DISTRESSING OCCURRENCE

New Zealand Mail, Issue 866, 5 October 1888, Page 2

DISTRESSING OCCURRENCE

Late last night week an elderly man named Win. Mitchell was arrested by Constable Doyle in a helpless state ot drunkenness on Lambton-quay' and taken to the Police Station. He was iu a very bad condition.-.' According to the constablo’s statement, he was utterly prostrate from' the effects of drink. Every cate seems to have been paid him, and he was frequently visited in the cell by the watebhouse-koeper. He breathed very heavily during Rfs sleep, and the watchhouse-keeper, on visiting him about 3.30, tried to rouse him, hut without success. He was then placed iu a sitting posture, supported by, pillows, and ttiis appeared to relieve his breathing very much. He was again visited at 4 o’clock, and as it was still impossible to wake, him or get him to show signs of consciousness, it, was decided to send for Dr Coffins, who was immediately telephoned for. -The doctor was soon in attendance, r and he remained with the patient for some hours. As the man showed no signs of improvement or of returning consciousness, Dr Collins oriierod his.removal to the Hospital, whither he was taken about 9 o’clock. He was insensible when he was removed from the police station, and he never recovered consciousness, expiring at the Hospital shortly after 6pm last Friday evening. The unfortunate man had been s'ay ing at the Royal Hotel for the last week or. no, and it seems that he has been drinking rather freely during that time. The deceased, who was about 57 years of age, was a sheep farmer residing at Morrison’s Bush, in the northern part ot the Wairarapa. - /

INQUEST. The inquest on the body of the man William Mitchell, who was supposed te have died of alcoholic poisoning alt the Hospital last Friday night, was held at the Hospital on Saturday afternoon before Mr H. W-. Robinsdii, coroner. Mr Duncan McDoogall was chosen foreman of the jury.. Mr Devine was present on behalf of the do sensed s family., Sergeant-Major Morice was present representing the police department Hugh Mitchell, son of the deceased, identified the body as that ofhis late father, who he stated was a sheep farmer near Morrison’s Bush, Greytown. Deceased was 53 or 59 years of age. He came to Wellingt. n about the lltH instant. I Witness-last saw his father alive before he cams to town. He had never known him to suffer from any ailment more serious than a sore threat, about 10 years ago. He was not given to drinking to excess. Bv Mr Devine : Ho was not a drunkard, though he would take a glass occasionally. Andrew . Barry, t-.ana.or of the Royal Hotel, slated that the deceased came to stop at the Royal Hotel on or about the 13th instant. While in town the deceased went about his business e/ery day. Witness had never seen him drank while he was at hotel. He seemed better than usual on Thursday last, and had his.dinner at 6 o’clock. A fit r, dinner he had some spirits-toree glasses <f gin Between 7 30 and 8 o’clock on Thursday evening he went out with M rs : Ho we, a great friend of his. He was quite.sober when he went out. Witness did not see him again alive Ho had never complained or any illness while- stopping at Lhe hotel. When he slept he anor. d loudly, and Ins sleep seemed oppressive. By tli« Foreman : He had never adulterated the giu, nor did lie think it had been adulterated. By Mr Devine : Deceased took very little liquor when he did take any. and took it purely for friendship sake.' He should not eomidor him a inan of intemperate habits. He was jolly that evening b cause ins . business \yas. going successfully.• Jane-Kowo- bad known the deceased for eighteen years. . bhe saw him on Thursday last at about 6.50 in the evening. He seemed to lie all. right then. She accompanied the deco.so-1 fco th-J Nag's Head Hotel, where he said he wanted to see Mr Crawford. She remained- with him at

the Nag’s Head till a quarter past 9. Ho bad no drinks while she was there, fshe left him standing outside the Nag’s Head when she went away, and did not see him again alive. The - deceased seemed to her to be a little bit stupid all the evening. By Mr Devine : Witness’ husband was an old friend of the deceased. While witness waited with the deceased at the Nag’s-Head Hotel, he went in and out several times, the reason-being that he had an appointment with Air Crawford, and wanted to see if he had come. By the Coroner: Witness did not think that he was over bright that evening, but was on the contrary somewhat troubled. Dr Collins deposed that he wsb called to the Police Station between 4.30 and 5 a.m. on Friday last to see the deceased.. \ He found him in. the cell propped up with pillows against the wall. Re was then breathing heavily and quite insensible. A constable was attending i,im. Witness had him removed, into the watchhouso at the Police Station. He could find no external injury about the head. His breatn smelt of alcohol, and he noticed that his legs were swollen and,pitted on pressure. He concluded that his comatose conhi ioii was the result of his Raving taken alcohol, with considerable disease of the kidneys. Witness considered that - his condition was so grave that he remained from 5 o’clock to 9. He gave him a largo dose of calomel after having emptied his stomach with the stomach pump. He tried to rouse - liim to consciousnes with cold water, and applied a counter irritation to the calves of his legs with mustard poultices, after which his breathing got more regular and his condition improved. He then ordered his removal to the Hospital, thinking that he had done all he could for him. He saw him again about 1 o’clock the , OT o day at the Hospital. Lie -was still comatose, and appeared to be getting weaker. The same evening witness received a telephone .message from a Mr Ludwig, who stated that he han' seen the deceased fall heavily on the pavement on Lambton-quay. Witness made a po-t mortem examination and found that the deceased was a stout well-nourished man. There was an abrasion of the skiu on the outer part of his-, left thigh, but ,no other marks of external injury. On opening the stud he found a large clot of blood at the base of the brain on the left side, and also on the hemispheres of the brain. In otherlespec s the brain seemed to be healthy. The lungs and liver were healthy, lhe valves ot the heart were diseased. The stomach was empty, and The coats of the st-mach were diseased: and congested The right kidney was enlarged and extensively diseased. The other organs were healthy. The cause of death was apoplexy, caused by pressure of clotted blood on the t rain. ■By Sergeant-Major Morice : The skull was- not fractured and there was no abrasion or perceptible bruise. Judging from the general state of the body a shght fall might cause a rupture of the blood vessels of the brain. It would have been absolutely impossible for the constable who took charge of the man to know, whether he was suffering from alcoholic coma or from some other cause. By Mr Devine: He did not attribute' the cause of death to any excess of alcohol, and death might have resulted from his, internal condition by a fall,. even - iL he. had been a perfectly temperate man. By Mr Devine . It wa u impossible for the constable to distinguish as to what was the matter with deceased. Constable Doyle gave evidence as to the arrest of the deceased on Thursday night. He did not see him fall or strike his head in any way. Sergeant-Major Fair saw .he deceased on Thursday evening, when he apoearedto be slighily the worse for drink. Constable O’Done van, watohbouse-keeperat the Central Police Station on the 27tb, deposed to having received the deceased as a prisoner, and corroborated the statements of the previous witnesses as to his condition. Mr l ewis William Ludwig, jeweller, saw the deceased on Thursday evemnglast on Lambton quay, near his shop. He appeared to be slightly intoxicated, and witness saw him fall heavily backward, striking the pavement with a very heavy shock. lhe fall dazed him for about ten minutes, after which be came round and appeared to be all right. After this Constable Doyle Took charge of the deceased. Mr .H. D- Crawford said that the deceased "did not take any spirits on Thursday evening. He “ ld . n ° t think he was the worse of liquor but He was very peculiar, and wand ered in hisspeech. Constable Doyle, recalled,. that he was not told by anyone that the deceaes l had fallen on Lambtou quay. He heard it for the first time ftom Mr Ludwig on the present occasion. ;. This enuciuded the evidence. The jurv. after 20 minutes’deliberation, retnrned a verdict of death caused by apoplexy. The following.rider, in which the coroner concurred, was added to the verdict —> hat we are of opinion that, the police treated the deceased while in* their oharge with great care and humanity.