CORONER'S INQUEST.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3401, 10 June 1868, Page 3

CORONER'S INQUEST.

,A Coroner's inquest was held at the Provincial Hospital yesterday before Dr. Goldsbro', M.D., Coroner, and a respectable jury (of whom Mr. Henry A. Thompson was chosen foreman), on view of the • body of William Johnson, who died while under treatment in the Provincial Hospital. The following evidence wasladduced ': — Miohael Eafferty deposed: I am a labourer, living at Onehunga, and I knew deceased. I was loading a boat at about 10 a.m. on i Saturday last, on the old Government Wharf Jat Onehunga. Deceased was then speaking to two other men. Shortly afterwards I sow the two men lifting deceased out of the water. They got him on the wharf and laid him down. Be was vomiting water. Deceased lay there about ten minutes. He waß removed by a man named Holmes. Saw no scuffling and heard no noise before I saw deceased taken out of the water. Thomas Sharps, a boatman residing at Onehunga, deposed : On Saturday last, at 11.30 a.m., I went on to the old Government Wharf. Saw deceased lying on the wharf wet. He was vomiting, and smelt of spirits. A man named John Harris and another, whose name I did not know, were leading him up the wharf. He leaned on their shoulders. I followed them after a little time, and found deceased lying down in the road, about 500 yards from the ; -wharf There was> only one person with him then, and he was vomiting. I helped to take deceased along about 400 yards further. A cart was coming along, and I asked the driver to let deceased get into it. He did so, *nd we got deceased home. I took deceased into his - house, with the assistance of the other, man. I stripped him and put a dry shirt on him. We then put him to bed. A man, whose name I do not know, aeked deceased to have a glass of brandy, but the latter Eaid he could not drink it. I was desired by the other man to fetch a woman whom he named, to attend deceased, but I do not think she went. I did not see her or tell her to go. J then went home. I never saw deceased alive again. The man who was with him said deceased fell over the wharf into the water. Deceased was perfectly sensible, and appeared sober. Michael Eafferty, re-called, deposed : I afterwards saw deceased in the road when I was called. 1 did not go into the house when deceased was carried home. . .in Thomas Moore Philion, M.D., Provincial SureeoD, deposed : I first saw deceased at 3 p.m. on Sunday last, the 7th instant, lying in a bed in one of the wards of the hospital. He was lying on his back moaniDg distressfully, and his breath was faint and attended with loud rattle; pulse 120, small and feeble. He was consoious when spoken to, but ha was unable to answer questions. The body was warm, having been diligently fonjente d before my arrival. It was evident that he was dying, and he died accordingly at half-past five o'clock on the same day, six hours after admission. 1 have made a postmortem examination of thebody this day, at the request of the jury. No external marks of violence could be discovered. The windpipe was half-full of sea water, and the bags filled with infiltrate. The serum contained scarcely any air. Coagulated blood was found in the right ventricle of the heart, and a small quantity of dark blood in the left ventncle. The stomach was filled with gas, and the brain congested with dark blood. There was a slight froth in the mouth when I saw him last in the hospital. 1 believe that death occurred from submersion in the water, respiration having been never perfectly restored. There was no apparent disease of the brain. I do not consider that, even had he received medical attendance, he would have recovered, the lungs being so very much engorged by the water. Robert Leary. a constable, stationed at Onehunga, deposed : ' I have known deceased for the last ten years. He was subject to epileptic fits, which have' lately become of a violent nature, On Saturday morning last, . the 6th instant, I saw deceased wheeling a barrow. Deceased was a carpenter, but was unable to work at bis trade in consequence of fits. Heard tbat deceased had fallen into the water. wh'enin a fit. Mr. ,W»lker said they attempted! to prevent his falling into the water by holding his! coat, which, however, gave vray. Dr. Nicholson, who was called in, ordered hot fomentations, and a - glass of hot brandy and water was administered/. On Sunday morning t removed him to the hospital, Auckland. I have a silver watch, chain, clothes, and chest of carpenters' tools, and thesum "of 4s. Bd. in money, which I took from deceaaed's pocket. The jury almost immediately returned a verdict to the following-effect:— That deceased fell into the water in an epileptic fit, that he died from submersion in the water, and that there were no marks of violence on the body.