Elderly Man’s Death

Northern Advocate, 15 June 1945, Page 7

Elderly Man’s Death

(Special) . KATAIA, This Day. Self-administered poisoning coupled with senile degeneration was found by the coroner (Mr L. A. McIntosh) to be the cause of death of John Taylor, aged 81, an old-age pensioner who was found dead in his hut at Sweetwater, nine miles from Kaitaia on Tuesday, May 29. Evidence showed that death had probably occurred at least 24 hours before and also that deceased had been drinking heavily the previous Sunday. „ Known as Charlie Taylor, deceased was of German origin, but had been in New Zealand some 40 years, and had lived in Sweetwater as a gumdigger for the past 35 years. Tony Thomas, gum-buyer and storekeeper of Sweetwater, said that Taylor had lived in a hut near his store for the past four years. On the evening of May 29 he had cause to visit the hut and found the door locked from the inside. Breaking the door open, he had found Taylor’s dead body in* a sitting position on the bed.

Moses Tepania, gum-digger of Sweetwater, deposed that on Sunday, May 27, he had visited Taylor, whom he found sitting on his bed drunk. Two days afterwards he had accompanied the previous witness to the hut and had found the occupant dead. There had been no evidence of a suspicious nature, stated Constable G. F. Molloy. Near, the body, which was superficially wounded apparently resulting from a drunken fall, was a glass bearing traces of poison and a bottle half-filled with the fluid. Medical evidence was given by Dr. W. K. McKechnie, who examined the body. Evidence suggested that deceased had taken poison. There was also evidence of alcoholic excess on May 27, and a general senile condition, had probably been a contributing factor. The coroner returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.