INQUEST AT DARGAVILLE.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 199, 26 May 1893, Page 3

INQUEST AT DARGAVILLE.

An inquest was held at the . Northern Wairoa hotel on last Friday morning, before Mr T. Webb, Coroner, and the following jury:—Messrs Walters (foreman), F. J. Dargaville, J. E. Shipherd, R. Mills, PI. Paton and T. IFarkness, on the body of Alexander Flood.

Dr. Norton , sworn, deposed that he had seen the body of deceased, Alexander Hood, who had been under his care for years. He believed the cause of death to be heartdisease. He had treated the deceased for enlargement of liver. Cross-examined. —The cause of disease was alcoholism. John Gillander, barman at the Northern Wairoa hotel, knew the deceased; he had been staying at the hotel for the last eleven days. He last saw him alive at half past six p.m. on the 17th. He was lying on a couch and complained of not feeling well. He advised him to go to bed, and he said he would by and by; ho then left him. Deceased used to drink pretty freely, but not so much this last week; he only had three drinks in the morning. Witness thought the illness was the result of too much liquor. Next morning the housemaid told him that deceased was dead. He went up to see him and then gave information to the police. Deceased was sober when he last saw him. Bell Thompson, waitress at the hotel, saw deceased on the couch on Wednesday evening and gave him a cup of tea. Next morning she saw him dead in his bedroom.

Dennis Donovan , a bootmaker residing in Dargaville, had known deceased for 15 or 16 years. He last saw him alive about 9.30 p.m. on the 17th inst., in his bedroom. Hacl previously seen him lying on the couch. Deceased seemed to be pretty bad ; he was vomiting- but would not send for a doctor. He said it was his old complaint. He helped him to his bedroom. He gave deceased half a glass of brandy ; he thought brandy was the best medicine for him. Fie was suffering from the effects of drink. Fie left deceased sitting on the bed. Deceased used to drink very heavily at times. •• Mary Nelson, housemaid at the hotel, had known deceased for about five years. He was staying at the hotel and occupied No. 11 bedroom. About 9.15 a.m. on the 18th she went to that room and saw deceased. At first she thought he was asleep, but afterwards saw that there was something peculiar about him, so went and told the barman. Patrick Black, sergeant of police stationed at Dargaville, was informed by Mr Gillander about 9.45 a.m. on the ISth inst., that Hood had been found dead in his bed at 9.30 that morning. He went and saw the deceased ; the body was lying on its right side. All the clothing was on it, boots as well. It was fully dressed except that the trousers were half down the legs. The pillow was saturated with yellow matter, which deceased must have vomited. The face and extremities were quite cold; the back, stomach and breast were warm. Fie could see that deceased had been dead some time. He took the clothes off and examined the pockets : in one pocket he found £1 Os 10cl, and in the vest a watch, and chain. In the coat he found a knife, rule and some papers. The barman was present at the search. He sent for Doctor Norton. The jury retired and soon after brought in a verdict of death from heart disease.