INQUEST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13208, 15 February 1905, Page 7

INQUEST.

An inquest in connection- with' the death )f Emanuel Turner, who -was discovered dead an his residence at South Dunedin on' Monday, was held yesterday at 9.30 a.m. before Sir C. C. Graham (coroner) at tho City Morgue. JTr V 7. Cultlo was. foreman of tho jury. *

Dr Gordon Macdonald stated that, called, by the police, he visited the deceased's residence in Bathgate street, South Dunedin, on Monday. He found deceased sitting in a chair quite dead and composed as if he had died quite naturally. Deceased was fully dressed, and had his spectacles on, having apparently been reading an English newspaper at the time of death. The body was swollen as in cases of heart dropsy, and tho lower limbs were particularly swollen. Rigor mortis was still more or less uresent. There, were no external marks of any kind to indicate the cause of death. . Judging from the swollen condition of the body and its attitude tho probability was that he died from natural causes—heart disease—when dropping asleep. Deceased had evidently been dead for about five days. Clara Fraser, residing'in Bathgate street. South Dunedin, stated that she was a near neighbour of deceased's, and she identified the body. She had known him for 20 years, and -had seen him nearly every day for the last three years. Deceased was formerly a shepherd, and latterly had been living on his means; he was a single mail, and S3 years of age. Latterly he suffered much from rheumatism, but witness did not think he ever consulted any medical map. He was in the habit of keeping entirely to himself. Witness last saw him, alive on February 10. and then ho'told her he could hardly crawl because of his rheumatism. On the Monday morniug, accompanied , by Mr Lamb, she went to. the house'of deceased and discovered him as describedjby Dr llacdonald. Alexander Lamb, striker, residing in Bathgate street, gave evidence of a similar cfiaracter. Constable Sweeney deposed to being called by the previous witness and visiting the T.ouse, and Sergeant Conn gave evidence as to discovering £33 7s on this" premises, a Post Office Savings Bank book showing a creditbalance of £100 0s sd, and a deposit receipt from tho Union Eank for £2123, and a Post Office receipt for £5. There were also a

number of letters dating' back to 1816, J but these had not been road as yet. , ! The jury 'found a. Verdict, in. accordance with tlio medical testimony, that deceased died from the. effects of heart disease and. dropsy.