Aged Mae Found Dead, Buried By Constable

Northern Advocate, 26 February 1944, Page 2

Aged Mae Found Dead, Buried By Constable

Found dead in his shanty on the gumfields at Waihopo, Alfred David St. Clair has been buried at the Houhora cemetery, the burial service being read by. a police constable. Aged 87, Mr St. Clair was a native of Guernsey and is believed to have married at the age of 20, his wife dying a year later. Eventually he came to New Zealand and worked as a gum.digger, for ’ the last 35 years occupying his shanty at Waihopo. Since 1930 he had ceased to work but enjoyed good health until a month ago since when he had been failing. Mr St. Clair was found in his bunk in the shanty by Mr F. V. Irwin, death apparently having occurred in his sleep about two days previously. The police wdre notified and Constable Gowler, of Houhora, and the district coroner (Mr A. H. Watt) went to the shanty, the coroner deciding that an inquest was not necessary. The body was conveyed to Houhora where the interment took place, Constable Gawler reading the burial service.