DEATH OF MR D. B. CRUICKSHANK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 110, 9 May 1895, Page 5

DEATH OF MR D. B. CRUICKSHANK.

A SUDDEN 'END.

Whex it became known in town this morning that a well-known and highly-respected citizen, Mr David B. Cruickshankj'had died, snddenly last evening at his residence in Remuera, expressions of regret were numerous and sincere^ Mr Cruicksbank, who was very well- known- as a merchant and./ as ;the- Chairman of the Northern Steamship Company, had been at business in thecity all day, and the news of his unexpected death surprised -his friends greatly,1 as,.when he left town in the evening for his home he»appeared to be in his usual health. - > ,

The late Mr Cruickshank arrived at his residence in .Remuera shortly before six o'clock last evening, having left town by the five o'clock train. He had dinner with Mrs Cruickshank and family.. Some time after dinner, while sitting quietly with his family, ho complained of a.pain at his heart. \He at tirst told hiß wife, that he thought ib was only a slight attack, but the pain increased in intensity, and at 8 o'clock, a-quarter of an hourafter he first complained, he suddenly expired, presumably from an affection of the heart. Mrs Cruickshank telephoned to. Dr. Hairies, who waa out at Remueva- in less than half an hour, fie arrived too late,1-however, to be of any service. Mr Jame3 Macfarlane, who was a personal friend of Mr Cfuickabank and a co-director in the Northern- Steamship Company, and Mr Ranson, .manager of , the Northern Company, who both live at Remuera, twsnt to the residence of the deceased as soon as they* hoard the: unfortunate news, arid attended to matters for Mrs Cruickshank, who was quite prostrated by the shock. Mr John Taylor, -.contractor, of Sydney, who was an old friend of the deceased, and wbo happened to be in Auckland, also went out to visit Mr Cruickshank, on hearing that ho waa taken suddenly ill, bufc on his arrival he found -Mr Uruickshank dead. During the evening Mr Ranson telegraphed to Captain H. IT. Anderson, one of the directors of the Northern S.S. Company, who is now in Wellington, acquainting him with the news of Mr Uruiekshank's death.

For several months past Mr Cruickshank had been occasionally subject to giddy fits, sometimes accompanied by pain in' the chest, which he thought was due to mdi g63tion. On Sunday morning last he started for church ac Bemuera with his boys, and was suddenly attacked by a pain in fcha chcsb which prevented him from going on. He BaS down on a bank, and waited till his sons came back from church. On Monday he saw Dr. Haines, andfon the following day he told him he still had a pain in the cheat, but in other respects waß in the best of health. - v : *3

Yesterday Mr Cruickshank attended to hia business as usual, and had lunch with Air Ranson, manager of thß Northern Steamship Company. Shortly before four o'clock he went across to the office of the Northern Steamship Company, in order to see whether there was anything required/of him in his capacity as chairman of directors. After speaking to one or'two friends he lefb-for his-home ab his usual hour. -Mr Cruicksbank leaves a widow, who is 'a daughter of the late Mr Roberb Graham, and four sons and one daughter.-' The eldest ia about 21 years of a^e,1 and the youngest an infant. 31 r Crulckilhank's surviving brother is JMr George Cruickshank, formerly of Cruickehank and Miller, who is now farming at Te Awamutu. A married sister of the deceased resides in. Fifeshire, Scotland. » ; . • i

The deceased, who was an old resident of Auckland, having arrived here over thirty,.years, ago, lived a quiet, life, and tqok no prominent! parkin public affaire. He was 53 years of age lastjSunday.-Jje^wjaa a tiatiro : oEr-St.-Andrew's, Fifeshire,lSc6bland, whers ho was educated. In his early life he came' oub to "New Zealand,-arriving in Auckland in the year 1864, when he commenced business in Queen-street in partnership with James Smart, 83 importers' and general ironmongers. Hia brother1 James came oub in 1858, aad in 1867 joined Mr David Cruickehank in business. The two brothers ■ earned on. the business under the style of Cruickshank and Co., and on" Mr James^ruickshank's death bis brother continued the business under the,sama title. ~ ■ '

As Chairman,of Directors of the Northern Steamship Company, Mr Cruickshank kept A keen eye on the welfare of this flourishing local shipping concern, and only the other day he presided at> the annual meeting of shareholders in the Company. He was, many years ago, associated with Captain McGregor in the building of the a.c. Rowena for the coasting trade, this being the first vessel of what afterwards became the Northern 8.8. Company. The deceased acted up. to the time of his death as Conaulor agent; for France, Hawaii and Chili at this port. He waß also Chairman of Directors of the New Zealand Accident Insurance Company, and local director of: the National Insurance Company, and a trustee of the Auckland Savings Bank, and wag, in addition, one of the local agents for the Shaw, Savill and Albion Shipping Company, agent for the P. and 0. line and for the Eastern and Australian Steamship Comyany. . > . ; •■■ ...... i

Th 9 eldest son of the deceased is a cadet on Mr Proud's farm at Bombay.

This morning Dr. C. H. Haines made a postmortem examination of the deceased, and ascertained that the cause of death was syncope, due to degeneration of the vessels of the heart, or atheroma. The funeral will take place to-morrow afternoon. •

!■ The<deceased and hia elder brother, Mr. William Cruickshank, who died fourteen months • ago,, wore married to two sisters, both being Misses Graham. ;.

The shipping in port, including all the Northern Steamship Company's steamers, displayed flnga at.half-.masb to-day out of respect for the memory of the deceased. Flags ' were also at haif-aaasc on many business places in town.