INQUEST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XL, Issue 3532, 10 June 1890, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest touching the death of the late Charles Clements was held in ■ the Old Courtroom yesterday before • Mr A W Keriallj-J P, anda-jary-of•:: .-' six. Sarah E elements, sworn, stated '\ she was wife of deceased, tV vjhoin . she was married five years ago. Her husband had been ailing for twelve..., months 'from ■ a; strain, sustained; - : ; through lifting a saok of wheat. He had been attended by Drs Beard and •'■'■■ ■-, Johnston. On Saturday night deceased • oomplainedofgreat pains on thephest. ; - : He went tobedaboat aquarterto ten, : but could not lieioVurandtherefore '} ■■'./ : got up and' walked about the room most of the night. About one ooloolto*' he oalled witnesJ'up to put a mustard ■ - plasteroahisohest."He then tried to lie down, but said lie could not. ' About three o'olobk he got up, lit the fire, and made some tea,; passing a ' remark about the night being a beautiful one. : Got up at 8.80 to have. ay. cup of tea with deoeased. Deceased threw up his tea. Witness soon after; wards went to bed, but had not been gone long when she heard deceased fall from his ohair to the floor, Lifted his head aside to allow the blood to oose out of his mouth, There was no one else in. the.,'house; excepting.;the'. ; n i children;at -'the. time.: Oalled Mr [\ Prangrieil about foiiro'plock, who sent

for Dr Beard. The doctor, on his arrival twenty minutes afterwards, pronounced life to be extinct. Made the remark to Mr Prangneil before the octor was sent for that she thought her husband was dead. DrS.F. Beard deposed that he was sent for on Sunday morning about 4.45 to: attend deceased. On his arrival he found deceased lying on his loft side on the floor, with a small amount of vomit, mixed with blood dose to his mouth. Turned him over and found him dead. He had

evidently been dead some abort lime; as the blood was stagnant. He could not have been dead more than an hour, He had made a, post inorlm and found the body that'ot a wellnourished man, There were two abrasions which. must have, been caused by tho fall,to; the floor. - ; On opening the body he-found" the' organs in a very healthy condition with the exception' of both kidneys and the heart, which were slightly fattened, All the valves of the heart were perfectly healthy, : There r was.. no rupture. Did' not open the brain as he did not from the evidence of tbe wife consider it necessary. The man had suffered for two or three years from pains in-the ohestj aiidi. this, taken into conjunction with the' fact that he bad been suffering from influenza for the past few days, affected the fatted heart, and caused a stoppage. The blood from the month was he considered tho":- result of an abrasion at the actual-time of falling. Death, was,' he. thought, the result of stoppage of the action of the heart. '. William Prangnell, carrier, stated that he lived near the residence of deceased, with whom he' was acquainted. Was called about four o'clock by Mrs' Clements. On his arrival he found Clements on the floor. He belived then he was dead. He was l)ing flat on his stomsioh, on thetaft side of his • facej ;hjs -arms being folded, Sent his son for the.] dootor after feeling him to see if he was cold. Found him warm, although he believed at the time -he was dead. The dootor quickly- arrived, and on examining deceased pronounced him dead. Had; known Clements for overiwelve monthi, and had heard him complain about' the pains in Ms chest. His death' was no great surprise to him. as the dootors had previously told him that he might drop dead at any moment. - This was the whole of the evidence. •

After a short retirement the jury returned a verdiot in taordanoe with the medical testimony, of death rom natural causes.