SODDEN DEATH.- CORONER'S INQUEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7342, 1 June 1885, Page 5

SODDEN DEATH.- CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquest was held- on Friday by Mr. Thomas Jackson, R.M., at the Criterion Hotel, Otahuhu, on "the body of Charles Hoy, who died suddenly at Otahuhu on Thursday evening, May 28, about five o'clock. After viewing the body the following evidence was taken John Glynn deposed : 1 know the deceased Charles Hoy, the body just viewed.by the jury. I last saw the deceased about half past four in the afternoon at the stable-door. of the Criterion Hotel. I noticed him to stagger and scramble down by' the door. -1 and Mr. Hustable went and took hold of him, and laid him down, on his back in the. stable. I then left him there. Mr. Hustabie left .at the same time. I never saw him alive again. He was then lying on some bags in the stable. About an hour and a-half elapsed from the time I first saw him till the second time. I saw him lieveral times during the day, apparently in his usual health. He was sober. This was on the 27th of May. Ido not know whether he had any drink during the day. He had been drinking about here for some time past. He was a heavy drinker. I, have known him for four or five years. He was a labourer. I did not see him get any bad usage yestf-rday. When I.first went to him I had no idea he was going to die. I thought ho was drunk when I went to him. I had been away all the forenoon, and had just come back, L. H. JMings deposed : About half-past five I went into the stable, and found the deceased lying on his back. I removed him into the feeding-room close by, and laid him on some begs and hay. I then noticed he was dead. The body was wafm. I reported the matter to Mr. Willis, the landlord ,of the hotel.— John Hall deposed : I have known the deceased for some years off and or. I was speakiug .to him yesterday after?:ix.i about four o'clock. He seemed to be metier. He promised to oome and do some work for me to-day.—Dr. Erson deposed : I made a postmortem examination of the deceased (Charles Hoy), and found the brain highly congested. The heart was enlarged, and a considerable quantity of fat surrounding the heart. The body was poorly nourished. The lungs were moderately healthy. ..The immediate cause of death was " Fatty degeneration of the heart."Tha verdict was in accord .with the medical testimony.—[Own Correspondent, May 36. J ,