FOUND DEAD

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 September 1920, Page 3

FOUND DEAD

INQUEST AT DUNOLLIE. VERDICT .OF HEART DISEASE. An inquiry into the circumstances surrounding ,1110 death of Richard Galway, who was found dead on-the central rope react, at Rewanui on Tuesday morning at 6.15 a.m. was held at the Dunollie Hotel yesterday afternoon. The Acting-Coroner Mr. F. H. Kilgour, presided, while Inspector Cruickshanks and Constable Bonisch were present on behalf of the police. The jury comprised Messrs Hubert Loveland Munson, Michael Twohill, Frederick James Key, and Frank A. Cameron, the last named being chosen foreman. Dr. Cotter, a duly qualified medical practitioner, at Runanga, said he was called at 7 a.m. on Tuesday morning and proceeded to Rewanui, arriving at 8.30. He examined the body of deceased and saw no external marks of violence. The patient seemed- to have •been dead at least five or six hours. He made a post-mortem examination and found that all the organs were normal except the heart, which was enlarged and the valves of which were very much diseased, evidently a longstanding complaint. It was quite sufficent to cause sudden death. Margaret Armstrong, a boarding house keeper at Rewanui, said that deceased boarded at her place, but lived in a hut. Deceased came in for tea about 4.45 p.m. on the Munday, having arrived from Dunollie by train. He had a good tea and left about 5.30. Witness did not see him again. ■ She noticed that he looked as if he had a couple of drinks in him. Deceased • looked quite healthy. He asked wit- ; ness for a loan of ten shillings. William Mottram, a miner, residing , at Rewanui, said he knew the deceas- j ed, who came to his hut on Monday night between 7 and 9 p.m. He ap- j peared to be in good health. He re- ; mained for a time and seemed quite , jolly. Deceased sang a few songs and ( they had a drink or two of whisky. r Witness thought he left between ten f or ele.en. When leaving he just walk- f ed off and never said a word. There , were four or five others in the hut. Witness did not see him again. Replying to questions from the foreman of the jury, witness said that deceased did not live by himself. He . J 1 had a hut mate named Brown, but the latter was not in Mottram’s hut that night. Jack McSweeney, a fireman employed at the State Mine, and residing at Rewanui, said that lie 'came off the back shift at’ midnight on Monday, and on his way home passed Mottram’s 5 hut at about 12.30 a.m. He saw de- 1 ceased lying in front of the hut. His [ head was on his arm, just as if he was 1 having a sleep. He appeared ness to be sleeping and the latter pass- J ed on. He was not surprised to see ' deceased lying like that, as it was a 1 usual occurrence. 1 Thomas Ward, a miner, residing at 1 Rewanui, said that on Monday night } he was at Mot-tram’s hut. Deceased r came in about 8 o’clock, and said, “I’m t not too bad, but I’ve felt better many a time.” He had a couple of “whis t kies” and sang some songs. It was I getting on towards 10 'o’clock when de- v ceased left. He did not say where he w r as going. Witness left about 11.30 o p.m. and saw nothing of deceased when he came outside. Deceased could not have been lying where he was found without, witness seeing him. t He seemed all right when he left, be- il ing a little jolly. Next morning at 6.15 a.m., witness got up to go to work and going outside found deceased ly- & in in front of Mottram’s hut. He s , was lying in the same position as when 1 McSweeney saw him. He carried deceased into Mottram’s hut. As far as witness could see dhceajsed was dead. The body was limp. It was a very cold night.. The Coroner stated that the jury would have very little difficulty in bringing in a verdict as to the cause of death, esrectially after hearing the evidence of Dr. Cotter. G ‘Richard Galway died from valvular P disease of the heart in accordance with u Dr, Cotter’s evidence,” was the verdict returned by the jury.