AN ENGINEER'S DEATH.

Marlborough Express, Volume XL, Issue 6, 8 January 1907, Page 2

AN ENGINEER'S DEATH.

EXPIRES IN A FIT

BODY NOT FOUND FOR SOME

DAYS

(Special to Express^

NELSON, Jan. .8. Yesterday afternoon the body of Mr W. A. Sham, resident engineer to the Public Works Department, was found lying on the floor of the old Public Works Office in a very advanced state of decomposition. Alongside the body were the deceased's hat, waistcoat, shirt-and boots, and underneath his head was a coat aieatly folded up/ The deceased was subject to fits, and . after an examination of the remains medical opinion is that death was due to an apoplectic seizure. . It is surmised that the deceased, who was in charge of the railway extension works at Kiwi, feeling unwell, went into the office to lie down, and had a seizure while lying asleep. Owing to the holidays he was not missed from Kiwi, and his absence was not noticed by his family, who were under the impression that he was at the railway works.

The deceased had been in the Gov^ eminent service over thirty years, and was widely esteemed, especially on the West Coast, where he lived for some years. The distressing circumstances ot his death have cast quite a gloom over the community.