CORONER'S INQUEST.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 292, 22 August 1888, Page 2

CORONER'S INQUEST.

On Saturday afternoon an inquest was held before Mr W. N. Seanmcke, coroner, on the body of William Griffiths, who died "under circumstances reported in our last issue. The enquiry was conducted at the deceased's house, and the following jury were enipannelled :—: — Messrs A. Downes, J, Rowe, J. McSweeney, C. Ahier, C. N. Partrington, and L. Newton Mr Downes was chosen foreman. The police were represented by Sergt, Emerson and Con. Wild. The first witness was the wife of the deceased, Mrs Jane Griffiths. She deposed that she had been inanied about fifteen years, and during that time her husband had been a luile man, except that when they came to Te Aroha, about five years ago, he caught a bad cold which settled on hi? chest. He frequently afterwards compbiined of a weak chest. Ho was not subject to fits and never complained about disease of the heart. He had no medi'-al attendance since his illness five •years ago. He made no complaints on Friday and was quite chceiful, taking 1 his meals as usual. He was taken ill about throe o'clock ; two* hours after dinner. Whon be came home from town he stood beside the fire. At the request of his daughter he sto^red to pick up the shovel, and when he arose to an upright position he immediately fell down backwards. TliPic was no one near him at the time. Witness applied restoratives, but deceased never spoke afterwards although he was alive for about three minutes after the attack, groaning several times. lie was not addicted to drink and witness \v«s sure ho hod not tiiken anything thai d.»y. Deceased was about (50 years of age. " Of late he was in good spintsand he was not^iven to depression 1 except when out, of work Witness had Known him to complain of giddiness at times. fSho could not account, in any way for the cansi» of bib dentil. In ansv\ei to a juryman, witness said medical aid was summoned, but he died before the doctor arrived. In closing the evidence of this witness, j the coroner said he had subjocl.ed her to i a veiy strict inquiry on account of the j fact that there was no qualified medical ! man in the district, whose opinion as to Gnus' 1 of death could be taken. The next witness was James West, who had been called in immediately after Griffiths' death. Ho stated that about three o'clock on Friday afternoon he saw deceased coming lound by his (witness's) fence apparently on hip way home. About five minutes afterwards deceased's littleo;irl, Jane, came running j over to him saying that her father had fallen down. Witness went to the house and found him lying on his left side. Blood was running from the back of his head. Witness concluded from the pal our of his face and inaction of his pulse that he was dead. There were no nmrks of violence on the boly. Witness had known deceased intimately for the past three years, and during that time had never known him to complain of any disease whatever. He was a very steady man. As far as he knew he lived on good terms with his wife and tamily. William Emerson, Sergeant of the Police, stationed at Te Aroha, gave evidence as to finding the body. He stated that he examined deceased but found no marks with the exception of the scalp wound described by the previous witnesses, which had been caused by the fall. He had known him to bo a sober, steady man. The coroner, in addressing the jury, said that as there was no properly qualified doctor in Te Aroha, medical evidence could not be taken as to the CMise of the man's death, but from the clear and distinct evidence of his wife and from that of the other witness, Mr West, he had no doubt in his mind that the cause of death was heart disease, but if the jmy wished further enquiry ho would obtain the services of a doctor to hold a post mortem examination on the body. The jury considered the evidence sufficiently clear, and after u short deliberation returned a verdict of "Death from natural causes.."