ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 223, 3 October 1901, Page 2

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

INQUEST AT THK HOSPITAL A* inquest was held at the Hospital yesterday morning on the body of Edward Bowman, before the Coroner (Mr R. L. Stanford), and the following jury: J. D. Murray (foreman), A. M. Boutham, W. Hurle, Joaes, Irriil. and W. Bell. - Sergeant Haddrell was tbe fink witness, end gave evidence thai to ordered the Wrest of dece sed on Monday evening (or drunkenness. Deoeued was put in the ,padd«d room at tbe look* up, given some hot tea And bread buttjer, and everything done to nakt him comfortable. He was given sort* breakfast the next and. brought .up et Court On hi* way to. tbe gaol from the Court he died. D*> ce sed made no complaint while in Ui rare,' and there waa liU opinion, to indite anything wrong accept frosa, the effiwts of diiok. had beep tip before fro» thai , same Muse abogttbeMlddleof Jtaljr,, Dr MoUleland gave evtfenWot having oonduated a pa# vmip it examination of the body. It was that of * fairly well netphhed vmx of 65 toW yeim of age, Then were no marks of violence, Th» brain was healthy; b«t the heart wan dilated, the liver and one kidney much contracted, kcd the etomioh showed signs of 'chronib congestion, and was partly full of undigested food. Death reealted from ' heart failure, partly due to wttual causes. The condition of the organs described was due to chronic aloo holism* Had he oarefully examined be should have warned him he waai liable to drop dead at any tixM, btut there was nothing to indicate this to any one.

Constable Lied gave evidence of tbe am st, and that be took deceased's boot* g*v» him some tea, food, an i bl«nmaking him as comfortable as Mr IcouU, Next day took him to th» lOourtbouse, and afterwards started t®> I take him to th» gaol. On the way h* asked to sit down, and did so. After * short' rest he started again* and (ten asked to sit down agaiat and by hack and died. He was bo trouble to Mt | along, and did not complain of feeling [ bad. Considered he was shaky thrraga .the effeotsof drink. He said he felt tired.

Thomas Murray gave n'milac nidenoe, When deosased asked ttt ah doWn the second time he B&id» M lak tM>. ftlt down, and get a breath. Ha sat down and died.

Constable Stackpets said he was Ml duty at the station on Monday night Saw deoeawd in theytock-up at 9 pjn; Be was lying down. Visited him again at Midnight. His head bad got on the bare boirds, He lifted him and put his head on the folded blanket, used as a pillow. He was quite warm* and showtd no signs of needing any specul watchfulness. Witna spok* to him and he answered. Siw fan again at 2 a.m.; he was asleep, and the blanket* disarranged. Witness asked hi» haw he felt, and he said be would tike a drop of something. Asked him if he would like • soots water*' He said "no thank you." Saw hiaa ' again at 5 a.m., when ha was deeping and well covered up. Did not distort* l bim. Constable Young caave on at 5 - a.m., and witness wenthiwaa. Considered it was an ordinary case of I drunkenness.

The Coroner addressed the jury, and said it was elearly a case of death (ma natural oausea, accelerated by drink. It must be very satisfactory to th* jury to see the eare *nd attention bestowed on deceased by the polios, as a good deal had been said in other parti of the colony about the treatment of. 'suph cases.

The jury returned a verdict of dsatlk from natural causes, acoelerated byr strong drink, and that in the^epiniooi the police had done all tbafr they oouldl for him while in their oharge.

*m russ ASSOOUWOK. Hawku, October I, At the inquest on the body of Jaaa Ohrist antetti farmer at (Mniawa, -who wa« fouid hanging to a tree in hi» orchard yesterday,, the evidence proved thit tha dot-eased had been drinking" hukvily t and was a)*o depressed on account of the loss of a valuable horse. His son deposed that Christiansen threatened to drown hissself. Thw verdi;t was suicide by hanging vhib suffering from temporary insanity. A rider was added that th» police should endeavour to find out where the man cot drunk on Sunday. Drceased was* years old.