CORONER'S INQUEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 60, 22 January 1864, Page 3

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesterday, before T. M. Philson, Jvj'i., Coroner, at the Camp, Ota.huhu, on tho body of Josoph AVild, :i private in the 3rd Waiknto who died .suddenly on AVcdnesdsiv morning last.

Junius Fox, being pwom slid : I am a private belonging to the old "Waikato Kegimcnt ol' Volunteers, and am stationed at the military camp at Otahnlm. J knew the deceased, who was a shipmato of niino on tho passage from Dunedin to Auckland by the schooner 'Albatross,' which arrived at tho latter port in -November, lbGli. Deceased came to Otahuhu from I'apakura on Sundav, January 17tlu I had not s;eeu him in tlie meantime'. On liis arrival here he looked perpectly well. Yesterday morning, Wednesday, January 'ioth, about hull-past yoven o'clock, I was sent by one of Iho officers to fetch a doctor to deceased, who had been taken suddenly ill in his hut. I found an assistant surgeon, Dr. CarriU, who accompanied me to visit deceased. Deceased was lying on the guard bed, vomiting and tossing about as ii in great pain, lie .said lie was very bad in his inside. The doctor ordered him a glass o1 nun, which he drank of, and mu.sta t'd poultices were applied to the calves of his legs. In about fifteen minutes from the time tho doctor saw him lie died. Captain Ito'lls, of tlio Waikato Militia, was present when tho doctor arrived. When deceased expired I was present with several others. *Ihe doctor and the captain were obliged to inarch immediately with the men who were going to the iront. It is my opinion that the deceased was not in liquor at the time I saw him. I nover know him to have been intoxicated on the passage to Auckland. Joseph }lartin, being sworn, said: lam a private in tho old A\ aikato Kcg-meut, and am stationed at Otahuhu. Deceased belonged to the same company that I do, and we were together for some months on various stations, at St. John's, I'npakura, and Otahuhu. He was a very sober man and usuallv gave his allowance of spirits away. Ido not flii.nl; he was very healthy, ha ring heard him complain several times, although I never remember him going to hospital. His feet were sore from marching from I'apaknra to Otahuhu, but lie did not complain of any internal illness. I last saw him alive on Tuesday, January l!);h inst, when ho was pei'i'eetly sober and in his usual health. I was not present on the occasion of his fatal il!ne;s.

Mark I'.dwin Dullen Nicholson, being sworn, said: I ;im ;t member oi' ilio Koyal College of Surgeons, iinglaml, ami oi llie Apotheearies Xlall, London. X ;iin at present ;in Assistant .Surgeon in tho Auckland Militia, /ind am stationed at Otalniliu. T had no knowledge of deceased before his death. I saw him immediately afterwards. The body did not present any unusual appearance. He lay jierl'ectly (aim, without any evalenee of eonvnlsive action during life. Thu features presented 110 distortion individually. llis body was not at all emaciated. I'll is nay, January 1M M, by the desire of the inquest jury, 1 have mode a po>t- mortem examination ot* his body. There are no marks ot' violenee externally. I opened the head, bat found no apoplectic appearances. The lungs were healthy, but the heart was aileded with what is known as "fatty degeneration," so that the finger eould be easily thrust through its cells. The liver was enlarged. The stomach' was healthy, and contained a few ounces of gruel. TIIO kidneys also were healthy. Noticed nothing particular about the intestines. I believe that tho diseased condition of the heart was the occasion of the sudden death of deceased. The verdict of the jury was, —"Hied from disease of the heart, by the visitation of God."