DEATH IN A TAXI

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 3, 3 July 1926, Page 10

DEATH IN A TAXI

INQUEST ON MILITARY"

PENSIONEE.

'■A story, rather pathetic iu-"cotfie" vf its' aspects, was told in the/^^Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon, when the Coroner (Mr. E. Page ? :S;Mv) conducted an inquest on Charles lEtlmund Miller, who died on. Wectnesclay night while on his way to tne'Tavariaki Street Police Station. ;•'•■-.,'';";'. Dr. P. P. Lynch, pathologist'at the Wellington Hospital, gave ' evidence that he had conducted a ■ postmortem examination of the deceased," and in his opinion death was due to acute Ibbar pneumonia, which was a. typical condition. of middle-ago. "It is most unusual for a man in this condition to be going about. Such cases;- are usually prostrated," said witness. ■Honora Callaghan, a .widow; managing, an apartment-house in Home-street, said that she was asked by.ia . Mrs. Olliver to let filler have aa-ootn: in her house, and she consented: However, two .days later, she was forced for certain reasons to ask him to --leaVe. While ho was' hi the house, deceased had not complained of being ill. ■"■ Jane Olliver said that she and her husband had known Miller for^' thrift ?weeks,; and had become attach.dd to him, although they knew ho was"addicted 'to drink. At 7 p.m. cm .Wednesday night,' the day he .was^asked to leave,' witness engaged a taxi..and drove Miller round the town, frying unsuccessfully to get him accdnihWdation.. At last, as a final rcsbfl^. they drovei to the police station, ..but...she found on arrival there that' her. companion, was dead. . Deceased had cp.mplained to her of feeling ill before they, loft ,Home street,'and she had bought; him a bottle of whisky, which ho had'asked for and which seemed to cheer..-Jrim up a little. The landlady had thought Miller was drunk when she asked Jain to leave. : ■: \ -:,-._ George Green, a taxi-driver, gave evidence that when he went round ■ ."to Home street, he saw Miller being held up by a man and a woman* <■ and thought he was under the influence-c£ liquor. After going to several places for lodgings, witness suggested that they should try the police station, and this was done. '.' •''■■' '„.

Evidence of identification waj/gjyeii by Emily Skeet, a daughter of-the ieceased, who'said that her father was a military pensioner, aged 61. He was addicted to drink. \.•:-.*■.

The Coroner, in returning a verdict of death from natural causes, said that it seemed .'clear the landlady was iniawarp, that Milter was ill when she asked him to find other accomodatibn, and she did nothing improper in asking him ot leave, as slit- thought lies' find been drinking.' \ ' . ■ . ■