SUDDEN DEATH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9040, 16 March 1908, Page 5

SUDDEN DEATH.

A MAN FOUND DEAD IN HIS ROOM.

On Saturday morning Mr P. S. Cooper, licensee of the Central Hotel, was called by one of the housemaids to. a bedroom of the hotel, where a boarder, named Alexander McLennan, was sleeping, as the man had been found lying on the floor. Mr Cooper discovered that th 9 man, who was a shepherd, and who had stayed at the hotel for some days past, had died during the night. McLennan had been to see Dr Cowie the day previous, being very unwell, and that doctor was at once summoned, but of course, could only pronounce life to be extinct. THE INdUEST. STRONG REMARKS BY THE CORONER. An inquest was held on Saturday morning before the District Coroner, Mr W. P. James, S.M.. and the following jury:—A. H. Johnston (foreman), R. J. Kin?, J. Finlayson, D. N. Nicholson, V. Robinson, and R. Kibblewhite.

Frederick Cooper, licensee of the Central Hotel, said he knew deceased since Christmas. He came to stay at the hotel on the sth March, and looked very unwell, complaining of pains in the stomach. Deceased gave witness £25 to mind. He had been drinking a little, the first and second days of his stay having a good many drinks. Deceased kept on the move, and witness only allowed him to have stout so far as he was able. Witness requested deceased un the third day to go to the hospital or see a doctor, but he would not listen to such a proposition. Deceased did not have two meals regularly. On Friday afternoon witness sent deceased with Vaughan, a porter at the hotel, to Dr Cowie. Vaughan, on returning, said deceased was to have the medicine ordered him three times a day, and mentioned no further instruction?. At 7.30 on Saturday' morning the housemaid asked witness to go and look at deceased, and on doing so witness found him ijing on his back on the floor with his' head under a second bed in the room. Deceased was wearing only a shirt. Witness went and saw the doctor and had deceased put on a bed. Deceased had spent about £6 in nine days, shouting freely for others during the time he was at the hotel. He was not given any money on Friday, and>was not intoxicated the whole time he was at the hotel. Deceased had nothing but milk and stout and beaten up eggs during the last two days. Vaughan did not inform witness that the doctor said he was to be sent for if deceased became at all worse. There was no one told off to look after deceased, who went to bed directly he came from the doctor. Witness knew deceased was very bad, but did not think he was so bad as to require attention all night. George Henry Groombridge, barman at the hotel, deposed that deceased was frequently in and out of the bar the first two or three days of his stay, drinking freely. On Tuesday Mr Cooper gave orders that deceased was to have no strong drink, and since then he had only been given milk and. soda, with beaten up egg occasionally. He shouted for others freely, and on Friday drank four milk and soda drinks, having no intoxicants supplied him at all b>y witness. Deceased had had several meals in the dining room in witness' presence. He complained of being bad inside, and asked witness for spirits, which were refused.

Dr Cowie stated that he first saw deceased on Friday evening, at 6 o'clock. He said he had been drinking heavily, and complained of pain 3 in the abdomen, appearing to be in a state of collapse. Witness suggested that he should go to the hospital, but he declined, saying he was prepared to stay at the hotel till Saturday. Deceased said he could get proper attention at the hotel, and witness, after prescribing for him, told him he was tn go to bed and remain there till witness saw him in the morning, instructing the porter, who was with deceased, to that effect also, and further requesting that he should be sent for if deceased became at all worse. Witness ordered deceased to have nothing but sips of water to drink, and prescribed medicine to be taken three times daily, a second dose to be taken two hours after the first if the pains were not relieved. Mr Cooper informed witness next morning that deceased had been found dead in his room, and witness on going to see him found he had been dead some hours. A post mortem made by witness revealed the stomach and bowels to be almost empty. There was marked evidence of alcohol from what remains there were in the bowels, and signs of acute congestion of the stomach. The liver Was much enlarged and showed fatty degeneration. The kidneys and spleen were congested, and there were signs of old pleurisy in both lungs. The other organs appeared fairly healthy. Witness considered death was caused by want of food, and the congested condition of the stomach which resulted in a weakening of the whole system, assisted by excessive alcohol. The congestion of the stomach was comparatively recent, and would probably have happened since the sth inst. Deceased was no doubt in a weak condition before. It would take a less quantity of liquor to cause the injury than it would in a more healthy man. Deceased had had liquor the day he came to see witness, as it appeared so from what witness found in his abdomen. Would not say he had had a great deal. Deceased must have bc;n drinking to excess to have caused his condition to become such as it was. Deceased would be between 60 and 70 years of age. Thought someone should have stayed with deceased all night. Had witness not been satisfied that someone would have looked after deceased witness would have sent him to the hospital in spite of his objections. Vaughan was present and heard witness's instructions, and anyone who saw deceased could discern, that he was very bad, although he could walk about and insisted that he wasall right. Philip Vaughan, 5 por v er at the hotel, said deceased came into the , bar on Friday at a quarter to six in the evening,- He desired a drink.

and Mrs Cooper told witness to take him to a doctor as he was not very well. He was refused a drink, and appeared to be obstinate at Dr Cowie's, where witness took him. Dr Cowie examined deceased, and suggested something about going to the hospital, but deceased did not appear to like the idea, and in reply to Dr Cowie, said he could get fairly well attended to at the hotel. Dr Cowie told witness to put deceased to bed and give him his medicine three times a day, a second dose of the medicine to be given two hours after the first if the pains were not then relieved. Witness told Mrs Cooper on returning what had occurred at the doctor's, but did not tell her that the latter was to be rung un> if deceased became worse, as it slipped witness' memory. Witness put deceased to bed shortly after 6 o'clock, and at 8 o'clock, when witness went to see him he was still in bed and said he felt easier if anything. Left the medicine with deceased, and told him how to take it, leaving it a*id the w ater on the dressing-table. Deceased wouid have to get out of bed to reach them both. Witness left no light in the room, and did not see deceased alive after that visit. Did not think deceased was in a serious condition.

Alexander Bell, night porter, deposed that he came on duty ilt 11 o'clock on Friday evening, when Vaughan went off. Vaughan said nothing to witness about deceased, and did not ask that an eye should be kept on him. Between three or four o'clock in the morning witness henrd groan 3 from deceased's room, and on looking in saw deceased tossing about in bed, with his knees drawn up. Witness asked what was the matter, but got no ! reply, and having no Jight went away and left him. Witness had seen men suffering from delirium tremens like witness aDpeared to be, and consequently thought nothing of it. Witness thought deceased had delirium tremens. Witness called Mr but did not mention it in *he morning when he got up. Did not go back to deceased's room after. Went back at 7.30, when he was found dead, witness hearing of the fact. Duncan McDiarmid, drover, said he knew deceased about four years. Was drinking with deceased on Friday evening, and wanted brandy and port wine for deceased, but Mrs Cooper refused, saying he was under doctor's orders. It might have been after 6 o'clock. Witness was drinking about the place until closing time, and did not remember going to bed. Did not think he engaged a bed there, but went up more to keep deceased company. Was bo drunk that he did not remember going to bed. Did not remember seeing deceased alive after being refused the brandy and port wine. Witness fancied he gave deceased some of the medicine. Was not sjre whether anyone told him not to go to that room to sleep. Witness could not say at what time he went to'bed, but woke at 6 o'clock that morning and found deceased lying on the floor dead. Witness dressed and left the room at once, not telling anyone. Passed Mr Cooper on the stairs and did not tell him. Was comparatively sober then, but was locked up afterwards fdr drunkenness. This was all the evidence.

The Coroner, in summing up, said: —Thia is a very sad case. The man's, condition was such that Mrs Cooper,, when deceased asked for some spirits, noticed he was in such a state asfo require medical attention. She sent the porter Vaughan with him to Er Cowie, who ordered him to the hospital, but when deceased expressed a desire to regain at the hotel till next morning, the doctor asked tha porter and decease;], if he could get proper attendance at the hotel, and was informed that he could. The doctor gave instructions, but for some reason Vaughan failed to inform Mrs Cooper of the most important one —that if deceased became worse he was to be sent for. Deceased was given his medicine once by Vaughan, and put to bed, and the physic and water he was supposed to sip were placed on a table beyond his reach. 1 consider Vaughan's conduct grossly careless. Then the night porter, Bell, hearing groans during the mcrning, contented himself by enquiring what was the matter. Receiving no reply, he left the man practically to die. He says he thought the, man had delirium tremens, but even so a man in such a state should be given attention. The fact that a drunken man could go to the bedroom and occupy it without, as he says, the knowledge of anyone in authority, shows bad management. Altogether there was a great want of attention. I suppose that more want of attention on the part of the licensee and his wife was perhaps owing to the fact that they had not realised how seriously ill the man was. I consider Vaughan and Bell deserving of very great censure. The jury returned a verdict that deceased died from collapse according to the medical testimony, and censured Vaughan for his neglect. They did not think that Bell was so much to blame, as he had not been informed that McLennan was ill. The Coroner pointed out that, even if a man was suffering from delirium tremens, he should have been attended to, and the landlord informed. A man in such a state might not only injure himself, but others also.