CORONER'S INQUEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 280, 5 October 1864, Page 6

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An Inquest was held yesterday morning at the " Newtown" Hotel, to enquire into the cause of tho death of John Rogers, a carter, who died suddenly at hifj residence in Newtown, about one o'clock yesterday morning.

A icspcctiiblo jury having been empanelled, the following evidence was taken : — Jano "J'ogors being sworn, Faith : I tun the -widow of deceased John l\ogers, who was a i.artcr and lived in Newtown. His age was about 4-1 year?. I was married to him about lo years ago. lie had been 2'> years in the colony. lie usually enjoyed good health, but about o weeks ago while under the inlluenee of drink, he fell from his dray and received a cut. behind the right ear. He was confined to the house for that accident about a fortnight. For the last .'3 or 1 years he had hec-ii greatly addicted to drink, lie did not bring the drink home, but got it. at the public homes. On two or three occasions lie has f littered from the honors. About 11 davs ago be began to drink. Ho used to come home in the owning in a stupid state, .lie would sleep till night, but in the morning he wc uld return to the drink. This stale of things went on till IWonday mornim;, October old instant, when he came home at !) o'clock and lay down on the sofa to sleep. Jle breathed very heavily, lie drank only a little vinegar and wtiter. He took no food yesterday, but on Sunday, October 2nd instant, he ate a hearty dinner. About. S o'clock . yesterday (Monday) evening, deceased vomited some bloody matter, when I began to feel alarmed. I went for a man named Kceve, a neighbour, and asked him to look at deceased. A person named l ioherty also came. They came, and looked at him. licovo's said that he had often seen him as bad before. The men thou went away. I did not send for a medical man, knowing that the illness proceeded merely, from drinking, lie now became very restless. X went tigain lor the two men above mentioned. I proposed to call a surgeon, but before we had arranged to do so, deceased had expired. The hour of his decease was about live minutes past 10 o'clock this morning, Tuesday, October 4th. Deceased died on the sofa in his own house, where the jury have just viewed the body. Ilis death took me completely by surprise. I had seen him much worse before. To the host of my belief deceased died from the eii'ects of drinking.

-James Dohcrly being sworn, saith : I am 11 labourer, and live in Jlobson-street. I knew deceased for the lust five years. About 10 o'clock last night, (lie last witness called me from my work at the brickkiln, to look at. her linsband, who she said was in a bad state. I went, into her house, and saw deceased lying on a sofa ill the front room of his house ; lie seemed to bo in a state of insensibility ; ho lay on his lelt side with his face turned to the wall ; he was muttering and talking incoherently. A man named Daniel Howe, accompanied me into deceased's house. I. examined deceased's pulse, and feeling that it. beat regularly, I said to his wife that I did not think there was any immediate danger. I then left the house, enjoining his wife to let me know if deceased became, worse. lie seemed like a person labouring under the ellects of drink. Afc live minutes past 1 o'clock on Tuesday morning, October 4th instant, Mrs. Itogers called me anil Howe again to come into her house. Deceased was on the same sofa, but lying on his right; side ; he looked very ill. JJe asked 1 or a drink. * I saw Mrs. Kogers give him something in a cup ; he drt.uk part ol' it. I asked deceased to sit up ; he said lio wiw too weak, and t»ddri:Nsed )>.iy by umnt). X

rniscd his head while he drank, and laid Mm down on the pillow again. Tlio oppression seemed still to e very heavy on his chest. I then advised Mrs. liogeis to send for a medical man, hut while we were seeking for a messenger to send, deceased expired. A little before death 1 saw him-vomit some bloody mattci. Deceased did 'not drink habitually ; I have Known him keep sober for six months at a time: he would then drink for several days continuously. ITc had been ten or eleven days drinking previous to his death, and T believe his death was occasioned by excessive drinking. He lias Iclt a family of seven children. Daniel Boive being sworn, saitli: lam o labourer, unci live in Fouth Newton. I am employed by Mr. Boyd at. the I'sewtoii brick-kiln, which situated near to the residence of deceased. I had known deceased six years. I Faw liim on the I'onsonby Road on Sunday last- October 2nd instant, lie was at that time, viz., 1 o'clock, p.m., in a half-intoxicated state. I was not speaking to liim. "While at my work at the brick-kiln, lust night, about 10 o'clock, Monday, October 3rd instant, I was called by the wife of deceased (o corae into licr liousc and look at her husband. I went, and saw him lvinp oil a Fofa in a half-intoxicated state. I was accompanied by the last witness. Deceased did not. seem to me to be in the horrors. I thought that he was merely in an exhausted state from the effects of drink, and want of rest . Having several times seen him as bad, if not worse before, I did not think that, he required medical nlteudance. T requested Mr-, lfogcrs to call lr e again, in case of deceased getting worse. She did so a little after 1 o'clock this morning. I then found him much worse than when I Inst saw liim, and went out. to procure a messenger to send to Mr. I'iercc, surgeon. "When T returned in a very few minutes, deceased had expired. I saw some bloody matter issuing from his mouth as he lay on (lie sofa. My opinion is that the cause of death was habitual drinking. A t one time he used to drink beer and ale, hut, I have understood that of late, lie used to drink rum. I The jurv returned the following verdict—"Died from excessive drinking."