DEATH AT A WEDDING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20560, 10 May 1930, Page 13

DEATH AT A WEDDING.

BRIDEGROOM COLLAPSES.

BREAKFAST TABLE INCIDENT.

GUESTS WITNESS TRAGEDY.

Toward the end of a wedding breakfast which was given in honour of the brido and himself, Mr. William James Warren, aged 24 years, of Newmerella, near Orbost, Victoria, collapsed and died in the Masonic Hall, Malvern, Melbourne, 011 a recent evening. At the time a speech was being made by one of the guests. Mr. Warren's death, it is believed, was due (0 heart disease. Mr. Warren was the second son of Mr. William J. Wan en, a farmer at Newmerella. 112 met his wife, who was formerly Miss Lilian Gilpen, of Armadale, when she was a schoolteacher at Newmerella. Miss Gilpen was transferred from Newmerella to the Chelsea State school, and remained there until three weeks ago, when she resigned to make preparations for the wedding. Her husband came from Orbost on a Monday, and the wedding took place on the following Saturday afternoon at the Methodist Church, Armadale.

After they had visited a photographer's studio, Mr. and Mrs. Warren went to the Masonic Hall for tho breakfast. Mr. Warren did not reply to the toast of the bude and bridegroom, this being done by Mr. John Lynn, a former schoolmate. In the course of the reception, Mr. Warren had complained twice of feeling faint, and h>s was taken into the fresh air for a few minutes while he recovered. Later in tho evening, while sitting next to his wife, lie suddenly collapsed and fell back on his chair. Several guests carried him away from the table. Three doctors were summoned, but Mr. Warren died a few seconds later.

Mrs. Warren collapsed in the hall, and she was still suffering severely from shock on the following day. Mr. Warren, pen., said that his son had been a splendid worker on tho farm. "When he and Miss Gilpen decided to be married," added Mr. Warren, "I set him up on a farm of his own on my property, and he had a house built. He always appeared to be in the best of health, except during the last week or two before he came to Melbourne. He never complained of heart trouble, but lately he seemed to be ailing. He and his wife intended to go by motor-car to Sydney for their honeymoon. The car was waiting outside the hall when ho died."