INQUEST AT ELTHAM.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 30 November 1927, Page 11

INQUEST AT ELTHAM.

PETER McDOUG ALL’S DEATH. CAUSE NOT YET CLEAIt. At the- Eltham Courthouse this morning, before l the District Coroner (Mr. W. L. Kennedy) an inquiry was held into the circumstances attending the death of Peter M. McDougall, a farm labourer, of Mangamingi, on November 10. It will be remembered that McDougall, who had been lying ill for some days in an Eltiham hotel, died in the ambulance on Boylan Road while being conveyed to the Hawera Hospital in charge qf a nurse. A post mortem examination was conducted by Dr. J. Cairney, medical superintendent at the Hawera Hospital, which disclosed that four libs on deceased’s left side and two ribs oil his right side had, been fractured, the ends piercing the lining. In Dr. Cairncy’s opinion death, was due to' internal haemorrhage, the injuries being consistent with' the: effects of a crushing or heavy fall.

Sergeant Martin, Hawera, conducted the inquiry. Helen Paterson, Avife of J. J. Paterson, foonerly licensee of the Bite Hotel, new resident in New Plymouth, said she .remained in the hotel for two days after the present licensee took possession. She had known deceased for about four years. He put up at the hotel on October 20, arriving there in a taxi-car. He Avne then slightly under the influence of liquor. He booked in and was assigned a room on the ground door, remaining at- the hotel untiltaken to l hospital. The AA r itness had never known him to get info any quarrel. During his stay at the hotel he AA'as drinking moderately, but Avas IiCA-er drunk. Less than By Aveelc after his arrival Avitness noticed that he had abrasions on the nose and cheekbones and a discolouration under the l eyes l . Deceased gave evasVe replies AA'hen questioned as to the source of these marks. To- witness’ knoAvledge the deceased did not consume liquor in hi* room. He Avas a' - whisky drinker. On NoA-ember 8 AA'itness remarked that the deceased appeared unwell, sitting about/ a good deal. She 1 spoke to him about' his condition on the following day and asked if she -could do anything to relieve him. He said he ay as all right and remained seated on the A'erandah. Wil ness left Eltham on November 9 and reL urned next day. Mr. Kasper, the new licensee, asked her to see McDougall, who had not taken breakfast and appeared ill. On visiting his room, deceased Avas found in bed with his trousers on. He complained, of being cold and said his back was sore when Avitness endeavoured to raise him to partake of a Ikiavl of so-un. Witness had to feed him with a spoon. \lt was evident that a doctor should he called and Dr. Saunders Avas summoned. On arrival he ordered McDou,gall’s removal to hospital. Deceased did not at any time enlighten -her as to- the cause of soreness in his hack. She heard no rumour that deceased fell.down the stainvay, and could not advance an opinion as to the age of his injuries. The facial injuries seemed to have been recently inflicted when first noticed by Avitness.

Witness’s daughter was to have attended the inquest but was unable to clq so on account of indisposition. She, however, made a, statement at New Plymouth to- the senior-sergeant that on November 2 she saw deceased kicked and trodden upon by a horse in the rear of (he Elltham Hotel. The statement wiais taken down in writing and signed in the presence of witness, in consequence of a doubt being expressed in regard to the date of the occurence, CUnstable Davis had visited witness’s house and made further inquiries. ABSENT WITNESS’S EVIDENCE. The written statement signed by Susan Paterson is as follows : —I am sixteen years of age and live with my parents in Buckley Terrace, New Plymouth. Some time between 4 and 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 2, 11)27, I was standing in the backyard of the Elthani Hotel, and I saw Peter McDougall standing in the saleyards; he was near a horse and I think he was, going to look at its shoes. I think Jose Barraclough had hold of the bridle of the horse. I knew it was Barrelough’s horse. There was another man standing near the horse; I do not know who he was. The horse moved and knocked McDougall down; lie rolled over and the horse put its feet on top of him. He got up and started brushing his clothes. I called out to him and asked him if he was hurt; he said something about it not having hurt him much. I did not see him again that day. I did not think any more of the matter until my mother spoke to me on the 18tli about- McDougall being dead I then told her of what I saw on the 2nd inst.” Joshua. Barraclouihg, groom un charge of a. stallion belonging to Air A. L. CampbeU. of Fraser Road, was the next witness called- He deposed to knowing deceased well; lie had worked for witness in 1921. He said he was in the Eltliam saleyards on October 18 with the stallion and a hack. Witness took a- 'Mr Hall to see the stallion at about 3.30 p.m. and AfoPougall joined them. The latter asked the age of the. honse. and one being told 31 years, he made a grab at the chain attached to the horse's head. The horse reared

and came doAvn with his feet on either side of McDougall, who ha! fallen backwards on to the ground. On witness asking the deceased if the -horsie had hurt him the reply was “No.” Witness was positive deceased Avas not touched by the horse. McDougall Avas under the influence of liquor, but _ not so much as to be unable to say if -he was hurt or not. From McDougall’s position on the ground it was impossible for the horse to put his feet on him. That Avas the only occasion on which he -had been at the sa-leyards with the liorsesinas the occurrence. It was certainly the occasion referred- to by Miss Paterson. Witness was asked by Miss Paterson if he had seen Peter. Mr. Hall and Avitness went to tin 3 hotel bar and AA-ere folloAved immediately by McDougall. The latter did not remain with the horse. With the exception of what he took in company with Mr Hall, witness had had no* or ink that day. Before visiting the bar, Avitness left the horse in a pen. Three or Tour days previous to this incident he had noticed MoDougall’s black eyes -and did not question iham as to where or how he receiVed them- He .saw McDougall sitting on the A'erandah -several times since then, and on one of these occasions deceased remarked that the horse was looking well. Under examination by Serigeant- Martin, Avitness admitted that he kept & diary in a hook tAVO or three years old. The sergeant -suggested that it was feasible that -witness got his dates mixed. __ . „ NO SUSPICION OF FOUL PLA\.

Dr D. H. Saunders deposed to -being called in by Mrs Paterson to attend the deceased. He at once decided, mat the man had not long to Eve. Examination disclosed a large swelling oA’er the right .side of the chest-, blackened eyes, fractured ribs and evidence of the latter having punctured the internal tissues. Deceased was lybig on his lext side, under the bedclothes and was clad in shirt and trousers. During examination deceased complained of pain, and in reply to queries in reference to the cause of his unjuries, hie saad he had fallen doAvn the stairs. Such a statement was not, in. Avitness’ opinion, consistent Avith the injuries received. Ihi3 witness agreed that infliction of the injuries Avas more likely in the manner described by Miss Paterson than in accordance with deceased’s version. From external examination he could not state definitely when the iuiuriets Avere inflicted, though the blackened eyes had a laded look. It Avas evident that deceased had waked about a good deal after bring injured, and it was possible that the tissues were not .punctured until -some time after the injury. Harold L. Kasper, licensee of the Eltham Hotel, said he entered into possession of the hotel on oa'ember^ 9. , Arriving at the hotel on Sunday, November 6, he did not see deceaseduntil the following _ day. He did not appear to be drinking heavily. From the time of Avitness’is arrival at the hotel the deceased did not, to his knoAvledge, leave -the hotel until _ removed in the ambulance. He declined to haA-e tea on the 9th add breakfast on November 10. Being engaged busily in bis capacity as the new 1 ieensee, witness- did not pay particular attention to deceased. Gonstanble Townsend stated that he knew deceased as a resident of the neighbourhood for the past six or seA’en rears. He was a single man, addicted to drink, and was in receipt of periodical remittances from- Scotland, the last of which, for the sum of £57 Os 9d, was reeeiA'ed on October 1. He arrived in Eltham on October 20, previous to which date he was in receipt of fairly large quantities of liquor taken out to Mr. Pennington’s by carrier. Witness saw McDougall in the bar of the Eltham Hotel on the afternoon of November 9, and s-aAv nothing unusual about him. Deceased was a dark complexioned man, and it Avou-ld be quite possible for hits eyes- to be blackened* and pass unnoticed by a • casual observer.

Questioned by Sergeant Martin, witness said he liad no suspicion of foul play in connection with AlcDougall’s death. Deceased was a returned soldier, and also took part in the South African AVer. At the time of his death he had in hi® possession the sum l of £6 3s 6d. The Coroner said there was' no definite evidence as to how deceased came by his injuries, and gave as Ms verdict “That deceased came to his death by internal haemorrhagre and shock, caused by broken ribs piercing the lungs.”