DEATH OF WILLIAM GERREY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 70, 24 March 1914, Page 7

DEATH OF WILLIAM GERREY

I THE INQUEST. An inquest was held at the Hospital yesterday afternoon by Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, Coroner, regarding the death of William Gerruy, a, whaif labourer, who died at the Hospital on Saturday evening. Evidence was given by Dr. Hardwick Smith, the Medical Superintendent, that the deceased was admitted to the Hospital ot^ the 14th March in an unconscious condition, and was suffering i'roin frequent convulsions of the right side of tho body. An operation was performed to relieve the pressure on the biaiu. The fits then ceased, but his condition became weaker, and death supervened. Dr. W. K. Fyffe, who pel formed a post-mortem examination on the body, said that the cause of death was not easy to state, but from the history of the case the symptoms fitted in easiest with thoso of general paralysis oi the insane. Janet Gerrey, wife of the deceased, said that her husband's age was 37 years. He left home on the morning of the 14th March to go Co work for the Harbour Board. He had no real illness, but he had been very strange for the past 18 months. For one' thing, he seemed to 'suffer a great deal from loss of memory. Albert Edward Thomas, driver, in the employ of H. Somerville, deposed to having noticed the deceased, who seemed to be a bit queer, as though he _ was paralysed or something, put out his hand as 'f to get hold ot his (witness's) express. Witness oasod up for him, but when he looked round again deceased was lying on his back on the ground as in a fit. James Costley, a Harbour Board storeman, said that he saw the deceased jump on to the express, and then, seeming to lose control of himself, slide off the vehicle and fall to the ground. The Coroner returned a verdict that the cause of death was general paralysis of tha insane.