DEATH IN SLEEP

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 140, 10 March 1938, Page 16

DEATH IN SLEEP

Verdict Of Heart Disease A verdict of death from heart disease was returned by the District Coroner, Mr. E. Gilbertson, at the inquest at Petone yesterday concerning the death of Desmond Vivian Paton, single, aged 44, who was found dead in his bed at Mr. and Mrs. B. Russo's home at Eastbourne on February 24. Mrs. Italia Russo, Eastbourne, said Paton, had stayed at her house since September, 1937. She last saw him alive at 8.45 p.m. on February 23 when he retired. Usually he set the alarm clock for 2.30 a.m., when he rose to go to his work in a bakehouse. Before leaving he would place the alarm clock in another part of the house. She heard the alarm ring at 2.30 a.m. on February 24. Then she fell asleep again, and, on awakening, found that the clock was not where Paton usually left it. She went to his room thinking he had fallen off to sleep again and found that he had apparently died in his sleep. The alarm had run down. Constable R. D. Squire eaid that Paton

had been in ill .health for some months; recently he had become worse. The post-mortem disclosed heart disease, stated Dr. P. P. Lynch, pathologist. INQUEST ADJOURNED AVhen an inquest was opened yesterday concerning the death of Leslie Thomas Cobcroft, aged 74, Moera, railway workshops clerk, of 59 Richmond Street, Petone, his widow, Mrs. Ethel May Cobcroft. stated that her hueband bad enjoyed good health. He appeared to be in his usual state of health when he retired at 10.30 p.m. on Tuesday. AVhen the alarm clock went off at 5.30 a.m. yesterday he did not rise as usual. She called her son-in-law, Henry James Thomas Facey, and he informed her that her husband was dead. Dr. R. A. Bakewell was called, and stated that her husband had been dead two hours. He had last attended by a doctor ten years ago, when he had a bad attack of pneumonia. Facey, storeman, Petone railway station, also gave evidence. The district coroner, Mr. E. Gilbertson, adjourned the inquest. Senior-Sergeant H. O. D. AVade conducted the inquiry.