INQUEST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 4970, 8 March 1895, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesterday j afternoon on the body of Richard -y Woodham, before Mr T. Hutchison, Coroner, and a Jury consisting of v Messrs W. 0. Cargill (Foreman), j; A. Peterson, E. Welch, Geo. Phillips, n O'Meara, anil J. Carpenter, / ™ After having viewed the body the r| followiug evidence was taken. Robert Allen said he know the g . deceased since 1816, deceased served j in the 65th Regiment with witness. j Had two drinks yesterday with deceased. Left the Prince of Wales ' with the deceased about 6.30 p.m., and saw liim part of the way home. J Fancied deceased had bad some J liquor before witness met him, but I was perfectly fit to go home when I witness parted with him. Witness j 1 went to the house of deceased last C evening, but could not say whether \ lie took beer there or not. The de- 1 censed seemed in his usual way, and I did not appear to be suffering I from the effects of a drinking bout. '1 Went to the house about 7.30, and stayed there about a quarter of an hour. Witness denied that he told the Sergeant that he was present when deceased died. Denied that he had brought a quart of beer to the 1 house of deceased. During all the jjktime he knew deceased never knew his having any illness. He was ' a man of particularly strong constitution. William Shaw, dealer, said that * lie saw deceased on several occasions yesterday. Saw him last evening in 1 his own house about 9 a.m., and he J was pretty well drunk at that time. The last witness was there at nina o'clock and would not leave with witness. Did not see them drinking but apparently they had been drinking. Witness went back to the j house about ten o'clock, to try and get Allen home, Deceased had fallen j on the floor of the kitchen. He was lying on his stomach with his head turned round, his right cheek on the ground, His head was close to the dresser but not touching it, and not J so near as to indicate that he had '■ struck it in falling. Allen was sitting in liis chair with his back tode-' ceased. Mrs Woodham appeared to have been trying to raise the deceased, and in reply to a question by witness said she could not get him up. Witness picked up the deceased aud placed him on the sofa. In do|H ing so he noticed that deceased's face was bleeding as though he had Btrnck the floor. The deceased when placed on the couch said "he was all right." Shortly after lie sat up on the couch and began to unlaco his boots. Afterwards he rose to his feet and said he was going to bed. Witness saw deceased was likely to fall, and supported him to the bedroom door, ■when Mi's Woodham took him to put him to bed. Last time lie sawdeceased, he was sitting on the bed, and when he could not get Allen to go home, deceased said " Leave him alone, Shaw, he will sleep on that couch to-night." Mi's Woodham,widow of deceased, eaid that deceased came home yesterday evening botween 6.30 and 7 o'clock. He was not sober then and refused to take any food. Allan and Tracy came in before the deceased, and they sent him for a bottle of beer, which they drank together, Woodham having the largest share Of it. All three too the worse for liquor. Later on in the evening deceased got up to go outside ij and foil oil the floor. This ■•would be near ten o'clock. He! ™ fell' against the dresser and grazed his cheek and forehead. Witness could not lift him up, he was too heavy, Just then Shaw came in. Witness got deceased to bed but could not put his head on the pillow. " Witness left the bedroom for a few

minutes, when she heard a noise.and on going back to the bedroom found k deceased had fallen on to the floor " and was lying on his back. Witness saw tho colour change in the face of the deceased, and she decided to go for the doctor. Deceased made a strange noise in his throat and chest. Witness was absent less than half-aii-liour, and when she returned found her husband dead. The doctor (Dr Dawson) came soon after and pronounced life extinct. DeCeased was in his 77th year, and had had no serious illness during his lifetime. Eighteen months ago he had a fall, and when brought homo ■ appeared in a similar condition to iQnvhat he was last evening. He had | jPbeen intemperate all lus life. Drßutement said he had exter-

nally examined the body of deceased. ; He could not say what was the cause of death, withoutapsi modern examination. From the evidence he had heard, he would say theprobablo cause of death, was apoplexy induced by alcoholism, The jury did not consider a post mortem, necessary, and returned a verdict, that deceased died in an apoplectic ■ fit, induced by excessive V ' alcoholism.