INQUESTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16980, 17 April 1917, Page 2

INQUESTS

FATAL STREET ACCIDENT. An inquest was opened at the Hospital yesterday afternoon, before Mr J. R. Bartholomew (coroner), into the circumstances of tho death of an old man named John M'Kenzie, who was knocked down by a motor car in George street about a month ago. Mr Hanlon appeared for the relatives ot ( tho deceased, Mr \V. L. Moore for Eric Ellis (the driver of tho motor car involved) and Senior Sergeant Hutton for the police' John Alexander M'Kenzie, the only living son of tho deceased, a boxmaker, said his father and he had . lived together at 5 Clarendon street. His father was £0 years and nine months old, and had not done work in recent years. On tho morning of the accident his father spoke to someone in Frederick street, and walked up to cross 'over George street. He was an active man, and walked eight or nine miles a dav. His sight and hearing were good, and fie had a. splendid memory. Sometimes he would: go about with his head down, not looking about much. Ho was quite able and competent to go about the streets alone. In the Hospital deceased asked witness what had knocked him down, and said he did not know what had struck him. Deceased did not know anything at all about the accident. There had been a will drawn out for several years. To Mr Moore: Witness had made inquiries about the accident because the information in the papers was so misleading, and he passed on to tho police all the information lie got. Samuel Jarvis was the last name he gave to the police. Ho also gave the name of Mr M'Lean as a witness.

Dr Bowie (assistant medical • superintendent at the Dunedin Hospital) said the deceased was admitted to the Hospital on March 16. He had an abrasion on the scalp on tho back of the head, a fracture of the lower end of the loft radius, and a contusion of the left elbow. There was a compound fracture of tho right tibia and also a fracture of tho .fifth rib on the right side. The patient was suffering from shock, but was quite conscious. He appeared to be astnmatical, and said ho had been unwell for many years. On March 17 he began to develop chest symptoms and hypostatic pneumonia was diagnosed. From March 30 on tho patient became weaker, and died on April 14. The cause of death was from hypostatic pneumonia and heart failure.

To Senior Sergeant Hutton: The injuries received would accelerate death in an old mau, but they would not have caused death in a young man. Tho injuries were probably an inducing cause of tho pneumonia. Dr Roberts (pathologist at the Hospital and professor of pathology at the University) reported the result of a post mortem examination. In addition to the injuries described, there • was dropsy of the brain and hypostatic pneumonia, of both lungs. He considered death was directly due to the pneumonia and exhaustion predisposed to by senility and tho effect of injuries received. On tho application of tho police the inquest was adjourned- till Friday at 2.30 p.m., at the courthouse. AN AGONISING DEATH. Mr Bartholomew, opened a second inquest on the body ot Robert Bernard lteany, who was found near Owaka on Saturday still living after having been pinned for eight days under a tree in the bush. Senior Sergeant Hutton again appeared for the police. Dr Bowie (assistant medical superintendent) a said the deceased was admitted to the Hospital on Saturday evening. He was in a low delirious state, and was collapsed. On examination it was' found that his left arm was quite dead and gangrenous up to the shoulder. The shoulder-blade was fractured and ribs were- also fractured on that side. On Sunday morning the left arm was amputated at tho shoulder auu part of tho shoulder-blade removed. The patient gradually sank and died- on Sunday at 11.15 p.m. Tho cause of death was injuries and exhaustion, and also want of food and water. Something heavy had been lying on his chest for a considerable time. James Joseph O'Kano said Reany was a farmer and a single man living by himself at, Catiins River. He was about 46 years of age. H'o was not sufficiently conscious to make any statement when witness saw him. At this stage the inquest, was adjourned till 2.30 p.m. next Friday at the courthouse.