FOUND DEAD

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12866, 21 May 1936, Page 7

FOUND DEAD

STATION COOK’S LONELY END i HEART FAILLRE As a result; of a visit by his employer to the bnck portion of To Rain ,Station. Whatatutu, on Tuesday, an elderly station rook named. Ar.lhur Tntin Butler, wa.s found dead. Ant inquest into the circumstances surrounding' the death, was held yesterday before (lie coroner, Air. E. L. Walton, S.M. Constnhlo Greggan eonduO.ed the proceedings on behalf of the police. * Vernon) dan lon Butler, mere or. of Gisborne, gave formal evidence of idontitiont ion that- the body was that of jus father. Be was G3' years of age and was employed! as a cook on To Rata Station, Whutatidn. Witness; had hern seen Lis father l for a year. TBs father liadl lawn in indifferent health for some time. ITe had horn advised to see a doctor when he canto in town, but had always kept, postponing a medical visit. Frank •Gnukrodgcr. shepherd on Te Rat;v station, gave evidence that deceased was employed as. a cook on the hack portion of 'Fe Rata station. Witness last, saw him alive on Friday, May In. Witness then left the back portion-, of the station to cornu to the front portion. Butler was lett hy himself. ITe appeared to he. quite well.

Charles Gankrodgor, manager of To Hat a '.Tation, said the deceased was employed by witness. Witness visited the hack portion of the station about 1.0 o'clock on 'i'ncsday morning. He, failed,’ to find deceased in his nsnn.T place in the cookhouse, and on looking round found him dead in the lavatory. The body was quifei rigid and dentil appeared to have taken place some considerable time previously. TTis health generally was good, although he wasi a frail man. lie was a. returned soldier.

Dr. Angel 1 stated' that, as the result of a posj';, morten examination, the cause of death, in his opinion, was a rupture of the muscles of the left ventricle of the heart. Death had occurred two or three day?} previously, perhaps on the Saturday morning, May 16. There was a slight bruise over the right eye which was consistent with a fall.

Constable Oreggan, of To Koraka. gave formal evidence as to visiting the station. Thera was no signs of violence on the deceased. The coroner reCurned a verdict in. accordance with the medical evidence.

The. late Mr Butler was horn in Christchurch, where he lived as ai boy. Later he was for many years at Auckland, where ho was in a jeweller’s business. About. IftlO he went to Fiji- to take over the management of a business, and he remained there for three years, coming ho Poverty Bay soon after his return f'om the [stands. ■ 1 ■ Deceased enlisted from Gisborne for service with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force,, and went overseas with the 13lh. Reinforcements, being drafted to the New Zealand R.itTo • Brigade on his arrival in France. He served in the Armenticros sector: for some months, prior to thci battle oS Measures., in which ho took par 1 ., and later in the Yprea sector, where ho was in the Battle of Passchendaele. He was wounded in the second Battle, of the Somme, in 11)18. and for some months afterward* _ was in hospital in England. So returned to his unit before th© cessation of hostilities, however, and went to Germany with the Army of Occupation. Returned to New Zes, land ay 191? for discharge, Mr Butler took J.lp farming work, and for the past 15 years had been employed on stations in ,vho Whatatutu area, vvliere ho was. well’ known and very popular. The late Mr Butler j«j survived by lii's wife and. one son,- Mr Vernon Butler, who reside in Gisborne.