SUDDEN DEATH OF MR GRUBB POST-OFFICE INSPECTOR.

Te Aroha News, Volume XI, Issue 1741, 22 May 1895, Page 2

SUDDEN DEATH OF MR GRUBB POST-OFFICE INSPECTOR .

On Sunday evening, about 8.30. while ivalking up Wakefield-street, in Auckland, Mr John Grubb, Assistant Inspector of the Post Office department, Wellington, took suddenly ill, and expired almost immediately. The Herald referring to the sad affair says:—-“Mr Grubb, who came down from Eotorua on Friday last, had been staying there for two or three weeks, for the benefit of his health, having been ordered there by his Wellington medical attendant for a change. He was staying at Bella Yista Boarding House (Mrs Norman’s) Waterloo Quadrant. ' Mr Grubb spent Saturday evening with Mr Biss, the Chief-Postmaster, Auckland, at his residence, Grafton Road, whom 1 he had known for over twenty years, and appeared to be in his usual health. Sunday morning hr was about at his lodgings as usual, went out in the forenoon, it is supposed to church, came in again to lunch, and was away out in the afternoon, returning to dinner. He relished all his meals, and made no complaint of any kind at to feeling unwell. Athalf-past six he went out, and nothing more is known of his movements till half-past eight, when he was noticed going up Wakeiieldstreet, halt, and sit down on the doorstep of the premises of Mr Metcalfe, bookseller. Some young ladies living near,. Misses Symonds, Allan, and White, seeing 'from his appearance something ; wap the matter with him, spoke to him. . He said he was ‘very ill, ’ and almost instantly expired. While thd bystanders were telephoning for the police Sergeant McMahon came up and the body was quite warm. He telephoned for Dr Lewis, who speedily arrived, but his services, of course, were of no avail. The body was removed to the morgue, to await - a coroner’s inquest. No one was able to identify the deceased, but at the morgue the police made a search of his clothes, in order to clear up identity. A postal card and a letter were found in his pockets, and a railway pass, which showed that they belonged to John Grubb, Esq., an assistant inspector of the Post Office Department. £5 16s lid was also found on him, a gold watch, chain, and sundry articles. With this clue the police telephoned to Mr Biss, giving deceased s description,' and Mr Biss’s reply left no doubt that the dead man was Mr John Grubb of the Post Office Department. Mr Biss, as might be expected, was greatly shocked, as his friendship with Mr Grubb had been a lengthy one, and he regarded • deceased as an excellent officer of the department. Constable MacOonachie went? •to Bella Yista boaarding house, and communicated the startling ne\vs to Mrs Norman of Mr Grubb’s sudden death. That lady was simply stunned, as were the boarders, with several of whom Mr Grubb had been chatting pleasantly a few. hours previously; The constable took an inventory of Mr Grubb’s effects, contained in a couple of Gladstone bags, etc., and removed them to the Police station.- y

The deceased gentleman Was -a widower, and, as already stated, resided at Wellington, where he has two grown-up daughters. One of his sons is in a bank, and the other ,is second officer on one of the ships in the New Zealand Shipping Company’s fleet.”