DEATH IN CELLAR

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 15 August 1921, Page 5

DEATH IN CELLAR

THE INQUEST

(BY TELEGEAPH —PEESS ASSOCIATION.) DUNEDIN, Aug. 13. At an inquest this morning on a returned soldier named. Edwin George William Hatcher, aged 25, whose body was found in the bottle cellar of the Excelsior Hotel on Thursday, the evidence of the hotel porter snowed that he found deceased earlier on a couch in the bar and placed him in the bottle cellar. He had no instructions to do so, but had done the same on previous occasions." Other evidence showed that deceased had been gassed at the iront and had complained of his heart. The medical evidence showed that the heart was sound. In the opinion of the doctor death, was due to heart failure following cirrhosis of the liver." The coroner said the deceased had been drinking excessively of late and had been deserted by his companions. The conditions surrounding the death were of such a nature that a close inquii-y should be made. He instructed the police to make an inquiry into the method of dealing with intoxicated persons in view of the evidence given by the porter. The verdict was in accord- . ance with the medical opinion.