FEARFULLY SUDDEN DEATH

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9453, 26 August 1889, Page 5

FEARFULLY SUDDEN DEATH

FATAL APOPLECTIC ATTACK. A young man named Peter Hurley, a carter in the employ of Messrs. Stone Brothers, merchants, Queen-street, dropped dead with terrible suddenness on the Railway Wharf on Saturday morning, at about half-past 9 o'clock. Ho was engaged carting down a load of grain and several eases to the Island trading steamer Richmond when lie was suddenly seized with a fit. Mr. McInfcyre and a number of others at Once ran to his assistance and took him into the Customs-shed, where he expired in a few minutes ; and whon Dr. Coom, who was promptly called, arrived on the scene, he had only to pronounce that life was extinct. The deceased, who resided in Nel-son-street, was only 2!) years of age, and loaves a wife and child. The body was at once convoyed to the residence which deceased had "left that morning in apparently good health, to await the inquest. The inquest was held in the afternoon at the Empire Hotel, before Dr. Philson, coroner, and a jury of six, of whom Mr. Pulleng was chosen ' foreman. Sergeant Clarke represented the police. Henry Bruce Mclntyro, a carpenter residing at Archhill, deposed to knowing the deceased casually as a carter. That (Saturday) morning witness was engaged unloading goods for Tonga at the Railway Wharf, at about 9.30 a.m., when lie noticed deceased 1 fall suddenly on the wharf. He had not noticed him before, ho fell, and did not observe what he was doing. There wore a good many people present at the time, but witness did not know them, and when he saw deceased fall ho picked his head up and supported it on his knee, bringing deceased into a sitting position. He was then breathing very heavilj , but there was no sign of convulsion or struggle. Witness felt the heart and found it to be thumping violently. He undid his collar and bathed his forehead, but seeing there were no symptoms of revival thoy took him into the Customs' oflice where he expired, and the bod}' was removed to deceased's residence in Nelson-street.

John Hurley, brother of the deceased, deposed that he last saw him alive on Monday last. He was then 111 his usual health, but any worry subjected him to violent headache, and he had been under medical treatment by Dr. Wine for paralysis, and Dr. Wine had seen him on several occasions since. He had been laid up for about twelve months. Witness never know him to have a fit. By the foreman : lie had noticed deceased stagger when he was excited, but he was not addicted to drink.

Dr. Cootn deposed that lie was called at about quarter to 10 o'clock to see the deceased, and found him dead, and that he had been so for about half an hour. Daceased was Hushed at the face, and both pupils were considerably dilated, the left more so than the right, and there was froth about the mouth and nose, bub 110 blood. He found no marks of violence or poison. The deceased's brother objected to a postmortem examination ; but after having heard tho evidence of the deceased's brother, and judging from his own observation, he assigned death to apoplexy. It all pointed to that. The young man had brain* trouble for the last five years, and it was an undoubted ease of apoplexy. There were no signs of drink on the deceased when he examined the body, and from what he had ascertained, he believed that he was a very temperate young man. Constable Edward Macky, of the water police, deposed to knowing deceased. At about half-past 9 that morning lie was informed that a man was ill on the Railway Wharf, and on going there he found deceased dead in the Customs office. Dr. Cootn arrived shortly afterwards, and after an examination he pronounced life to be extinct.

Thomas Hurley, brother of the deceased, deposed that he was a storCman, in tho employ of Messrs. Stone Brothers. Mo saw his brother go to the stable at half-past 7 o'clock that morning, and did not remark anything peculiar about him. He yoked up his horse and drove to the store, where he loaded up with grain and cases for the steamer Richmond, and he left with his load for the wharf at about 9 o'clock. Witness did not see him alive afterwards. Deceased was perfectly sober when witness last saw him, and lie did not complain of being ill. Ho was sometimes unsteady in his gait at night, but it was not apparent in the day time. When Dr. Wine attended deceased, he gave them to understand he was suffering from disease of the brain. The jury returned a verdict that death was caused by apoplexy.