Coroner's Inquests.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 798, 23 June 1870, Page 2

Coroner's Inquests.

An inquest was held at 2 p.m. on Fridaylast, June 17, at the house of Mr Dyer, a sawyer, residing at Te Ante, before A. Todd, Esq., Coroner, and a jury, on the body of a man named Edward Nicholas Birch, who had died there the previous night at half-past 8 o'clock. The following (evidence was taken: —

Winifred Mary Minnie Dyer, sworn, deposed : On tha 23rd April last the deceased (E. N. Birch) was brought to my door in a state of intoxication. He came in and lay on the sofa, and slept for some hours. After waking up he went into the bouse adjoining and slept for the night. The morning following he was too ill to go to Ellingham's, where he was then staying. He had breakfast, and after that slept till 2 o'clock in the afternoon. On waking up he said he was very ill-—could I give him something that would do his inside good. Having no experience in matters of the kind, I called on my next neighbor to know what I should give him. She prepared some corn flour and gave it to him. He stopped with us from that date till his death. After he had been about a fortnight with us, Dr. English was called in. He prescribed for him. He got well under his care. He took to his old habits, got as bad as ever, from which he recovered, and again took to drink. One of the last times he was out, he went to Ellingham's, in company with my husband, got drunk, and on his way home fell from his horse. He stopped that night at Ellingham's. The next morning my husband found him drunk. He was at various times since in company with my husband. He lost his appetite gradually, and about a fortnight ago took to his bed for good. He'has not been up from that time till his death. He was continually calling for drink up to the very last. For ten days before his death nothing we gave him seemed to stop on his stomach.

Sydney Dyer, laborer, sworn, deposed ; About eigbt weeks ago, when I came home out of the bush, in the evening, the deceased, Edward .Nicholas Birch, was lying on the sofa in .my house. He has stopped with us ever since, up to the time of his death. About ten days after he came to us, my wife suffering in health from having constantly attended the deceased, I took charge of him, and continued to look after him up to the time of his death. I was not employed to do so by any person. The deceased told me that if I looked after him I should lose nothing by it. About the 14th May, I went with him to Ellingham's, He had a fall from his horse on that day. I took him back to Ellingham's again, and left him there for the night. I went and brought him back next morning. He felt very uawell, and could not go about for eight or nine days. During the time he has been with us be has drank, on an average, two bottles of sherry in the day. Sometimes he would change his drink, and take three parts full of a bottle of rum or brandy, in place of the wine. Two nights he abstained from drink altogether. He took to his bed last Tuesday week, and has not been out since. He complained, some days, of a fetling of tightness about the chest, and a pain in the groin. He only suffered from the pain in the groin when he tiied to turn himself in the bed. He partially lost the use of his lower limbs about the time he was taken ill, and, at times, he threw of? everything he took. When I saw his end approaching, I went for his brother, who came up, and was present when he died. Some eight days ago, he said he wished t.o make his will. My wife went for Mr Whitoman to make it out for him. Mr Whiteman came, and got it made by a Mr M'Ewan. He told me, some time before that, that he would make his will in my favor. I am noS aware that he received any injury from the fall that he had from his horse. Ido not believe it was through drink. He was m a sound state of mind up to the time of his death.

John Seymour, sawyer, sworn, deposed : I have known the deceased about 2 years. He has been in the habit of getting drunk and lying out in the cold, fciinee lie came to stop with Mr Dyer I have seen him frequently. Sometimes he was confined to his bed, at other times he was up and about. I was here before his death. About an hour or so before he died he asked for a smoke. At various times while I was in the house he asked for grog. Cross-examined by one of the jury: He bas not slept out in the cold since he came to liv.Q with Mr Dyer. I don't know who supplied the spirits he had to drink. (Jharles Eobert English, surgeon, sworn, deposed : I have known the late iidward Nicholas Birch for many years. On or I about the 7lh of last month 1 was requested to see him by his brother. I came up to -Air Dyer's, where he was then staying ; I ;found him in bed ; it was in the evening. He was suffering from excessive perspiration, diarrhoea, and vomiting. As 1 was given to understand everytning passed from him without his knowledge, 1 pre-, scribed some medicine, which was sent the next day; I also recommended him. ta less spirituous, drmks. Two or thr^

days after that I saw him at Ellingham's. He was not then suffering from the effects of intemperance. He appeared then to be in his usual health, better than I expected to see bira in so short a time. 1 have carefully examined the body to-day. I consider as the cause of death an excessive use of spirituous liquors, producing a general wasting of the whole tissues of the body. This being all the evidence, the jury returned a verdict that deceased " died of excessive drinking, both now and at other times."