INQUESTS, ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4900, 31 July 1877, Page 2

INQUESTS, ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES.

Theeii-cuuistaner-sof what appears to be a most distressing case of death from starvation and neglect liavo been brought to light. On July 2-1 "\lr. 0. S. Ellis reported to the police that an old man uaiucj James Henry Waloh was lying sick iu one of his cottages iu iiopetuun street, near the industrial ii.une, stating that he was without attendance. Acting on the instructions of Sergeaut-Major .Mason, Constable Abrams pioueeded to the house indicated, when a si'ht met his eyes which was enough to shock the nerves" of any person. The poor old man was lying ou a wretched apology for a bed, dead, O'M and stiff. The con stable went to the house for the purpose of having the poor fellow removed to the Hospital, or, at least, making suitable provision for his comfort, but this farraud of mercy was frustrated by the hand of death, so he went for Dr. Young in order to make sure that the old man was b-jyoud hope. The doctor returned with him, and pronounced the man dead, and said that ho had been dead for at least a day. The body was in a irightfully emaciated state. It was quite naked, and there wuru scircely any bedclothes or covering of any kind on the bed. ! here was not a particle of food in the bouse, and the house itself was in a wivtched state. Upon making inquiries, it was ascertained that the old man had not been seen about for a week, but Mr. Ellis, uho resi-k-.s cioie by, states that he saw him at 10 o'clock on previous morning. He then mg. -ted his removal to tile iloapitil, but h<- asked not to be sent there, stating that lie was getting better, and would soon be aide to get about. Mr. J-liiis also says that he had frequently taken food to the deceased, and otherwise administered to his

w.'.nts.' The scene of wretchedness and misery presented to the gaze of the jury- ■■„... who '.vent to vi'-.v the body of the :i very forcible impression on their minds. A.-, stated by n.-, aliov--, not a particle of food could be found, there were no bed eluthes, but an old rug and a coat, and no h'ehad apparently been in the hearth for more than a wvek. Tlio .-.H-,eiiee of all cloth!! , .',- and cooking utensils is a most remarkable feature of this extraordinary case, inasmuch a-< evidence \va.; given to show that on tiie Sunday, when visited by two of the witne/s-.s, l>,! had a shirt oil him. Although tuo of ihe witnesses supplied the man witii food from rime to time, not a trace of nutriment could be discovered in his stomach or intestines. It is.-, great pity that -Mr. i-.llis did not, in the first instance, carry out hU half-formed intention, and insist on Walsh's removal ro the Hospital, where he would have been taken proper care of. The coroner's jury, after some deliberation, returned a verilict " That deceased died from kidney disease, exposure, and want of (■roper- nourishment,'' The unfortunate deceased was formerly a soldier in the 7-nd Highlanders, r>:-d at the time of his death was about 70 years of age. He was a shoemaker bv trade, and worked steadily in

-■■;veral establishments in the city up to Chribtmas la-.t, when ho gave way to intemperate habit.-;. Tnc deceased has a son living at the Thames. A man man u iiiu-rt William Christopher, better known a- "'Old t'rUsy," died suddenly at the Whau Hotel, on Saturday, ..';ily 21, under somewhat peculiar circumManecs. The deceased, was a soldier in the uSch Regiment, and came to the colony v.ith his regiment, but obtaining his nUchanw prior to the departure "f tiie troops, he remained !'■ hiinl. .--incj liien hj had" led an irregular

life, and for several years had eliieiiy niniiit.'.iuc.i himself l<;. doing odd jubs about hotels. Ho had for some time been at the Whau Hotul in tiiis c.'.p.'.city. On the above morning he appeared to be iu his usual lualth," and iUsi-sted. :n turning oat i s cattle, and to •!; a to the padtiock. i>ll his return ho complained of a I'lT-ii in his side, and lay dnwa on a form iu the bar. lie asked tor'a i;b.s3 of whisky, and was supplied '.vith about halt a glass, which he drank. .Mr. ."'hannon, the projn'ivtor of the hotel, who n .13 in the bar at the time, then went to lircakfast, .111.1 on his return he missed Christopher oil" the form, llii went to the door to aseertaiii where he was, and on looking towards the urinal he observed Curiscopher's legs sticking out in a manner which at 01x00 attracted his attention- He went over and fouud deceased with his head resting on his haMii, anil his elbow supported on the seat of the closet, lie was not then dead. Mr. Shannon procured the assistance of the barman and Mr. Owen, and between them they oairied Christopher back to the Ij.ii, where he expired in a minute or two. A messenger was despatched to the Asylum for Dr. Aickiii, who came immediately, but he at once saw that the man was dead. The irorom-r's jury returned a verdict to the effect Unit deceased came to his death from heart disease, accelerated by a con-

lln Saturday uight, (the "JSrd of July) a Maori woman named I'itipo was found in possession of a dead feiiuUe child, six months old, of whom she was tile mother, and the circumstances were so auspicious that she was arrested, aud a charge of murder preferred against her. It appears that the woiiriu and her husband, who is also a -Maori, are native* of Wai'.ielvc, fi-.-m which place they arrived iu Au-klaml about a fortnight ago, and have j-kiee resided in a whan: in <.'hineery slieoi. It appears tinut since their ai lived the woman had been drinking heavily, ami on that day was drunk. According to thestatemoiil niado by the husband, thccluld, who was yery healthy, was as well .is urual tlia!; day. On going into the wharc in th,: evening, at eight o'clock, he found the woman lying in one part of the hut, aud the child in another,— the hit er quite dead. At between half-past 11 and V 2 o'clock Sergeant Clarke observed a Maori woman, with \ bundle in h-M-.-ums, shm.'ing at the ilighM.reet entrance of the Auckland Hotel, 'lie went up to her, and found that the bundle contained a child, but hi- did not then kuo/.

it v.-as dead, lie, however, took the woman t.. Hi- st-.tioii, and then found that the child was dead. The attendance of Dr. Hooper w.is obiainr 1, who examined iho child, and .if course at once pronounced it to be. dead, niinatioii, state the eaiu-e of death. A coro:iei'.-, iinjuost was held, when, alter hearing medical testimony, tlie jury returned a verdict of " Death from natural causes." On July 18, at Pukekai-Dro, Air. J. Kyau, eorouor, and a respectable jury, of whom Mr. T. \V. Dowsou was chosen foreinau, held an inquest upon the body of Klleii Littin, aged -U years, who died from the eli'ects of iiuriis iiccideut-'iUy received the day previous. ; iie jury after a little deliberation returned a ve-.h.-Lof " Aceiiluutally burned.'' i)iw Tliaint'i concspon U-nt writes:—On ;liv 1-lii Hi iliily, Mrs. L'aKlcr, wife of Mr. Caldei-, sawyer,' lOaidiuL; urar the tow::.-.iiitj üb.iv-.- Lhu Waitcjkauri iuiuo, wout to fei.-h water from the ciunniou waturliolu by the residents. As Mrs. Calder did not re-

■ 'H^Qj, t-.irn for half an hour search was made, ,-i 0( j the poor woman was found with the upp er part of her body in the waterhole. On bci.iig taken out, life was extinct. Quite \ excitement ensued, and an inquest will h<, / livid on the body. It appears that JJ ri " \ Caldor was subject t ■> iits, and must Invj fallen into tlio ivi'ter while suffering from Sa attack. A boy three \ ears of age, sou of a la!>our sr rjjincl fiivau, resiling in S'-wt'.n, auntainei'l faial injuries on th<- I:2th July, by being r , m ov.t by a l)iil:cr'»-c-,irt. Mr. (Jiven's family re-id" in (/rosv-'ireet;, Newton, a str.r'-Iffl-liM" into .South I'itr-street, at the ]>„'.{. of Karangahn.pe lload. At nonn on that ,i ; , v Mrs. fHven was leading !:er Jitllo Bon Pitt street, toward- K-ir.-uigahape l\,^.] t when, observing her husband pass, she v.ent tmvimls iiiiu to call liim to dinner. .J-,j t then a baker's <\irt, it is saM, Mr. J'diii-ioii, baker, was coming up U>e street at :: pretty good pace. Two 0:1,,. r carts were at tin; head of the street. Xiie child, getting free fr »m his moth'.r, went on to thcVoad,°aml the mother, up-n tun.i-,-;, observed him lying on the street in the tract of Johnson's cart. Being thoroughly aUimcd, she became too agitated to z% t \c, 1-. i- child, but another woman, Mrs. Fletcher, picked the child up and conveyed it t<. it, inraits' house. Medical assistance liad : :! tl••• meantiine been -eiit for, and JJr. Yuul • was iirst to arrive, and examined the ehl: ° Tin re were severe bruises on the face airi arm?, and tlie child bled profusely from th. : ri'jht ear. The doctor alCenJed ussi'luvuiy during the afternoon and evening, but t - liUlu "sufferer did uot survive the ni-J.;. v

He \ylv-. an only child, and was a fine heiUhy buy, of whom "liis parents ivere justly prouj. There is now no rw-vj-i to doubt but the UUI ai-cid.-nt. \va:i eau.-.ed by a bakers cuit beloiiging to Mr. Johnson, baker, Karsi;-.,. h.-.e Road, which was at tL > time. W-in-; diiveu by ay.uth nxm-A John S;..t. one- observed the ;.:ci.'.en-:, but lust :.■; t !: , cart pas.se'l a '.vi.m.iu observed tin; c::i;-l Uiii" on the to.vl. •Hα she at oace ran .;■..; piclced him up. '"• :ie cart wasiwi pulled i.,., but s':i'- [iointed it out as it went rouai the eormr to a young man iia:;: c .i Graydou, who was driving a uikii's cart bidongiiig to Mr. Rollinson. Hj identified the cart pointed out to him a 5 Johnson's, it is but fair to state that .Sto-r, when que-stioned by the police and c,-. fronted -,rith Gray don, not only deiiied ■ :r. iu:; Eecu the child or b<-ing aware of cav accident having occurred, but he furiLjr alleges that he had patsed up half an hour previous to the ..ceident. A coroner'; inquest was held, v> hen after hearing t;i-; ..-.■■. <lence adduced, they returned the followi-j • verdict: —" That the deesaic-d met hi.-: by being i iiu over by a cart driven Vy J.'.:; Stow, but there is no evidence to show tU: th': driver saw or had timely notice o; ::.■; probable mischief. The deaih is U'.cic;.,:.J occasione<l by accident." On July 21, whilst -Mr. Ccorjc Er,,:.; : of Gisborue, wa-i turuin;: oil the Li iliu,_; water from the ' Painkiller bath." the Utk of the cauldron gave way, and he slippy i io Uj) to his neck. Being alone, he ha i ;_:%.. cieu: presence of mind to niak..- his way u fa~t as possible into the township. Oil b i::; Btrippeft of his cliUie;, the greater p riion ~": tke =kin came oil', and he died. Mr. Brown was brot'u-.-r to Mr. i. : '.. Br.«vn, lat-,ly r< -idiu- ir. the W.-iikat.) ,\:-. t:ict. An impiest was h<dd, when a vena:: was returned of 'lied from aeci-i-.-nu! a :■..<:■ ing. A serious case of accidental poisoning :.-.: oc-'uri'-.; thi-(;ii-li veidigris, at Rotoru:. '■ her- ; :ave been two deaths. On the IStl; • : July, a fowl w.-is cooked f.T a :ii: '■'aoii c:;rid. The child being too ill to =it it,-the fowl was left iu an iron pot until Siisday, when it w:..* eaten by a party o; t:a p-rsons. During the night they all felt ill, Inti-, thiuki.'i^ , notiiiiig of it, did not ask i\r iMli-op-.'-in as.--istT.iO-. , until Monday lajr:;in,', the -."rd, when a lad, 12 years • 1-J. whi hrul ].a,-Ukivi of the f:>oii, died. AnotUtr ia giri) died next night. The rest are eo~ tha:ika to r!ie exertion- ■..: Captain Gilbert Mair, who sent for C", Walk'.r with Mr. (V.!;:;; bell. T'in'se geutieraeii having arrived froffi Taupu, the patients are now under th'.LAn imjuest in.s iit'ni c:i tlicboiiis of tiie children poisor.ed. A vordic: <f d.'atli l>y blood poiseuiny was returned, '.mi rh-i.t there was no evidence to prove for<~ it was occasioned. ■ William Nice 1, wi-il known at the Thnv..-. and Auckland a> " Dr. XL-col." was br-.u c -:.- to the Police-station on July :22 by Deter;--. Jeffrey in such a distressing state ot hei-'.i and feebleness that a cab was procure i s: ': he was scut to the Hospital. This wrote': i man has for years led a hard life, and :::-.::: have had an extraordinary constitution to stand the usago which he gave it. i; several 3*ears he oniciated as belltr.au •■: public crier at the Thames, and subsequently went to the Hot Spric,", where he found employment at the Y\V.■vvera Hotel. Hβ was subsequently a :i----t-.nt at the Auckland Hotel, when it «-.-,s kept by Mr. I'.-.ulter, but latterly he Las t»--en iu nn s-iniiioymcut, and was ia a of destitution and poverty, ad-1-.d -o which his constitution iias given way. He on pn-vious iu a lions- i'-i Chancory-streer. the proprietor of wh'.u!'. i-i----formed the pjlio-: of his slate. He p.vsed I considerable quantities of blood, ami iy-i'.i to his fcfblen.-.-s and the fa-.-t that one vf his k-_'E was ulecT.i'.i-d to a great e-xteat, he '-v-s h-Trdly able to stand. His mind also ?:>■ iioared to be :ai!inu T , and as he w:s c.-u----sidered to be iu a dangerous state of >.ca!:i:, tlio police doomed it advisable io :eni t-.> the where he died on the 2-tth July. Kiccoi w.>=3 .-. man ■v' , ' , had a liberal Jdncation, and he graduate I a medical man, -.\ hence his title of • ■ doct' v: but he never, io far as we crin le.ir. , :. : ■■ lowed his profession in Nc-w Z-.-.iUnd. IT" is no doubt anuther victim to iutoinpcran- c. A patient ac the Whau Asylum n.v'.r..-<i Kd-.vanl Kenne.iy, aged about GO years, :Vrmorlva resident in MahuraiiL'i, died oii th? lSth"jnly. An inquest was held fplio-vin,' afternoon, bofore Dr. Goldsbro', Goror.cr, and a jury, of whom Mr. A. Kiev was '"•''■■ iißii. From the evidence taken, it appci"--"-thaL the patient was committed to ri:- . Asylum from the Auckland Police Court, a the 27th December, IS7-3. on the certilicates of Drs. Stockwell ana Ellis, t'p to witlsiu about three weeks ago he if-", I quiet and jieacsable, ate hi" food, and si'.?'woll. but about that time he took a iMB'J against food, and would take no nourisii:V:C'.t except cold water. He alleged to one of tb keepers ilrst Aluii'.'htv God had ordere.l h""-n.->t to take nouri>hnicnt. V. very effort ws? Usud to induce him to takc nourishm '-: ; L'oaxini: and tlattery fiiliug, force li:> to be used to infuse liquid nourishaui-* l>y means of a spoou, and once the st."',;!-'-'

pump was used,- but tile result of the h'- : : operation was such that it was not ivp-Mr-'• \ couple of days before his death ho r to his food a:-ain, aud asked for roa?t tv::stoes and ei,-ys=, with w iiich he was supp'i- , from the doctor's table. He could have h.\i any food or delicacy lie '.vislici, but had been exhausted, aud he expire! ■ 11 I'uesday, at 9.45 a.m. When tlio budy ir;; viewed by the jury, it was in a very f'-- 1 ; oiated couditiou.— 'I'ho witnesses exam'."" 1 were Timothy I/nvry, head-keeper ; if-'

iiumphries. attendant, under whose care Hi pr.tient had bceu for the last M days of t , - 5 life : and Dr. Aicken. Tke testiraouy oi tjtf latter gentleman went to show that :■- patient died of inanition, the result of sW; vation, in consequence of the ilotci'iiii , ';-" ivsist.iiic«of tlio deceased to take food. •l- i jury at ouce brought in a verdict ia _ 3; _' cir.iauce with the'medicai *'-'■*■. deceased died of inanition, the result ?'■ voluntary st.-.rvatiou.

By the arrival of the Tainis, cutter, irW Tairua harbour, we arc placed iri po«si!' : of detail* of ;\ fatal accident which oca'?>' ■■■ in the bush in that nci"hr>onrhno'l l,rl ] ' ; '" day, July-24. The victim of the aocid--is ;i young man of 2" years of age, M' r '-\

William Gamble, who t.Tγ several y«>> i' 3 h.is been a resident in ::ho district. He «

in the employment of Mr. Burge«J, j' J -' contractor for the supply of logs to the - 5 V mill, and at the time when he met his ■Iγ- , lie was engaged, with a mate named " cross-cutting a log. Other meu, '_'']" names Mr. Moore, the master of the 'L'airua, had not ascertained, «ere folii"treoEome distance up the side of the above the deceased, and by some α-cilout they set loose a heavy bw"-'; which rolled down the incliue mu *":" velocity. It struck Gamble full in the c«;;; throwing him backwards, aud « u '.-.is chest and skuli, and causing inf " i " ; l .U-ath. Walsh e-se.-.ped uninjurc-a, biu canape was an extremely narrow ou< : . number of ilu: moa employed in the VH'--; at nuce civiae to tlio assistance oi d^ , and constructed .-. rude t-- f which they carried the. body to *»)•"