INQUEST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18352, 16 September 1921, Page 7

INQUEST

ELDERLY MAN’S DEATH. Mr 11. Y. Widdowson, S.M., sitting as coroner, conducted an inquiry at the Morgue Inst night into tho circumstances, snrroundinr- the death of William Johnston who died suddenly on Wednesday afternoon. Sergeant Scandrett represented the police. Elizabeth Peat identified the deceased as her father, and deposed that ho was 70 years of ago and an old-age pensioner, who lived by himself in his own house. .Ho was apparently quite a healthy man, and never complained of anything being the matter with him. Deceased, who had been in New- Zealand about 48 years, was married twice, and at the time of death was a widower. Andrew- Wilson, a retired carpenter, residing at 34 Loyalty street, South Dunedin. stated in evidence that ho know the deceased intimately during the past four or five years. As far as he knew he had never been attended by a doctor. Deceased had visited him at about 4. p.m. on Wednesday, and during a conversation ho suddenly collapsed. Ho did not speak before or after his collapse, and witness thought ho had had a fit. Witness notified tho police and Dr Murray. Deceased was a very straightforward, steady, and respectable man. . „

Dr Murrav stated that on receiving a call at iibo'd 4.40 p tn. on Wednesday he went to 34 Loyalty street. South Dunedin, and found the deceased lying in the yard at tho Kick of tho house. On examining tho body, which was fully clothed, he found that life was extinct, but tho deceased had not been long dead as the body was quite warm. There were no external signs of injury on tho body, but there were signs of senile changes.. From the history of the deceased and from his examination witness was of the opinion that, tho cause of dqath was sudden heart failure following senile degeneration of the heart muscles and bloodvessels. It was clearly death from natural causes. George Eric Williamson, a police constable. gave evidence as to the finding of the body. _ • The Coroner returned a verdict in accordance wi"F!i the medical testimony that death was duo to natural causes.