YOUTH'S SUDDEN DEATH

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 154, 27 December 1918, Page 7

YOUTH'S SUDDEN DEATH

MEDICAL CERTIFICATE GIVEN.

A youth namod Heginald Stenhouse Keddeil, 19 years of ago, who resided, with his mother at 147, Abe) Smith-street, died at the hospital at 7 a.m. on Christmas Day in somewhat peculiar circumstances. Ho proposed to have gono tor a holiday to Palmerston North ion Christmas Day with two young friends, Ernest Ohiol and .Robert Flint. On Christmas Eve the lafcs wore met by Mrs. Keddeil and her daughters in Manners-street early in tho evening, and the deceased was then quite aober. About . U.lO p.m., however, Constable Demuth saw four or five- lads in Farish-street watching the deceased who was lying down apparently very drunk. The young fellows said that he W»s a pal of theirs and' that they would stay with him until ho robered up. They then got a motor-car to remove him and tho conStable ascertaining that the lad w»b breathing normally, and believing that he was in trustworthy hands, allowed his friends to tako him away. The lads subsequently stated that they had taken Keddeil round the bays in the «ar, thinking that the frosh air would sober him up, but when they returned to town he wae still unconscious, aiid as they did not know wlioro he lived, they got him a bed at tho Columbia Hotel. It wag then noticed that his breathing was laboured, and as he had been unconscious for four hoursj they were alarmed and carried him to the Twanaki-street Police Station at 2.30 a.m. Sergt. Lopdell immediately called Dr. Young, who arrived at three o'clock and ordered^ tho lad to be removed to y the hospital, where ho died about four hours later. , His companions' Flint and Chiel, not aware of what had occurred, loft for Palmorston on Christmas Day. As Dr.. Colvin has given a certificate that death was duo to diabetes an inquest will not be held.