INQUEST AT ASHBURTON.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13227, 22 September 1908, Page 9

INQUEST AT ASHBURTON.

The adjourned . inquest on John Henry Taylor, who was found dead 011 the .North-east licit, __aiupstead, last 1 hursday morning, was lield at' the Ashburton Oourtnouse yesterday afternoon, before Mr \V. H. Rule, actmgcoroner, ana a jury of whom Mr P. Orr was foreman. John Miles, of Tinwald, deposed that in company with Daniel Canncroas he met Taylor at the -ornerset corner about six o'clock in the evening. Ta>lor askea them if they could do v drink, and the three went to Tom Alexander's house. Tney woro each sober. Whea they got to Alexander's house they eacn had two glasses of Deer, which was brougnt into tiio kitchen by Alexander without being told, Alexander did not have a drink with them, is o money was passed, and the liquor was not paid lor. They were about half au Hour, when Taylor left to go home tb his tea. Taylor was quite sober when he left. He had ibeen employed opening oysters on the racecouiso dur mg tho day. Daniel Cairncross, of Tinwald, deposed that ho and Miles mot Taylor in the evening at the bomerset corner. Witness remarked that beer appeared co be scarce in the town, an.. Taylor said he thought he could get ono. 1 hey then went to Tom Alexander's, and while there had two glasses of boor each. No money was asked for and none was paid for the beer. Aloxander did not drink with them. Witness had never had either beer or whisKy in Alexander's houso before. They were each sober, and Taylor was not the worse for liquor when he left Alexander's to go home. Charles Henry Tisch gave evidence a3 to finding deceased Iving dead on the footpath at Hampstead at 7.20 a.m. on Thursday last. Dr. _. L. Handcock deposed to having examined the body at the morgue. It was well nourished and was fully dressed at the time of tho examination, and smelt strongly of veer. Tho body was not quito cold/but post mortem rigidity was very marked, showing that deceased had been doaa many hours. There wero no external signs of in juries beyond a sliprht abrasion on the nose and on one siuo of the face. There were clots of blood in the nostrils, and tho tongue was protruding and tightly clenched between tho teeth. The general conditions of the body pointed to tho fact that deceased had partially fallen down ia s fit, and that, death was duo to suffocation caused by epilepsy. A-verdict was returned in accordance with the medical evidence. A young man named Judge fell off an express van he was driving in Park terrace yesterday, the wheels of the vehicle passing over his. body and inflicting painful injuries.