REEFTON NOTES

Grey River Argus, 18 January 1939, Page 11

REEFTON NOTES

[Our Own Correspondent.) REEFTON, January 17. The weather to-day is worse than that of the preceding day, rain showers falling heavily all morning. The ranges around the district are heavily I covered with snow, and few snowfalls last winter were heavier than last night’s. Needless to say, last night and this morning the temperature is very low. The funeral of the late Mr Fred Keating took place yesterday afternoon, when there was a very large gathering of mourners from all parts 'of the. West Coast, particularly of Westport residents, where the deceased was a very popular citizen before coming to Reefton. The service at the Sacred Heart Church was conducted by the Rev. Father F. E. Kelly, and also that at the graveside in the Suburban Cemetery. The hearse was covered with floral tributes. Messrs B. H. Winchester, J. Slathery, F. Crompton and J. Robertson were the pallbearers. Mr and Mrs Murcott, of Brightwater, Nelson, who have been visiting Reefton. left on return this morning. Mrs Mona Tracey and daughter, of Christchurch, who are on a hiking tour of the West Coast, arrived in Reefton last evening, and are guests at the Miners’ Arms Hotel. Miss S. Olsen, who has been visiting Wellington during her annual holidays, returned last evening. REEFTON, January 16. The rainfall in Reefton for the 24 hours ending at 9 o’clock this morning, recorded at the Reefton School of Mines, was 1.45 inches. Rain fell in heavy showers practically all Saturday night and yesterday and was continuing to-day, with a wintry temperature, and from present appearances looks like continuing. This summer is undoubtedly the wetest experienced in Reefton for the past half a century. The Inangahua River was in high flood to-day, and from the immence flow of water running there must have been a very heavy fall of rain in the back country. An inquest into the circumstances of the death of Albert Aaron Crennell was held at the Court House, Reefton, on Saturday morning before Mr W. B. Auld J.P, Coroner. Constable Robertson represented the police. Silverius McEvedy, labourer, employed by the Public Works Department, at Crushington, identified the body as that of the man known as Jack Johnson, who had been working for the Public Works Department at Crushington for some time past. He saw him at Stillwater on the evening of January 9. He was quite sober and made no complaint of being ill. When the train reached Mawheraiti he said he was feeling ill with pains in the stomach. He said he had brought a tin of indigestion powders. He got deceased a drink of water at his request. On arrival at Reefton both Johnson and himself proceeded to the camp at Crushington. He saw him next morning at 7.30 o’clock, and he asked for the doctor. He saw him again at 9.45 and then left for Reefton and after arriving there, heard that he had died. Dr. J. L. Wicken, said that about 10 a.m. on January 10th he received a telephone message that a man was suffering _ from stomach trouble at the Crushington Camp. He did not understand that the case was an urgent one at about 11.45 a.m. He received another telephone message that a man had dropped dead at Crushington, and immediately proceeded there, and found deceased dead in his bunk at his camp. There was a tin of an indigestion powder on the table and he had apparently taken some of it. There was no sign of any external injury, but as he had not seen deceased as a patient previously he was not.in n Position to ci’lify as to the cause of death. By oroer of the Coroner he performed a post mortem examination on January 11th at the Morgue, I’eefton. There were no signs of external injury. The body was that oi a poorly nourished elderly man. Internal examination revealed a generI I peritonitis which was caused by a duodenae ulcer perforated. The heart carried a fair degree of duodenal degeneration. The immediate cause of death was general peretonitis and shock following a perforation of the duodenal ulcer. The indigestion powder taken by him would have no bearing on the man’s condition. B. S. Anderson, camp orderly at the Public Works Camp, Crushington, said deceased was a single man about GO years of age. and knew him for about six months. He was a Boer war veteran. He attended him on the night and gave him hot drinks. The following morning he was in great pain about 9.50 o’clock witness was in his hut, and apparently he dozed off to sleep. He tried to get him to talk but he could not, about. 11 o’clock and could see he was passing away and sent for the doctor. Alfred Holliday, employed at the Crushington Camp, gave evidence of attending the deceased until 1.30 o’clock of the morning of his death. I saw him about 9 J o’clock when he said he felt not so bad. He left for Reefton shortly afterwards, when he heard of his death. John Conner Robertson, police constable also gave evidence similar to the previous witnesses as to deceased. He was a labourer aged 61 years and a native of Douglas. The Coroner returned a verdict that the deceased died as a result of general peritonitis and shock following perforation of a duodenal ulcer.