FRIGHTENED TO DEATH. EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE IN WELLINGTON.

Evening Post, Volume XX, Issue 168, 21 July 1880, Page 2

FRIGHTENED TO DEATH. EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE IN WELLINGTON.

A sadden death occurred in Wellington this morning, the circumstances surrounding which are of a most singular and painful character. It appears that a youth named Henry J. G. Smith, aged 18, was concerned in an affair on Saturday night, which resulted in the police laying an information against four or five boys for having used indecent and abusive language. Since that_ evening the police have been busily making inquiries with rf gard to the real culprits, and amongst the names of tho supposed offender* wa» that of Smith, who was engaged as ft shop* boy in the establishment of the late Mr. Levy, hootmakor, of Lambton Quay. Smith, however, Beems to have heard nothing of the matter till last evening, when, as ho was returning home from wofk, he espied a constable in Te Aro proceeding toward? town and escorting a comrade of his. Be'ieving, as it is supposed, that his companion was being conducted to the police station fur the purpose of being interrogated as to the circumstances which led to the charge of obsoemty, and fearing that he (Smith) would bo called upon to attend the KM. Court either in the capacity of a witness or defendant, he became excited, and tho affair preyed upon his mind. On reaching home, shortly before 7 o'clock, he went to bed immediately, complaining that he did not feel well. No tenons apprehensions were at that time entertained as to his condition, but in the course of a few hours it was apparent that he was suffering acutely from p»lpitatioa of thfc heart, and at 1 o'clock this morning, after ejaculating the words "God be merciful," he expired ia his mother's arms. The deceased, whose father is a Bhoemaker, residing in Martin-street,

was brought np to that trade. For a considerable time past he had been treated for heart disease by the doctor of a lodge in connection with the order of Foresters, to which his father was a member — Dr. Harding—who has to-day certified that this disease was the direct caase of death. The deceased's frienda are of opinion that the attack was induced owing to his fear of having to appear in Court, and fiat the unfortunate young man was literally terrified to death.