Death of an old Wairarapa Settler.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 3017, 1 October 1888, Page 2

Death of an old Wairarapa Settler.

An inquest on the body of William Mitchell, who was supposed to liave' died ,of alcoholic- poisoning at the Wellington Hospitallast Friday niglit, was held at the Hospital oil Saturday - afternoon before Mr EWyßobinson,' coroner. Mr Deyinevfas" present on behalf .of the deceased'B family.' HughMitcheU,;sonoftlie"'dewased, . identified the body as that of his late father, who': he stated was a sheep fanner near . Morrison's Bushi'L ' Greytown. Deceased was 58 or 510 years of age. He came to Wellington about the 14th hist. Witnesslast saw liia father ' alive before he: /' came to town, -Ho had never knowa. him to suffer from any ailment more serMif Ihan a tfdrt tbtot ab'o'tt JO

s|l-, =zvyeaw tgo, Ho wis T notgiven to •••' f drinking to excess, 1 •" • ■ Andrew. Barry, manager of the Royal Hotel, stated that tbe deceased J|Lcame to etop at tbe Royal Hotel on about the 18 th instant. Whilo in ' torn the deceased went about his business eyery day. Witness had never seen him drunk whilo he was i at. the hotel Ho seemed bettor than usual on Thursday last, and had his dinner at G o'clock. After dinner ho had soma spirits-three glasses of # ■ gin.' Between 7.80 and 8 o'clock on Thursday evening he wont out with ' Mrs Kowe, a grop.t friend of his. Ho was quite sober wben lie went out. ' Witness did not seo him again alive. Jane Eowe had known (ho deceased for eighteen years. She saw him on '< • Thursday last at about 0.80 in the evening. He Beemed to be all right . jr\ then. She accompanied deceased lo I'' > the Nag's Hoad Hotel whero ho said lie wanted to see Mr Crawford. She witli him at the Nag's Head till a quarter past nine. Ho had no drinks whilo she was thero. , ' *filioleft him standing outside tho Wfaag's Head when she wont away, • ; and did not see him again alivo. Dr Collins deposed that ho was calle&o the Polico Station between OMnid 5 a.m. on Friday last to aao decSied. He found him in tlio cell propped up with pillows against tlio wall. He was then breathing heavily and quite insensible. A constable was attending him. Witness had him removed into tbe watchouse at the police station. He could find no external injury about tho head. His breath smelt of alcohol, and lie noticed that-hia legs were swoolen • and pitted on pressure. He concluded that his comatose condition was the result of his having taken alcohol, ' with considerable disease of the vj#-kidneys, Witness considered 'that ■•his position was so gravo that ho refrom five o'clock till nine. , then ordered hiß removal to the Hos> ' He saw him again about 1 o'clock the same day at tbe Hospital. He - was still comatose, and appeared to be getting weaker. Witness mado a post-mortem examination and found that the deceased was a stout wellnourished man, There was an abrasion on the outer part of his left thigh, but no other marks of external "I injuries. On opening the skull, he [ found a large clot of blood at the base of the brain on the left side, and also of the hemispheres of the brain. In other respects the brain seemed to be healthy. The lungs and liver were healthy, The valves of the heart were diseased The stomaoh was empty, and the coats of the stomach were diseased and extremoly congested. The right kidney was enlarged and extensively diseased. The other organs were healthy. The cause of «. death was apoplexy, caused by presjL sure of clotted blood on the brain. By Mr Devino: He did not' attri- '• bute the cause of death to any excess of alcohol. Itwaaimpossible for the ' nonstable to distinguish as to what #faas the matter with deceased. Mr Lewis. William Ludwig, jeweller saw tbe deceased on Thursday evening last on Lambton-quay, near his shop. He appeared to be slighty intoxicated, and witnosssaw him fall heavily backward, striking the pavement with a very heavy shook. Tlio fall dazed him for about ten minutes, after which he came round and appeared to be all right. MrH. D, Crawford said that the deceased did not take any spirits on Thursday evening, Ho did not think he was the worse for liquor, ' but Was very peculiar, and wandered in his speech, The Jury returned a verdict in accordance with tho medical testimony, That doath resulted from apoplexy, and added a rider, " That we are of opinion fbat tho police tho deceased, whilo in thoir fcharge, with great care and . x 4mmamty," /P iTlie funeral takes place at GreyL town to-day, ' Whareama Road District, Tha ordinary meeting of the Board was held on Saturday, Present: Messrs E. Meredith (Chairman),.!, Morrison, G,"Moore, T.Carafell, and It. R. Meredith. The minutes of the < provious meeting wore read from the rough minuto book, the other'being in Wellington, and confirmed, Correspondence, From T. B. Hitchings re repairs to roads in his district, From Masterton Road Board re settlement of ac-counts. From Smith and Hogg applying for a share of printing and advertising. The Clerk reported that the Board's accounts bad been furnished to the Audit • Inspector as

directed. A special order was made a resolution passed at last to striko a special rate for tie Blairlcgie road, The following reso- . lutions were passed That the Clerk

be instructed to acknowledge receipt of tbe letter of 2Glb September from JtMaaterton Board, and forward a copy ' %ff resolution passed by thia Board re Account between (lie Boards, For tho resolution; Messrs R, B. Meredith T. Carswell and tho Chairman. Againßt: Messrs Moore and Morrison. That Mesara Smith k Hogg's letter re advertising stand ovor till tho next meeting. That tho Clerk be instructed to acknowledge the receipt of Mr Hitching'a letter of the 20th inst., and that tbe letter stand over till next; meeting, That Mr Hitching p.ccount of £2 be passod for payment, That Mr Meore be authorised to expend £5 in clearing and repairing tho road near Messrs Moore and Hitchinga 1 boundary gate. That Mr K. R. Meredith be authorised to expend £5 at the foot of tho Waibora Hill in clearing the flux and drain, Jhe next meeting of tho Board was ' for the 26th October, after which ' it adjourned.