CORONER'S INQUEST: SINGULAR DEATH AT WAITAKERE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4743, 6 November 1872, Page 3

CORONER'S INQUEST : SINGULAR DEATH AT WAITAKERE.

A coeoner S inquiry was held yesterday afternoon, at the Star Hotel, to take evidence as touching the death of Thomas Cane, who died under somewhat singular circumstances, as related in our issue of yesterday morning. A jury having been sworn in, the first witness called was Thomas Keenan, who deposed r that f he was employed as a labourer at Brigham's-flaxmill, which was near the Kaipara Railway. The deceased was engaged as -bullock driver ab the mill. Hia parents lived near to the mill. On Jasfc Saturday week, the deceased had been to the Kaipara Kailway, and returning be complained of a boil on his knee, and of a pain in his right hip. ' He had quite lost the use of his leg', and looked very ill. He could eat very little. No medical man saw the deceased, as it was 30 miles to Auckland from where he lived. Last Wednesday witness* went with him to his father's house from' the mill 'where he .had been working. Deceased was placed on horseback ; but he kept his seat with great difficulty, and had to be lifted off. He was handed over to Jais father, to whom an ac«ount was given of. the deceased's illness. There was no apprehension at the time of the deceased being in any dangqr. Witness Trent over to see him Ipst Sunday, and then found that he was dead. Witness once gave him a glass of rum two days before he died. He complained of being very -faint.. The day before witness believed that .one "of the men had given deceased two glasses of rum. The only medicine given tohim was a dose of castoroiL — Margaret Oane deposed : My husband's n»,me is John Cane.r, Y He ia;ara"awyer"by trade. We live at Kiepapie, six miles from Riverhead.. The .deceased was my son. He ■would have been 20 years of age on, the 19th of this month.' He was a Vtfry healthy lad : nothing ever *ile,d hjmj , He: was .employed at Messrs. Brigham and Dunns flax mills. He had Heen 'nearly 'twelvemonths there. Laat Monday week my younger boy came home a Jittle_af terjlark f rom the mill, and. told inVthat" bis brpthp was ill. He said hia brother had a $ain~iD bis_ right side^ and that he was coining honae"bn Tuesday— a'Tiorse having! been- J prb'6uredl"foi: Ihim. OGBaitl that day he.arrivedj? and Vis" lifted in by two men, and placed urn aostool. He looked very ill, and was <scaj,cely able jto sit up. I helped to put him 3»_bed._ ' I 'gave him no medicine. waajclean and £ not dry. On Friday night he ate^tWo sliceß r oi; bread with jam1 f "^He"' ate- everyfday; until' thenj-^whetii he 'changed for the worse! " He " diction Sunday , momiag at 2.0'c10ck.. . He _ die4,eaByT^H^nry^ Cs£e, a^ you^igertßrofKer" of-theideceasedj^gave^simiiar^

was called, but merely reoeated hha takpn n»rl *„£, "" Alttl llron i the evidence continnwl f the deceas ed had died from Son V Ver cou P led with br '^« oon. attick«,'tn i W9S f l lufce common for such for any *. be fatal " He was 6 satisfied lWvin i eternal examination.— The case IX *JOOllJ 0011 put fco jury, a verdict was fc .t'L > ac ?°rdin£j to the evidence, and the v«! ? nd f r added « w " Tbe jury beg to represent to the Government that,ia the fatal illness of deceased, no medical aid was available ; and that, in their opinion, the location or radical ' m > n on railway lines and outlymcj settl ementg should be enforced b law lAtJi.eiJjierestof humanity." •