CORONER S INQUEST.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 117, 15 May 1912, Page 5

CORONER S INQUEST.

'DEATH <jF JOHN rHICKEY

The inquest conducted "by Mr B. 3 Floranco,'. 'Coroner,. into the.death c f ;? John Hickey, T75- years of age, of Key • Avoodtovvn ■ whose: body' was, found in the Opawa, Riv<fr on-the.Afternoon .»f Sunday.;last,- was; recunied..this morning for the purpoy*?. of taking; the evidence of Dr. J. Fl Bennett, who con - ducted- the post-mortem; e&a initiation I^j-. JB-snnett said thai Ke exumiiiod the body oix '■ Monday,, the 13tli N'nst. It w«:« in- iin^. advanced -stage of (oooniposition, r.nd. Uad evidently be«ii in the Avater:lor more thaii ten dayri. •The scUp had .be'eii torn off the* I.it side of the ; and was. hangiir-jr. There avjs«sflo' fracture'of the skull:--rßie chest on the. left sidevvias broker, and i:-servers 1 of: the Vibs were smuisho;! There A^asi extonsiyoilaoeration <of '.lie left groin, ':Jnd-the right, leg. was broken; Above the right linee ■ thevo;' was ;iir-p.-itoh -<>f ;bruiying, evidently; done , before death. [ The .re.m:!.inin4 wounds '-were,.'-probably, done .lafter, dentil. None, of the injuries \were; ■ necessarily .mortals though, that \o' the chest ."'might have. ibjeen jtjerious ..enough to' cxtuse' dteath. * 'The^-e v,:a.s ■extensive idnd serious iheart' disase.. He should uay that deiith was caused: ;by ssphyxia dvi© to siiblft^rsion. ,Vh<3'. state of the'heart might haye bee\i :-• ■.fU'Ctor. • •-.. '■■ ■ ■ ■■■ /*• v-

The .Coroner saM.tliitt .With regauvi; .to .fcho'use.o'f the. hospitalfmqrgue, a, matter which ihad. been mentioned to. ".him ..by the- .Sector., he -wftuld mv?: .the' matter ihuflughb-jiiidpiY^he notice, .of the proper^.authorities1. . ' '■ ; Dii:. "JSeniiett explained* "that the; •objection, was not to the 'use of rfie' morgue for i>uch ' cases', but to 'ho. absence \tit! prevision Xox .the . assistance of the doctor, conducting, the *x-; •aminatioh. It was not right thiittLe hospticj inursea:, ' who had to do con.-tin'as'-lly with Operative c::&ss, should. .'be called ; upoii to aasisfc the;doctor in his exjtjniuatibn o.f' v putrefactive body. If the.JpQlice" .c>r .some a-espqo. sible ..authority would _. ,see ■.thi at- an ii£sibtiMit, jaat necessarily a sikill^d one, v.er.e employed, tte grievauoei Avoui'l' be j'.enjediecl. ' The C'orqiiel- .said'•■'.that'perhaps the sergeant of police/would looli into-tro -.matter." • -,''m:'. .■■•I*%-"'1*%-"' ' \\'^\ "'■ •.' ,_ '.Sergeant Hajason sakl that . i'«>. : Xvor.ld .bo j>lcf.sed/t6;d0'50,,;5; ':■■>' •. .• i.V I •'•.■''l]ie-:.xQ6Liqricsr-"''declM.red "that the ;.d^/,th:o.f;J6hii Hickey wjjs dv© to'ni*: ;iViiling ihi>.i. the . wuter, and drown?.'hg |by ifSphyxifttipn., peiiiHJS -afCceleraieJ by thp wn>lstiph oJ: the^he;.V;rfc. ' ; ■'•, ' ' TJio C-caonor alid;..lip' would like to, mention- that a...prominent looul resi-' deiit had expressed to him the opinion.' that•'tlus incjuest way an unnecessary one.. -' TJiis 'vns. an entirely wro^ig view- It was. evident that if, idicS: the b'pdy had been put away, some auspicious" circumstances arose which ; ■ seemed-'io^pojnt to tlio death as.'li-a I^ing been cau^d by imiJtreiitment or Violence, tho post-m<.>rtem es;.iiM'i:ition made at''the .-.time would "be most valiutble evidonce. 'Where there viJS .& po-ssibility oi' a. person having. ;net his de^th' -•;« tl^e cohsequcri'cb bi; a wfong set.on .the..part_of ;;ome other person^ it was very' de»ir-".blo ; that t-ic circumstances .should be inquii:*.d into. Otherwise justice might bo•"dfele.-ited. In this■•case it hud only been foima out by inquiry thst deatii- was ano -to' -the d'sce.assd's fulling into.'me water. The iiuporficiai injury on ihc knee might ht-'.vo been. cjxused( by., i) is>. failing about or striking, an pbjoec as he fell into the river.. It'wiis :r.ot so many years ago since a person \i;as buried in England witho.\it :a jcbroittji ;s inque:>t, arid1 the' body had'to'bd bx-hume-.1., in consequence■•■■/ tal7- sthfe »Sil;j--picion that sonieone ,]:ij;d' doeidisd ti take, tlie life of the deceased. .It avsa then' disyovorodl that a,dariiing'iieed]e had. beon thrust 'into "the, decea.sed'v heart; and the guilty person was 3X">c.ited'. The«s inquesta did ript mane pleasant work for tho coroner; but it was very important that they lihou 1-1 bo- carried out. r'