SPIRITS AND INK.

ELDERLY MAN'S U2ATH. FOUND LYING IN ROOM. A remittance man. Arthur Smiles, aged 60, was found dead in his room 01 a house at 28, Newton Road, yesterday morning. It is thought that death was caused by his drinking a mixture of methylated* spirits and ink. Smiles was a married man whose wife lives in England. He had been carrying on busines? as a ticket writer. He was a methylated spirits addict, and had been repeatedly warned by a doctor. He had lived in New Zealand for ten years, but he had no relatives here. At the inquest, held before the coroner, Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., this morninir. Clara Mary Ellis, who let a room to Smiles, said every two or three month? he would go on drinking bouts. Ho was addicted to drinking methylated spirits and ink. About a fortnight aso he started on one of his bouts. She found him lying on the floor of his room about 9.30 yesterday morning. He had been on Rotoroa inebriates' island for 12 months, and had left there last December. Constable J. F. Frain said he found an empty methylated spirits bottle in the room. The inquiry was adjourned until a post-mortem examination of the body has been made. i