CORONER'S INQUEST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4042, 19 February 1892, Page 2

CORONER'S INQUEST.

;®w late.'W.L.kcena.

evidence ■] the remains of the late William Lan- ( caster Lucena, Mr W. ft. Beard appearing on behalf of Mrs Lucmu, and Mr A, E, Bunny for the relatives ' at whose request the inquest was Emma Maunder deposed: I came to Masterton about three weeks ago and have been staying off and on ' With my daughter, Mrs Lucena, I 1 had Beeu away but returned on 1 Saturday last. • When i came on baturday with Mr Elder, Mr Lucena 1 appeared to be very cheerful and pleasant. Later in the evening he was a little depressed. This being usual we took no notioe of it. He was perfeotly clear in his mind, In the evening he played whist and seemed yery pleased at my return. He was in bed on Sunday. The first intimation we had on Monday was his daughter going to his room to say good-bye and ooraing back to say her father did not know her. Mrs' Lucena went to him and finding him unwell called me. I went to his room, It was a little after nine o'clock. He kissed me and said, "Oh, Grands mama J" I noticed something peculiar in his eyes. I stayed a little while. My daughter and myself. were attending him all the time. She requested me when going away on business to attend to him, I went up to him two or three times in the evening, but he was asleep nil the time, I went into his room before going to bed, but found lum still asleep. On retirihg we prepared some beef tea and milk for him. Mrs Lucena came to me and said, "Oil mamma, come liam's feet are cold I" I went into the room, and the doctor was immediately sent for, 1 got a hot bo'tle and put to his feet, and bathed his bands with hot water. He died before the doctor came. The medioine supplied by the doctor on liis first visit was never touched. The deceased has stayed with me on many occasions, I think lately he has been somewhat depressed on account ot some business. Up to the time of his death helms always been a clearheaded man, quick in his perception, and a truly upright man. Etta Susan Lucena, deposed: I went into my father's bedroom at 8.30 a.m, on Monday, 12th inst. He | was asleep, breathing rather heayily, . He did not appear to bo ill. "i , noticed nothing peculiar about him. 1 I told Mrs Lucena lie was asleep, By tlie Coroner: When I told 1 mother he was asleep she said "I ' don't think he is." She came in and . saw liim, She said" Sometimes he lies quite still when lie does uot want to be disturbed." There was nobody | else in the room but mother and myself, When Di'Beard came down- | stairs I went up. Father wanted some | tea. He told me to tell mother to get . the tea quickly. I did not see him I again until after he died, ; _ Di, Hosking was sworn and stepped into tbe box. The Coroner asked that Dr. ' Beard be sworn first. He thought the ' ends of justice would be facilitated by 1 this, course.

Mr Beard objected, He could nol sea why Dr, Beard should be callec first.

Mr Bunny: My friend seems to think he is conducting the proceedings instead of the Coroner 1 The Coroner; Sit down Mr Beard, i call Dr. Beard, , Mr Beard: Very well your Worship. Spencer F, Beard, sworn, stated! I was the medical attendant to Mr Lucena, the deceased. I was sent for to see him between ten and eleven on Monday morning, and found liim in partial coma, due to congestion of the brain, I gave instructions bb- to what medicines should be procured, and suggested to Mrs Lucena that I should call again in the evening as he was m a critical condition. Mrs Lucena aaid she would send for me in the evening if necessary. This she did, and on my arrival I found Mr Lucena had been dead»few minutes,

Mf Beard: I submit*it is highly improper for Mr Bunny to converse with the coroner.

The Coroner: There has been no conversing. Mr Beard: I have seen the conversing and it is highly improper. The Corouer: My conduct is nothing tj be compared with yours this morning, I hope this will not occur again.

Mr Beard: You know the proper course to adopt in this case,'' The Coroner: Sit down, Mr Beard, I will not hear you. Dr Beard (continuing): I saw Mr Lucena between ten and eleven in the evening. Ho was then dead.

Mr Bunny ; You say Mr Lucona was in a critical condition when you saw him in the morning. How is it you did not call on him again ? Dr Beard: I suggested that I should call again if Mr Lucena became worse,

Mr Bunny; Then you did not consider it your duty to go without being called?

Dr Beard: 1 did not. It is not usual to pay a second visit when requested not to do so. Mrs Lucena asked me not to come again until she sent for me.

By Mr Beard: The cause of the death of Mr Lucena we s in my opinion congestion of the brain. 1 gave a certificate to this effect. I do not think there was any necessity for an inqueßt.

The Coroner: That is not a proper question, I know you of old, You say too mu'oh in these Courts. Resume your seat sir, or question your brother.

M r Beard 1 Dr Beard,, if you please I The Coroner; Well question Dri Beard or sit down. We will not have these proceedings interrupted, Mr Beard; Yery well, your Worship, I only wanted tpjjnow wjiether I could put the question. Dr Beard, continuing, stated ; The medicine given by me was not taken, I gave him odlomel," which would h»ve the effect of purging, In conversation with Mrs' liuoena : I discovered that in'ooneequencd of business worries Mr Lucena, usually an abatemious man, had been given to taking alcohol, This would' account for his illness. In my enquiries I found that Mr Lucena's father had died of apoplexy at the age of sixtyfive. I was • present at the post mortem and found that the. deceased hid,been suffering from acute corigestion of the brain. There was notliiAg'else ab'oo'"the 'body which was Hkefyto ciuse,deatli!' ; 1 v: By a juror: Tliav'e never actuary seen the decreased before although, I prescjibed for him jp ljecenii)er. In my opjnjoj) tli.ere was 'ijo jie.ed ever fpr-thia ipquesi. ' ; Mr Bunny 1 Wag this not a sudden death? Dr Beard: It was rapid, . . . death ? ''' . : 5 86U^ e ! 1

Dr Beard: I do not understand ' the legal definition of sudden. Mr Beard: Supposing you had been called earlier in the evening would it hove been possible for you to have done anything to prevent death ? Dr Beard: It would not, . Dr William Henry Hosking,.sworn, stated: I Imve held a post mortem on the deceased and in conjunction with Dr Bey and in the presence of Dr j Beard. We examined ilie brain. { We found no marks of injury , externally, In the brain we found the membranes congested j somewhat. The outside membrane , was stained by post mrlm stains, ( and some congestion, and was somewhat chronically thickened. The , membrane next the brain itself was congested slightly in parts. On slicing away the brain we discovered patches of softening, about altogether a size covoriug half a crown or five shilling piece. It was white softening. ■ We then opened the abdomen and found the stomaoh enlarged and acutely congested and containing a quantity of pappy matter. The stomach was removed and placed in a bottle in the presence of Mr War'dell. The kidneys looked healthy, but were, I think, slightly fatty, The liver was .congested but healthy. We then examined the ohest. The lungs were healthy, as also the heart, but the large vessel leading from the heart, the aorta, was dilated to the size of a small hen's eqg. On examining this we found arteritis, showing the inflamed state of the artery. By Mr Bunny: The brain and its membranes were diseased. The whole of it was softer than natural, I could not say how long the brain had been diseased, It might have been for years, or it might have been for days or weeks. The fact that he bad been drinking would hasten the congestion of the brain. To the softening of the brain and congestion I attribute death. It is much like | apoplexy. The slight congestion of 1 the brain would not be sufficient to ' account for death under the ciroum- , stances. The softened portions of the brain have also been bottled and sealed by Mr Wardcll at the request .of Dr Beard, The stomach was more congeste'd than that of any of the Fahiatua arsenical poisoning cases, This is, however, explained. By Mr Beard', I am thoroughly ; satisfied that death occurred from | natural causes, accelerated possibly by drinking, These natural ciuses ' were softening and congestion of the brain and congestion of the stomaoh, 1 caused by the drink. 1 believe there I basbeen anti mortem softening and ■ post wioitot; lam not prepared to j say that the softening was oaused by ( anti or post mortem, It is impossible t to say. It might be determined by a | skilled pathologist with mioroscope. I I believe the softening to be anti _ mortem, although some is undoubtedly ' due to post mortem. The probabili t ties are that some of it is both. In 1 my opinion the weight of the brain would not accelerate the softness, I, I could not express an opinion as to how long the softening has been going on. It might have ' been the result of business worry, I know I have been worried myßelf for ' about two months. 1 have no reason . to believe that death was caused by j anything else than what I have stated. The stomach may have con- . tained poison, but I leave the examination of that to experts. lam sorry 1 was mixed up in the affair at all.

Mr Beard: Is it your usual practice to preserve portions of the body? Dr Hosking: Well, I think so. Mr Beard: Did you get express instructions to save the stomach ?

_ Dr Hosking: I think 1 received instructions from Mr Bunny, Mr Beard : (in behalf of those 1

represent 1 may state that it wag a very proper thing for you to do. Dr Hosking : I should think so, too. A juror: Have you any reason whatever io think that anything else but natural causes was the cause of death ?

Dr Hosking: I have said so already, I have no grounds for suspecting anything else.

Dr Bey deposed : I took , part in the post mortem examination of the body of MrLucena. I quite agree with the postmortem appearances as stated by Dr Hosking.

By Mr Beard: Death was due entirely to natural causes, Absolutely and distinctly to nothing else. There was considerable congestion of the brain, 1 can only express an opinion as to whether it was before or after death, Mioroscopic examination would, I believe, confirm my opinion. The softening was on the base of the skull.

By Mr Bunny: There was in my opinion'softening of the brain before death, but I could not say for how long. By Mr Beard: I saw no indication of the stoppage of any of the vessels to cause congestion, No suggestion was made to mo by anybody as to what parts of ihe body I should examine,

The Coroner, addressing the jury, said: The evidence has gone to show that no suspioious oircumstances whatever have occurred in the death ofMr-Luoena who, by the joint evidence of the doctors, died from natural onuses. When friends who are away wish for an investigation, it is in my opinion perfectly right that such should be held.

The jury then retired, and after an absence of a quarter of an hour returned the following verdict: —" That the death of MrLucena resulted from congestion of the brain, thus being absolutely and definitely from natural .causes," •