INQUEST.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2563, 3 October 1893, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesterday, in the Winchester Hotel, on the body of William Edgar Bell, who was found in the Winchester Creek on the previous Saturday. The inquest was held by the coroner, C. A. Wray, Esqr., and the following jury:—Messrs Klee (foreman), Watson, Baillie, Barrett, Harr, and Watt. Evidence was given by Winifred Bell, daughter of deceased, to the effect that her father left home on Friday morning last at 11.30 to go to Winchester. That was the last time she had seen him alive. On the same morning he left home at 4 a.m. and returned again at 6.30 a.m. He brought a bottle of beer with him and drank it, and wheu he loft at 11.30 again he wns so drunk that he could not walk properly, but staggered. He was given to drink and had been drinking for a week previously. He had had very little food during the week, and none at all on Friday. He was 53 years of age, and a native of Scotland. John Mcintosh, sworn: Said he was licensee of the Winchester Hotel. On Friday last deceased came in between 12 and 1 p.m., and had a glass of beer. He appeared quite sober, and remained in the house for about an hour. He was thirsty, aud said he had been workiuff ■' the garden. Had not seen.*•-" b £ £ YLT -«* sell him a bottle ~, .' ■ - occasionally had drinking n *. Saw him the day before and he seemed to have been drinking. Knew that he was on one of his drinking bouts. Refused to supply him with more beer on Friday and he went away walking steadily. No one else was serving in the bar, and he could not have got the beer from any one else in the house. He appeared to be weak. Richard Webster, sworn : Stated that he saw deceased quite sober at 11 a.m. on Friday last. Saw him again at about 2 p.m. walking across Mr Richard's paddock on his way home. He was not staggering ; was 15 or 20 chains away. Thomas Richards, farmer, Winchester, gave evidence as to finding the body on Saturday morning last at 8 a.m. on the bank of a creek which runs through his paddock. Over this creek there is a broken-down bridge, made of trunks of trees, and the creek is about 3ft deep and 6ft wide. Deceased was lying alongside the bridge, with the upper part of his body out of the water. His hands had clutched some dead grass. His feet were touching the bottom of the creek, and there was nothing to prevent a sober man from getting out. Eugene Egan, constable, stated that he went to the creek, and found deceased there. His head and shoulders were out of the water. Anyone could have easily got out. There was a flax bush near, with which he could have dragged himself out. Sir William Blunden duly qualified medical practitioner, stated that he had examined the body, and there were no marks of violence besides what was caused by rats behind the ear and on the right hand. He was of opinion that the cause of death was failure of the heart's action, caused by exhaustion through want of food, together with exposure to the weather and want of clothing. The shock of falling into the water would have precipitated matters and caused cerebral congestion, from which insensibility would result, A sober man, if exhaused, would have suffered similarly.

This completed the evidence, and the jury returned a verdict of accidental death, caused by exposure.