remarked to Mr Towncend that he thou^ht the man was dead. They went to the police station and left the body there Mrs Wilson, wile oi the previous witne stated that on Wednesday afternoon, about 3.30 o'clock, the deceased cairn to the furm and Hs'jed if tic could yet a night's lodging, and as a storm was raging she t:>kl him that he ejuld sleep in the lift of the shed in the yard. At that tune she did not s:e anyone with deceased, but she noticed the dtceas d and another man up into the loft. Deceased was

apparently at that time aI i right Mr Wilson here explained that the entrancj to the loft, which was sixteen teet above the ground was Liy uifana of an outside ladder Mrs Wilso", continuing, •'•lid I hat thj mowing (Ihursday) innrning she saw (lie mun. who had entered the I.ft with decease I, going out of tl:e farm gate and along the (ireat South road.

In answer to dcrgear.t Cowan. Mis Wilsan mentioned that there whs apparently nothing wrong with deceased, when he spoke to her. He di.l not ask for any food, which she would have given him h <1 he requested it, and I is appearance did not. lead her t> funk lie was hard up James Townaeod stated that whilst

Thursday alternoon, Mr came along and tried to telephone to th 3 police at I'ukekohe, and asked him to help with a man, whom Mr Wilson had found in a plantation. He went to Mr Landon's hause, i

where he met Mr Wilsjp, and they both went to the plantation. Wit-

pesaj then corroborated Mr Wibon's evidence a 8 tu moving th a rran and the 9ubsequant events adding that wtiiht Mr Wil'on went away to get deceisjci s boot, witness a ked dtceas.d his name, and te replied "Billy Holmes," adding f.at he had a brother "Alf" in Napier. Deceased weit on to siv that he had a mate up at the baiter's shop, whj would be back in about two minutes. Witness explained to the Coroner that the nearest baker's shop was at Kazorback, about two miles away. Deceased was very weak and evidently veiy ill, and witae s coacljded that his condi-

tion was due to his having been out in the wir.d and ram all night Percy Wilson, son of tha iirat witness, said that he saw The c'eceased's cjmpanioa in tha s'able on his lather's farm about seven o'clock on Thursday morning, and the man said to him "I wonder where my mate has gone to," and witness suggested that he might be in the bay in the shed adpimng They looked in tha shtd but did not find him. The man wss carrying a awag, wrapped up in a white tent, and he told witness that his mats was a bit mad. When thjy could not lind the dec»asad tie man said "I do.it care where he is.

The polics are not on my tracks," and he then left aud went out of the farm gate. Witness addel that he saw a boot and bat lying in the cart shed, at d which were eubsa-

quantly round to belong to di> cjaseL —ln answer to Se'geaut Cnwan, witness said that the only way anyone coald fall from the loft would be frjm the outside door of tha !jft. He alsj explained that thare were large boulders on the ground below Sergeant Cowan gave evidence as to the witnesses Wilson and Town-

send driving up to the police station on Thursday shortly bii'jre 6 pm. with the body il the decease J. Witness thought that the man was dead, but he telephoned for Dr Wake, who on examination found that sucb was the case. The decea3°Q's clothing was searched but nothing at all was found in them except a few matches aod an old comb.

Dr C H Wake gave the results of a post-mortem examination made of the body on the previous (Friday) alternoon. The body, he said, was fairly well nourished, and was that apparently of a man of from 35 to 40 years of age. With the exception of bruises on both of deceased's shins, which were not of a rec.nt date, there were no external marks ot vnlenc:. The (lec.'as:d right lung showed oil signs of pleurisy and there was also some congestion ot tha base of both lungs. Otherwise the organs wire tealthy. The stomci was empty, There was an extensive extraverajtion of blood at the lower part of the abdomen, and he found a fracture of the pelvis on the left side, which accounted f jr hemorrhage. The csusj of was the fractured pelvi s> wh , cb would be followed by In reply to Sergeant Cowan Dr Wake sta'ed that the f rac tured pelvis might have been caused by a fall from the loft, but it CoU id not have resulted from a mm simply falling down whii 3t walking. If deceased fell out of the bft he could not have Wa i ke d the 200 yards to tha spot, wh ere he was found, but he could have crawled there. Deceased would possibly be dementi with pain after the fall. There were do external signs ti 9ho w tint the fractured pelvis wa9 due to a kick or a bbw, and it w as possible for the deceased to have fallen from the loft and broken his pelvis without the same leaving a flesh wound. Ihs marks on the shins were not of recent date and were of a kind that would be likely to be producej by deceased handling cargo on boats. His hards indicated that he had not recently been engaged in any hard manual labour.

bergeant Coxan at this stage asked the Coroner to adjourn the inquest for a day cr two in expectation that the decea32d'i companion would be found, in which case he would be called on to give evidence* lhe e"quiry was then adjourned until to-day

Up to the time of going to press the man who was in deceased's company di the evening prior to his death has not been found by the police, and the inquest was accordingly not resumed to-day. Enqjiries made by the police have failed to sfcow that any man known as "AI f Holmes" (as mentioned by the deceased to Mr Townsend) is a resident of Napier, and it is presumed by the police that the deceased was "wandering" when the conversation occurred,