DEATH OF DR. COOPER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12279, 25 May 1903, Page 7

DEATH OF DR. COOPER.

An inquest touching the death of Dr. C-has. E. Cooper, who has for many years practised

medicine in Te Aroha, was held by Mr. - Forrest (coroner) on Friday. Dr. Cooper, who lived alone in a two-roomed cottage, was found dead in his bedroom on Thursday. He was known to have been indisposed on Wednesday, but beyond the weakness of convalescence nothing unusual was noticed by those who saw him on the day of his death. At about eight o'clock in the morning he was seen in the town. At about nine o'clock he was seen sitting in his front room. Again, about a-quarter to eleven, he was seen standing in the doorway. Mr. John Featon, who had seen him about nine o'clock, stated that he went into the house about eleven, seeing nothing of the doctor either in the front room or in the bedroom, concluded that he had gone out. Mr. Featon locked m again a little after three in the afternoon, and was about to leave when he saw a man's hand beyond the bed. He looked behind the bed and saw the doctor lying there, evidently dead. He called in Mr. Pavitt, Whose office was close at hand, and a hasty examination convinced them both that death cad occurred. Without disturbing the body, they called in Dr. Kenny. Dr. Kenny deposed to being called in and finding Dr. vooper dead. The body was lying in a most extraordinary position in a narrow space be»waen a low camp bedstead and the wall. It •J?* 3 jammed between the bed and the wall, •the l head was bent almost at right angles *° the body on to the left shoulder. The trunk was raised in such a way that the weight of it was mainly supported by the j l 10 arm was under the body a nd the right was lying over the back of the .Keck, with the hand pressed against the wall. •the position was such as would make respir- • ation impossible. The body was dressed. fJficeased, Dr. Kenny thought, had fallen, oead first, from the bed and, jammed bobed and the wall, with the weight the trunk on the head, was unable to ®*mcate himself. The position of the right arm seemed to indicate that he had enoeivoured to force himself out of what lie ould probably know to be a fatal situation. , " ere had been considerable hemorrhage j® 'he mouth and nose. There wore 110 gns whatever of violence or of poisoning, r. ® extremities were quite cold, but there was till some warmth in the body. Death probauiy had occurred between "the time ceased was seen in the doorway before eleven o clock and Featon's visit a little later. Death was due to asphyxia. The J«iy returned a verdict of occidental death, . caused by suffocation. .