THE PICTON FATALITY.

I COEONEE'S INQUEST. 1 At the Courthoiise at Picton on Salur--1 day an inquest was htld touobiog th« death of Tbomas Gullery, settler of Queen Charlotte Soun<fr, which 00- -, ourred at the Piclon Hospital en Monday last. Mr A. G, Fell, JP., presided, and the following gentlemen comprised tbe jury '.—Thomas Philpotts (foreman), . Herbert Godfrey, Thomas Webster, i W. D, Jenkins, Edward Miles and John A. E. Greehrill. k The inquest was opened on last Tu°ewfoy, when the jury viewed tbe bo^yJH^Ar Sinclair watched the interests of George Harris ; Messia Con oily and appeared oa bebalf of the ivl«of deceased ; Constable Jeff ies I cat-ducted the examination of the witnesses ; and Sergt -Major Fcanlan of the police force also took part m tbo proceedings, , Considerable interest was taken m r *)tiJB inquiry, the Courthouse being well filial with the public from the com meo cement of the *>roce«»dmffß at 151.30 p.m. to the conclusion. Ail wilnaseee m waiting were requested to leave the Court. The first witness called uporrwas ; Robert Humber, licensee of the Ship Hotd, who deposed that the deceased, Gullery, visited the hotel on Saturday |d»t> a 22ni iiißtant between 6 and 7 Ftias^js, ani hi\d one drink. He> was heim aac^ cn * He came m again at about , when he was neither drunk nor ', He came into the commercial wbere there were also Mrs Hum- ' "BerTfllr Ashton, Mr Harris, and the servant girl Amy Alexander. He closed the bar at 11 o'clock, then went to shut the front door, and when he returned to ( tbe room he caw Ash ton picking Guliery op from the floor aud putting him on f.be sofa. He heard no disturbance nor %&w no altercation. Gullery appeared to>bejn a sleeping condition and made ÜB9 of ho words. MrsHnmber told him that Guilery Qa £Hßy& > ear clipped. AS^^UB& Constable Jtffries^Hj^^^Bpss to express an opinioa^^BßHVat put Gullery to sleep, bu^ouoseTotvjt-cted to opinions. Examination continued : He did not observe any injuiy on the fallen man, nor any blood visible anywhere. He went to bed at 11.80, leaving deceased lying oq the couch, as he thought, m an ordinary drunken sl^ep. A fire was left m the iooin ani the sleeping msn was left m a comfortable position. He had no idea be was hurt. Between J 11.30 and 12 he heard someone, be cook pjjjfor granted it was deceased, knocking Hnrut ike room and mumbling- He locked all tbe outside doors before retiring, and it was not possible for anyone to g t into the betel from the out- I side. He did not gt^tlowo on hearing I the noise below. He saw deceased uext j morning at nite o'clock. He wa&-asUl lying on the sofa, and appeared asleepT . He bad shifted a little trout his previous position. Ho noticed a scratch on the '■feca. which he did cot see there before ■^K> fall. The face was dirty as though l^Bsvashed. Dr Millington dropped m jHjit 10 o'clock and faid, "Hallo I H^Kt Gullery gone borne yet P " The I^J^B felt his pulse snd said be was H^HBt. At dinner time witness tried ■■H^K d>iceaeed, who appeared quite but he failed. He got water 9HHftrel anl washed his face, and seemed to revive him. I^HBBtt lay on the S'jfii till about 3 HHUSLwhen he seat for Dr MilB^HHH^B a t; doctor was out and the [HBBMMt Dr Scott to ca11... ffpt.li-. fl^^BßTreßeasTh~e xe&ult of Dr Scott's examination. At about 7 o clock Dr Millington called m, and witness expressed uneasiness at such an unnatural eleep. The doctor rximined deceased again, and saying that he w^s much worse than he at first thought, ordered his removal to the hospital, Gullery wus taken, there immediately. Deceased had two drinks at 10.30 (a whisky and beer) and wanted more just before falling but witness refused him. The Coroner : Didn't you think it strange thar a man, not wholly drunk, should go eff jnto a Bleep so suddenly. Witness : Not at the time. To Mr Sinclair ; Gullery was ta'ten to the hospital on a stretcher. Tbe ocuch was a comfortable one— one he usedbimeelf at nights when waiting for steamers. To Mr Conolly : There might have been marks on the face ou Saturday night. Witness was not dtuok when he refused himAdrink. How do you reconcile that fact with your statement that you thought the deceased was m a drupken sleep ?— I went by what the doctor said. I told Dr Millington of tbe clip on the ear. Sergeant -Major Scaolan: Don't you think it was very oruel treatment, leaving a man, who a few minutes before had been most lively, lying on a sofa, alone and helpless, after receiviug a blowP Mr Sinclair pointed out that no proof of a blow had yet been produced. At this stage a luncheon adjournment was made till 1.45, Elien Humber, wife of previous witness, said that deceased was j neither drunk nor sobtr, Ashton aud Harris were sitting at the table ea'ing bread and cheese. Deceased insulted Harris. He said . " Oh. its true what people say about you ; it belongs to you ; you know it doeß." Harris replied : " Miad your owd business ; it bos nothing to do with you." Gullery went out of the room, but returned shortly afterwards and a*ked for some bread and cheese, which Harxis-cuirfor him. Gullery walked g&oufc the room eating the breHflffKoheeso and ccn • Unujnctataujr Harris, hinting that j^HHjHKte child belonged to him. BH^Bj^nVraeotion tbe child right out. BBBHhHuP a °d asked Ashton (tbe ping m the same room) to bini. Gullery poked fuoe and suit} >( If HSBH^B" big bb a bou3o I'd make you H9BHHK words" (ha thought Harris things about him) and HjHfljjß* ibis be appeared es if about HH^^^arris. To get out of the room HH^Ktter had to pass deceased, and Hjßm^|heße words were out of bis 0 J mouth Hams smui'jK/i him m the face ', with his open baud, at the sauie turn, 1 giving him a slight push on the chest > to get him out of the road, saving, "I Q don't waut any more to do with you." " Tbe blow wa9 not a Leavy ore. Gul» [• lery fell on the floor, on his back, bis legs giving way underneath bim. He 0 would have fallen m the lip of the j. servant girl, who was sitting close by, but tbat the moved her chair. He fell with Lis head on the fl;o- t The tall was a light one. Harris then went up to bedTand. Ashton picked Grullery up aud laid biHLon the soft. She did vqt g bear deceased speak after falling. She . put his condition down to dtiuk aud ! » sleepiness. When they went to bed '* deceased was left m a comfortable posi--3 tion on the couch, and a portion of the I* fire was lift m the grate for his benefit. ,! After going to bed she heard someone \ t moving about m the room below, and j, mumbling. She drew her hmbaud's attention to the fact, remarking tbat 1, he Bhould be either put out or brought t- upstairs, as he would wake the boarders i, but ha said it would be all right, Gullery would go off to sleep again soon, - She saw Guller/ asjaiu at 9.30 nest T> morning, and observed a mark on the right side of his face like a pin scratch. Harris hit him on the left cheek. She , presumed Gullery had got the mark " through tumbling about during the s ni«jht.

I, I (.uoounuea on Fourth ftflnflßß

9BHbHR§ Scanlun told witno-s 1 pc nt i" leaviiig deceased Si jHß^H^^nciurl. P> mSKBES ] y '• Oullery was picked ■■^■H^^Bider, domestic servant ut g^ deposed tbat she was the incident. Gul Cj . BB^^BBB^" r " s by insinuating tbat Sl of a certain child. Q] ■HH^^^Bd bim for an apology for H^BBBH r _ i other, and Harris told -q H^H^^H^ nothing lo do with him. g( jH^BHßl^ery repeated his insults, g tbe evidence of Mrs gi aBBBB^ hen Fnrris was g-oing out j^B^^K 11 t° bed Gullery afked him H^^Hmad been saying about bim, ri HB bis fist m his face, c>| HH^HEell his kneea gave way fit st, t | no effort to rise uituself, HHBr c WBB c ° deluy m picking bim BHHpeveral persons passed through. . BH^Bm afterwards nnd looked at bim, H^Von tbe sofa. Tbe only time ebe HB Gullery speak after faUing was v flß^heaaidtobim m ajtHmpersonal j^ on tbe t |nHßHß9j^^Rousln of mine Gal' _, WBB^BBte^e biggest fod G<d f wBBBBBB^heu you have drink,"; * "WhVia tbe biggest ■ HB'Gbd ever created \wben he has j. ■Kok ?" Mrs Hui^ber aud Ashton *j ■rere conversing at the time^nd did sot' *, near }he words She went to hud Rb'orjtly^afttirwaids. snd wbil« in 7?a.er- ; - fctdrooqj, weigh was.cl^ee lo the comKetoial room, she heard him talking to c ftiirjisjrff all the time\ She hix&w it was , nim because she recognised the voice, i fehe also heard a noise as if a chair hed y Keen kicked. She saw him next morn- i ling between 6 and, 7 lying in' the same ■position. She did not examine his face, ' Hfct noticed a little blood on bis hands. ( BTq ,Mr Oonolly : Gallery had been ] prinking for two or three days, and she j thought his fall was an 'ordinary ] drunken sprawl and his steep the usual i drunken" sleep. Tbomas Ashton, settler, of Kenepum Sounds, deposed tbat be went into the : hotel aboHt 10.30 on Saturday evening with Hart is, aud Mr aßd Mrs Humber and MiBB Alexander were there, Gullery acunoed Harris of tbe paternity of a child, and demanded an explanation. He did not see Harris kuock Gullery down as his baok was turned at the time, nor did be bear any words he could d* finitely repeat, poss between the parties. He heard the fall, and turning round shw Gullery motionless on the floor. When be picked him up be mumbled something inarticulately. He did not thiuk that it was the blow oaused the unoonscii usness ; be regarded it as an ordinal y c^ps'ze. H> and Hairis elept m tbe same room. Harm left bis room during tbe nigh' ; he was not awake wheu he went out but woke up wben he came m Dgain, He asked bim where be hRd been and Harris said be hed felt bad imernaly lately and h» d been out to tbe back for a few minutes. He did not appear excitt,d. Next morning at eight o'clock sfieT brf akfafrt be t>ied to wake Gullet y, but witbout Guccis; he lifter) him into a sitting position and shook bim He then noticed a scratch on the faof He had known deceustd intimately for 16 years. Gulloiy told him once tha some years ago he got a blow on the bead -from a bar at a fl.'ur mill ; and | he g°t^flßßßHflfl s afiujl^l^^^HHßr fl^^HHtor b&^^^BH^^^^^T^ eH following a spite, and whs not eubjeettd to fi's of insensibili'y. He did not think on seeing Gulltry still insensible tbat the blow was the cause. To Mr Sinclair : GulUry said tbe fall on the Torea Track gave bim a nasty shake, and be would have to get c) eglasses as bis sight was going. Joseph Pitt, emploj'ed at tbe Pbip Ho<el, who wbs tbe first to see Gulltuy on Surdny mornirg, said he bad opened tbe hotel at 7.30. All the outside doors were locked. Gullery bad his legs banging down off the sofa, one leg touching tb.e floor. He put him wbol'j on the eofa It was hiß duty to cle-in the room out, bui he saw no blood any where. He did not notice whether there was any blood on the nail m the whII He was hard of hearing, but thought he heard Gullery pptak when be moved him. He Baid *' Don't " Dr Oharleß Scott deposed that he was called m about 5 o'clock on Sunday afternoon last to attend deceased. He thought it was the usual drunken sleep and did not make a minute exnrnin« at ion He got a wet towel and smacker) it about the face m order to arout-e him. He then lefr. He did not call again beoause be understood Dr MilJington was attending him. In tbe evening Dr Killicgton sent for bim to asßist m tbe attendance on Gullery at the hospital A close examination was made ttrre and a conclusion arrived a< tbat be was t offering from compression on the brain. All remedies were applied, but be died on Mni<day morning at six. There was a slight scratch on tbe right cbetk, There was also t. puiictund wound under tbe* eye runn ing parallel with the scratch. They probed it and found tbat it reached the bone, . Dr Millington and be held a post mortem esnunnation, arid on removing the tnp p»irt of tbe skull took cut tie nunibraiaefl arid dissected tbe train, On the jitbt side frontal compayment of the bruin was found a large cot of blood. Tbe membraneiwere not torn m any way. and tbf brain wns m a benl'hy state execpi for tbe suffusion of blood Tbe other organs were examined and found to be healthy. De»tb resulted from Compression of tbe bruin, and this was cnuntd by ibe clot of b ood Qbe clot of bloc d was the ref>ul f of tbe ruptu r e of a braiu artery. A flight blow wou'd not cause a rupture, but «be bndu of a msn m drink wculd be very easy to b fleet. It would require a fall or some shock to cause a rupture The fur mation of such a clot of blnod took b little time, t>onje men had been known to walk about after such a for- ' »• a'ion fur a whole day, and nigbt, and there luifcht be longer cases on record.Once a man became insensible from a clot of biood be would rjpver regain coi sou usuees. The wound m tbe eye would not have punctured an artery. f No other "cnuae than- a rough thock t would burst au artery. 1 To Mr Sinclair : Arteries m the head I kfrfquently broke from natural causes f. rwiincut vioUnce — apop'exy for m £ .ey-uce. He would not be iuolined to j sa^' positively that this man's death * was not caused by tbe diseased condition of the brain. Ha would be more inclined to say tbat death was caused * by a fall or B&oc&^f some Mr^^j| j would say positively tEatHeat^^^^^BH oaused by poison, end poison \ result m the cause, wbicb £flß^B satisfied was thecorrect oo^^HHHH tirjued co J2JtftfHß^fe|^j^BHßH

3ssiblo tbat a fall m fbo hotel on atuichy hinht would canae the comressiou of tho brain of a man dying on [outlay morning. 'I hero were no Lirasions on tho In ad. I*o analysis as made of the contents of the oniacb. Dr H. Millington deposed that he illed to see Gullery at 9 o'clock on uuday naomiDg. He examined him od found nw reason to change his pinion that he was m a drunken sleep. [b fidvised leaving him there on the }f* to reoover. He skw him ugain on unday evening, and finding disiinfcr >mpt ma of compression of the -bsaio, ad him re- ovid to th« bospjfal A lood-vejs-l on tbe brain^&igbt be nptured by disease, exjartemenr, mtoxiation, or violence.^/lt was unlikely hat disease would 7 cause the death iv ueßtiooftntf^t was probable that tbe loo^- vessels were diseased- 'from i's intemperate habits. . lhV.jpoßtDOitem showed no distiudtion ibeiweeu ffusicm, excitement,/ intoxication, oofr f iolence a8 the cause of ■death* Jfot^ ;nowiner tbs state *of,£tf6e r aße& at the? ime of the falj,->hp: could *n«jt .Sffpi 7b et h^r the .tupture .was oiu&cbbf %ac all m the jhotel, .la oases of violence he\ interval between the fall and un jbuawo'u6ne«s ; w«fs bais ,tha {outside 24 JOtttsX Generally the'pfttient after m Ury to)fbe head by rupture became un ibnaoiotis . for a'< time, then regained souaoiousness'for an hour or an b<>ur iod 4-balf ; after tbat unconsciousness lame on gradually, until complete, with ieath following nearly always. It would be very improbabla that a man falling and retaining consciousness would become unconscious 24 hours later on. There were no symptoms of poisoning. To Mr Sinolair: II Mr Gullery fell over the Torea track at midnight on Friday, it was quite possible tbat the accident wculd have caused an bsomorrhtge on bia brain whioh would affect him on the Saturday nigbt ; but if that haemorrhage had been going on fcr that 24 hours it would have been recognisable on the dunday morning: : and, again, it would have been most unlikely that he would have been moving about during the Saturday night. It -was possible that the rupture m question could have been caused by poisoning— alcohol m excess being a poison (tbe limit being 2izs m 24 hours). Intoxication might have caused the compression of the brain. Mr Sinclair culled ' John Henderson, settler, Keneperu, wbo Said he went over with Gallery to Torea on the Friday night. Gallery fell over a bank, a distance of some 12 feet. He and Joseph Mo Wah on picked bim up.. It was dark He saw him last on last Saturday morning. To Sergeant-Majnr Hotinlttn : Gullery did not complain of having been injured, Mr Sinolair also called George Michael Harris, farmer, Krnepmu, who eipLdued m regard to the incident m tbe hotel, that he said to Ashton, "Tom wo will go up to bed," Gullery met him round the corner of tbe table and used some kind cf insulting language. He simply rose his band and boxed him on the left cheek, whereupon he fell, and m going down would have fallen on Miss Alexander bufcjba^ahfl drew b»ckher chair. He thenHmxed out ofnlßnT to bed.. H« dToTnol push him. Wben tim got up during the night he went Poown tbe back stairs, and did not go anywhere near the commercial room. To Mr Conolly : Part of the conversation between bim and Aeh on nfier uoing to bed related to tbe iusul iug language of Gullery. Auhton simply said thtrrber hud laid-.-Guiiery on the uofa, but did not say tbat he had been Burt^lle made enquiries about Gul B^^^H^Huiay on getting on to the the Sounds home, and "that " b^waTsTflr asleep on the Bofa. But he attached no importance to that fact, This was all tbe evidence. Mr Oonolly said he would have Uked to hear the evidence of Capt. Fisk. but as it was getting late and counsel wished to return to Blenheim by the 6.30 train he would forego it. At this sage, nearly 6 p.m., the inquest was adjourned to seven o'clock.