CORONER'S INQUEST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4022, 8 January 1875, Page 2

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquisition into the circumstances con* nected with the death of George Aldrige, who suddenly dropped down dead at a fishing station at the Spit on Tuesday last, was held yesterday at Port Chalmers, before Dr O'Donoghue, Coroner, and a Jury of twelve, of whom Mr H. Dench. was elected foreman. Thomas Bisset, who had been arrested on suspicion of accelerating deceased's death, •was present, and put questions to one or two of the witnesses. Sergeant Neil conducted the examination of witnesses, of whom the first called was Samuel Wells : He deposed that he was a fisherman temporarily, residing at Hamilton Bay. He knew the deceased man by the name of "Geordie." On Tuesday last he (witness) went to the residence of the deceased at " Knewstubb's," near the Spit, and there had some coffee and cake with the deceased and his wife, and Thomas Bisset. The latter was going to town to procure stores, and the deceased asked witness to go with him to look at his boat. He had a paint brush in his 'hand. They had to cross a fence, and on reaching it deceased fell. Witness asked him what was the matter, to which, he replied that he "wanted to get under the fence." Witness then lifted him up and sat him down, and ran back to the house to fetch his wife. She and Bisset went with witness to the deceased, and Bisset called for water, saying that Geordie was in a fit. The water was brought, and deceased put it to his lips but did not drink any, and then he was seized with an attack of vomiting. Bisset remarked that it was only a fit, and that lie would go to the Port for some medicine. A man named James Dingwall then came up and helped witness to carry the man to his house. Whilst they were doing so -witness thought he was dead. After depositing accused in the house, witness said he would go to the Port for medicine, and hasting after Bisset caught him. They obtained medicine at Mr Elder's, the chemist, and hastened bick to find the Police there before them, and also that Geordie was dead. The deceased was quite well on the morning of the day he died, and- with witness and the others present, was sober.- Deceased ate a piece of cake for breakfast, and drank two half pints of coffee. Witness had been acquainted with him for six or seven years. Generally speaking the deceased was not a sober man. There had been no quarrelling on the day he died. By the Foreman: The deceased did not ■ complain of being unwell that day. The cut on his temple appeared to be an old wound. Witness was not aware that deceased had been quarrelling or fighting previous to his death, and never knew Bisset and him to have an angry word. Alice Ruth, widow of Thomas Ruth, once of Tayler's Point, deposed that she had been living with the deceased, George Aldrige, for the last three years. She remembered a quarrel occurring between him and Thomas Bisset on the 29th December. The quarrel occurred in Aldrige's house, and at the time there were present only witness and the two men. The quarrel arose out of a " settling" for board between Aldrige and Bisset. Aldrige asked the latter to pay, and Bisset then went to his bedroom for a bag containing a book. Aldrige , took the bag and after examining it, said there was no book, and then threw the bag in the fire. Bisset tried to save the bag, and whilst doing so, Aid ridge struck him. A fight ensued, during which witness walked to the door of the house. • When she returned inside she saw "Geordie" bleeding from a wound in his temple. Bisset then ran out on the beacb, and witness followed to fetch him back, but he would not return. Then she returned, and 'ound the place empty, Geordie having followed, and presently she observed Richard Rose leading him to the house. When he came in heVfainted. Rose bathed his face and washe^jhe blood off. Deceased was bleeding very much, the blood running in a continuous stream. : ■ ByXftftGoroner : The blood did not spurt out in jets, but flowed steady ; it was very red, riot black, in colour. Exagjjjciation continued: Deceased's clothes . were covered with blood. When the two men. werertalking about accounts, there were a bottle ofiirum and a tumbler on the table. Both metfwere drunk, Bisset less so than the other. Witness could not say what became of the tumbler. She last saw it in Bisset's hands, whilsfc she was standing at the door of the hut. He was drinking a "nobbier" from it. The two men were still quarrelling then. Witness did not notice what Bisset did with the^ tumbler. When she next saw it, it was lying broken on the floor, and surrounded by'blood. The fragments of the tumbler, stained with blood, were produced in Court, and recognised by witness. The deceased was lying down when witness noticed he was bleeding. Rose picked the tumbler up and put it on a cupboard, wh»re it remained until the Police came. When they asked for it, it was gone. Rose, witness, Wills, and Biaset, were in the house when the Police came, and, ]

asked for megot^^Sl!^ was standing close to the cupboard. The tumbler was asked for before he left the room, but it could ~nct be found. Witness saw the glass on the cupboard a few minutes before that. There was a window in Bissetfs room overlooking the potato garden. Witness did not go into the bedroom with Biased.

A bundle of clothes stained with Woodt were here produced and recognised by jnt^nesss as those worn by the deceased on the day of the quarrel.- She admitted to thefir having been twice washed since then.

By-a jnror: "No weapons were used duringthe quarrel, and the reason witness went to the door was to get Bisset out of the honst Bisset afterwards said that he struck deceased with the tumbler, and -was sorry finr it. Witness was told by Rose to keep tha tumbler, but why she could not sayv'T The second day after the quarrel deceased complained of the cold affecting his temple,- siul the wound was dressed by- Rose, Deceased seemed quite well on the day of his death,. and ate a hearty breakfast .- -

Richard Rose, labourer, residing neat-Tay-ler's Point, deposed that, "about twoJhbu*» before sundown on the 29th ultimo, he was working ia his garden, about four or five chains from the house of deceased. = -r.T&e latter came and asked him to > have'some rum, which witness refused. HaTf:an-hbnE-afterwards witness saw Bisset. running san A walking towards the flat, and Mrs Rutk going after him ; -then Aldrige left'thehut and went along the beach, until he came to at small creek. He as if he was fighting with someone, , although : by hinfcself. Witness then . missed him for* * minute or two. He then looked for, him-. and found him lying on his face, and, on. turning him over, ascertained that the left side of his face and shirt were covered w/itlk. blood. Witness carried him to the seaantt washed him. Witness spoke to him, but he did not reply until the salt water made tie wound smart; then he begged witness naif to put any more on. Witness then "fcoSc him to his house, and bathed and dressed » wound on his left temple. Deceased t&en. said that he was better, only very weak^ andL laid dovrn on a bed placed'for him by witness on two forms. Witness then lei* the tent, and returned in about an hour t« find the wound still bleeding. Witness dressed it_with plaister, and, whilst doing so, noticed the bottom of a tumbler wife some blood on it upon the floor. He pieced. it up and put it on the corner of a shelf n*. the tent, and also some pieces of tumbleK. The fragments produced iii Court wenffhe same. Witness corroborated that part of Mrs Enth's evidence relating to; the arrival of the Police and of what-'janspired-in-tn« house, and stated that a sea-ch was mad&ni. the potato garden, when the broken tumblerwas found six or eight yards from the window. ■ ': - .k^-.:,.:

James Diugwall gave corroborative £?1dence about what occurred when deceased, was picked up at the fence on the sth: insfc and also of immediately i3ubsequent~eventK. Witness helped to carry deceased to a house, and the latter died on the way. cOnrihe evening of the 29th December Bif-set cameta* witness's house, and ua reply! to witness's remark about "fighting again,"", said "that "George" had burne,d his papers, and thafe he had "given him something to remember ;" also that deceased had struck 'lnia. with a glass, and that he had thrown it back again and struck deceased* on- the head. Bisset was quite drunk whilst speaking tat witness. A day or two after witness saw deceased, who said he was gettingoil "ngnfc enough," there had only been a, drunken;, spree. Bisset and deceased were always on. friendly terms.

Constable Carter deposed to finding t&e broken tumbler in the' potato patch, a fewyards from Bisset's bedroom window.

Sergeant Neil deposed to having receive* information about the death of Aldrige, wnea he proceeded to the Spit to pursue investigation. He found the body, and had it removed to theMorque at the Port. Bissefe admitted having . struck deceased with & tumblsr, whereupon witness arrested him. Dr Drysdale deposed to making a p<jsff mortem examination of the body at ■&& Morgue. Dr Payne, of the ship Waikatov assisted him. Upon examining the head and. removing the scalp, they ascertained that the wound in the temple,''about one inch long, did not extend to the bone, and tnafc consequently there was no fractures. ' Tie muscle in the vicinity of-the wound was very much, discoloured, as if from a bldwi On opening the skull the brain was found to be generally congested,'.and there were small collections of pus in severaT places on the exterior of the brain. The brain was examined internally, and proved to be generally congested. Contrary to expectations, that part of; tKe brain wnlcfr seemed most healthy'was situated nearest to the seat of injury on the temple;; ' The chest organs—heart, liver, &c.—-were quite healthy. The wound in the temple rnignfe have been inflicted with a piece of broker tumbler. It was not only a cut, but aUmr. Witness was of opinion vthat: death was X caused by disease of the brain. Could not say how the disease was induced; probably the congestion wasnotoflongstanding, but tite pus found exteriorly might have been longer. A blow from the tumbler produced wouH. tend to accelerate death where-the'brain was so much diseased. The bleeding from tEa wound might account for the more healthy appearance of the brain in the vicinity of the wound, and the pus found might, have been produced through the intemperate habits of the deceased. ■ ■ n>;:-.\,.s

This closed the evidence, and after caaadering the evidence, "the Jury~retnrn«F a. verdict as follows :—That on or about »'tSe oth January, 1875. George:Aldridge camera his death from disease of the brain, brought on by excessive drinking, and accelerated by - a blow upon the temple; that how: such blowwas inflicted there is no evidence to showi--Upon the delivery of this verdicC, tie pW soner, Thomas Bisset, was removed mcustody. , .. ,".."•,....;. .." ; .-.",-