CORONIAL INQUIRY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 929, 30 January 1924, Page 5

CORONIAL INQUIRY.

MAN’S SUDDEN DEATH. HEART FAILURE THE CAUSE. An enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of on elderly man named Harry Stevens, who died Budaenly at Goverlea, on January 27, was held this morning before the coroner, Mr . J. L. Stout, S.M. Sergeant Power represented the police. Frederick Aisher, relieving officer at the Palmerston North hospital, deposed to having viewed the body of deceased at the morgue and identified it as that of a single man named Harry Stevens, who had been a ship’s cook in his younger days. Deceased was born in London on May 4, 1855, and was a single man, witness having known him for 25 or 30 years. Deceased had applied for the old age pension but it had been deferred until he could prove hia age. Henry George B. Jewell, farmer at Cloverlea settlement, stated in evidence that deceased had been employed by him as cook since September 11 last. Deceased had enjoyed gorvi health and up to the time of his death had not been attended by any doctor. He last saw deceased alive at 10.10 a.m. oc January 27, when Steveii3 was cleaning up about the house. Witness went out on the farm and returned in about a quarter-of-an-hour with some vegetables, and then went out again; On returning to the house at 11.25, witness found the vegetables untouched, the fire was out, and deceased was lying on the floor of one of the rooms, dead. Witness informed the police and the body was ramoved to the morgue. Constable Hooker deposed to having proceeded to the residence of the previous witness and found the body of deceased in the front bedroom lying face upwards on the floor. There were no marks of violenoe on the body. Medical evidence was given by Dr. Barnett as to the result of an examination of the body conducted by him. He found the heart much enlarged and the mitral valve diseased, though the lungs were quite healthy. Death was due to sudden heart failure following on chronic heart disease. A verdict - was returned in accordance with the medical evidence.

Deceased was for many years employed as a cook on a dining car on the Manawatu line Avhen that section was the property of the Wollington-Manawatu Railway Company.