DEATH OF SPIRITUALIST

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 953, 22 April 1930, Page 11

DEATH OF SPIRITUALIST

PROBABLY DUE TO HEART FAILURE SUGGESTION OF POISON Press Association WELLINGTON, Monday. Immediately before his death, Mr. John Ashton, of Dunedin, who collapsed at the conference of the Spiritualist Church on Good Friday, wrote the words, “Poison, I think,” on an envelope. The inquest was opened today and adjourned sine die after the coroner, Mr. T. B. McNeil, S.M., had indicated that he believed from the doctor’s verbal report that death was due to heart failure. A post-mortem is being: made. Evidence was given by Thomas Ashton, of Dunedin, a brother, that deceased was a waterside worker, aged 51 years, and had served in the South African War. From an intimate knowledge of his brother witness had no hesitation in saying that death was probably due to natural causes. Robert Nicholas Ridd said he left Dunedin in company with deceased- on Wednesday last. Both were attending the conference here and they stayed at a private hotel. The session opened on Friday morning at 10 o’clock, and Mr. Ashton gave an address in the course of the morning. The first indication of illness occurred when Mr. Ashton passed an envelope across the table to witness with the words, “Poison, I think,” writtetn on the back. Mr. Ashton asked permission to retire from the room, and died shortly afterward. Witness had known deceased for 10 years, during which time he had been in normal health as far as witness knew. Mr. Ashton neither took anything nor did anything that might have caused his death. Post-Mortem Ordered The coroner said the doctor who had attended Mr. Ashton in Dunedin had been unable to give a death certificate, although he had inclined to the belief that death must have occurred from heart failure. On this account, and on account of the evidence which had been passed across the"table, the coroner had ordered a post-mortem examination to be made. From the doctor’s verbal report the coroner was satisfied that death was due to heart failure, a bad condition of the heart having been made apparent in the course of the autopsy. Plis verdict would be in accordance with the doctor’s evidence. The inquest was adjourned sine die, and will be concluded when the doctor furnishes a formal report of the postmortem.