DEATH OF MR R. WOODING.

Shannon News, 19 July 1921, Page 3

DEATH OF MR R. WOODING.

CORONIAL INQUIRY. In inquiry into the death of Mr R. Wooding, who died on Wednesday evening after sustaining some injuries on Wednesday of the previous week, was held yesterday before Mr’ C. Nation, District Coroner. Constable Bagrie conducted the inquiry, and Mr C. Blenkhorn watched the proceedings on behalf of Mrs Wooding, and Mr Adams for the Otaki Racing Club. Mrs Wooding, wife of the deceased, stated that her husband was 57 years of age. For nine years he had been caretaker of the Otaki racecourse, and was employed by the Otaki Racing Club. He frequently returned to his home in Levin at the week-end. He came home on Saturday morning last, 9th inst. He was ill, and with diffi culty got into the house. He said be had bad a fall when up a ladder topping some trees. As he was, leaning over to cut a limb the ladder slipped and he caught at a branch with hisleft hand as he fell. He hung on to the branch until he got a footing, but said he strained his side. He did not care to speak very much about the : ccident, saying he would be all right m a day or two, and not to send for -a ’odor. .Witness said she did not send for a doctor,till Monday, when she could see the deceased was not getting better, and his side was becoming black. Dr. Bryson called on Monday. On Tuesday. night deceased was raving, and it was necessary for her to sit by the bedside all night. His left side and arm were much swollen. Drs. Bryson and Mo,cdonald both saw deceased on Wednesday afternoon, Dr. Macdonald stating that deceased'was in a very bad state. Deceased never rallied and died at 6.30 the same evening. Deceased had always enjoyed good health, and witness attributed his death to the fall from the tree. To Mr Blenkhorn: The doctors not being satisfied as to the- cause of death,' witness consented to a postmortem examination, which took place yesterday morning. Dr. R. Bryson stated he was called to see deceased on Monday, lith inst. Deceased said he had had an accident at the Otaki racecourse on Wednesday. 6th inst., stating that whilst he was topping a tree he slipped and fell, but-managed to sa.v himself from falling to the ground by grasping a branch a few feet below the point he fell from. He said he only fell about two feet, and had hurt his left side, but did. not complain much about it. On examination at the time he found deceased looking very ill. There was a general redness from the left armpit almost‘to the foot of the ribs. On examination of the inflamed area deceased did not complain of much pain or tenderness. Being questioned as to the cause of the redness, deceased said he had rubbed turpentine on his side. The appearance of the skin looked as if it had been caused by the application of turpentine. His temperature was 104. He complained of pain in his right ankle, also in his right arm in the region of the elbow. He perspired freely. ‘ There was a slight swelling of the right ankle but no swelling'in the right arm. Witness saw* deceased again on Tuesday, 12! h, when he appeared a lot better, and his temperature was down to 100. Otherwise the conditions were much the same as previously. On Wednesday afternoon he was worse' with a temperature of 104. The right arm w.s much swollen, and Ihe ankle much.the same as previously. As witness was not satisfied as to the cause of death, he obtained permission to hold a postmortem examination, which was hel 1 yesterday, and was performed by Dr. Macdonald and witness. After describing the conditions and injuri'.'.s as disclosed by the examination, they came to the conclusion that death was due to septicaemia, following purulent infiltration of the tissues of the left auxilla. - The injury to the muscles was consistent with deceased’s statement of falling from a tree. it. was a contributing cause of the general septicaemia.

To Mr Adams: Witness had not attended deceased before. Deceased sai ! he only fell two feet before he seize:! the branch. He made light of the pain in his side. He' was very ill on Wednesday afternoon. Benjamin Ling, president of the Otaki Maori Racing Club, and secretary for the time being, gave evidence that the deceased had been caretaker for the club for about mine years, an I resided on the course. Witness heard of the accident oh the night it happened (Wednesday). He went to see deceased next morning early. He found deceased had a big bruise under his left arm, but noticed nothing further Deceased explained how the accident occurred, and witness believed he hurt himself by striking the ladder on which he had been standing. Deceased was upfit to go to work, and witness suggested that he’ should get a doctor or go to the hospital, hut he declined, as he said he would, be all right. Witness saw hint again on Fri-

day when he was much worse. Witness looked at the injury, which had a nasty colour. Deceased was very stiff, and had difficulty in getting his clothes off. He said to witness: “Leave it until to-morrow and I will do what you want. You can have your own way. I will go home.” On Saturday morning he decided to go home to Levin. and hobbled to the railway station. Witness heard nothing more of him until rung up and told he -was dead. VERDICT OF BLOOD-POISONING. The Coroner’s verdict was that death was due to blood-poisoning, the result of an accidental fall while topping a tree.