Inquest.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 4056, 29 December 1881, Page 2

Inquest.

An inquest was held last afternoon at the police station, Shortland, on the body of James Ferguson Grant, who died suddenly yesterday morning. Dr Kilgour was coroner, and the following gentlemen were empaaeiied eg a jury :-=Mr Walter

Frioker, chairman; Messrs F. Carter, E. Turner, W. McClair, Peter JS or bury, H. Driver, F. Holmes, Thomas Johnston, James Mann, John McWilliams, John Alley, and .Richard Kenny. E. Hanlon gave evidence to the effect that he had parted with the deceased at> between 11 and 12 o'clock the previous night at Mrs Everitt's residence. Deceased had complained of a feeling in his head and a weakness in his legs. He had also been drinking heavily for the last few days. Catherine Toomey deposed she resided at the house of her brother-in-law, Charles " Everitt, where the deceased had been lodging. About six o'clock that (Wednesday) morning, in passing deceased's door, she observed that he was lying OH the bed dressed, and accordingly went into bring out a parcel she hau left there. When she entered lie was lying on his. left side, but before she went out he turned on bis right side and heaved 'a \ deep sigh. Did not speak to him at all. Mary Everitt knew the deceased, who had been staying at her husband's house since the return of the Volunteers from Farihaka, with the exception of a fortnight, during which he worked in the bush.. On Tuesday evening he returned ■ home between five and six, and appeared to be the worse for liquor. She asked him to take his tea, but he refused, laying he did care about any. He went to bed almost immediately, pad when witness retired between 8 and 9, he was fast : asleep. Did not hear him make any complaint. About seven o'clok on Wed- . nesday morning' she noticed something . peculiar about him, and on. entering the room found /him apparently dead: He was dressed, but his clothes were loose upon him. She had not until now heard of his going out at a later hour of the evening. He was usually of sober habits, but had been drinking since Christmas.

Dr C. H.. Huxtable deposed that he . bad been called to see the body of; ; deceased about 8 o'clock:in the morning when it was still warm. He afterwards made a post-mortem examination. The body was fairly nourished, and there were no visible marks of external violence, except a slight discolouration between the eyes, and a bruise above the right eyebrow. Internally, the brain substance and membranes were congested, with serum in the membrane^ but no bloodclots. The lungs, kidneys, and liver were very much congested, and the stomach empty and contracted. In the heart the left ventricle was dilated and contained blood, and the aortic valve greatly diseased and incompetent. He attributed the death to . disease of the heart, accelerated by hard living and drinking. The jury returned a verdict in aooor- ' dance with the medical testimony..