INQUEST
An inqnest on the body of Mr E. H. Tate was held to-day. at Stone’s Hotel, before J. Beswick Esq., Coroner. The jury consisted of Messrs James Granger, P. W. Hutton, F. J. Wilson, G. Stumbles, W. Davis, G. F. Clulee, F. W. Cook, G. C. Miles, C. F.Dallam, George Green, Reuben Owen, A. Rule, A Henderson. Mr P. W. Hutton was chosen foreman. The following evidence was taken. George Allen Wilson—l am a friend of deceased, and reside with his family. I was clerk to deceased. I was head clerk for him for the last eight toonths. I last saw him alive at 9.30 a.m. on Wednesday, He said he had a headache and, was going for an hour’s’ walk. I saw him a . few minutes after going down Theodc&ia street. He had made no previous complaint of headache.; He had, of late, been often absent from the office. He had. made no complaint as to his health. He merely seemed worried. This was in the office. At home he seemed cheerful. The recent fires had worried him a good deal. He seemed an active man. I saw nothing to lead me to Suppose he intended: injuring himself. I believe I was the last of the family to speak to him. Alexander Bennett, farmer at Patiti Point, one mile from Timaru, said—l have known deceased intimately for years. I have seen the body, and I recognise it. I saw him alive last Wednesday at eleven a.m. coming down the cliff at Kensington. He came down on the flat and went towards the railway. I know Mr Armitage’s place and jack’s Point. He was near the railway when I saw him last. He was walking sharply, but I saw nothing peculiar about him. There are no houses between Jacks Point and the place where I saw him.
Godfrey Ellis, carter, said—On Saturday I was on the beach beyond Jack's Point. My sisters , children, were with me. Where I was, there is" a high cliff. The little ones were tanning about on the cliff, and they came down and told me there was a man asleep on the cliff. I went up and. saw deceased, quite dead. The body remained exactly in the same position as I found it in, nntil Dr Hammond’s arrival. I sent word into town and the police came out, also Dr Hammond who examined the body in my presence. The body was never touched until then. There was no appearance of a straggle of any kind. Deceased was lying on the tnssocks. Samuel Hammond, a duly qualified medical practitioner, said:—l have been, for 11 years past, medical attendant of deceased and his family. His health was not good. Ho suffered from irritation of the brain. I sent him away to Melbourne, two years ago otr account of his restlessness. On Saturday last I went out towhere the body lay, at the request of the widow, I found deceased lying on ■ his back and bis hands clutching the grass. There was no appearance of external injury, so far as I could see. I did not strip him. He was then removed and brought to town. There was no disarrangement of his dress. His appearance was as usual. The position of the body was as far as I could then see, consistent , with death from irritation of the brain, not with violence or poison. I was not surprised at his sodden death. He had been warned, years before, not to overwork himself.
James Lovegrove, a duly qualified medical practitioner, living in Timaru, said—l have made a post mortem examination of deceased. 1 found no marks of violence on the body. Frigor mortis was still present, going off at the upper extremities, the hands were clenched and purple, the jaws firmly closed. There was an effusion of fluid between the membrane of the brain, and the brain itself. The brain showed congestion. The lungs were extremely congested and bore out the belief that death resulted from apoplexy. I have, no,reason to suspect any other cause of death. lam opinion that he died .from effusion of serum on the brain. The symptoms I found, are quite consistent with the state of deceased’s health as described by Dr Hammond. This was all the evidence.
The Coroner remarked that it appeared plain to him that deceased bad simply fallen down in a fit, while laboring under the tendency described in the medical testimony. The Jury, without retiring, returned the following verdict—‘‘That the deceased Edward Henry Tate dlpd from serous apoplexy,” '• THE FUNERAL. At 3 o’clock, the remains of deceasnd were conveyed from his residence to St. Mary’s Church, a large body of Sunday School children and their teachers, mourners, and friends, attending. At the church, the burial service was read by the Yenerable Archdeacon Harper, before a large congregation, who were much affected. At its conclusion, a procession was formed. The school children to the number of about 200, led the way, the hearse, followed by the chief mourners, coming next; and a long train of citizens, driving and on foot, bringing up the rear. Persons of all sections of the community were present in large numbers, to testify for the last time their respect and regard for the memory of one of the most kindly-hearted of our fellow-citizens. Mr Tate will be long missed, and his removal from the Sunday school, of whiob he was the active and beloved superintendent, causes a blank which will ever be severely and widely felt.
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South Canterbury Times, Issue 2946, 4 September 1882, Page 3
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921INQUEST South Canterbury Times, Issue 2946, 4 September 1882, Page 3
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