YOUNG MAN'S DEATH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22257, 9 May 1934, Page 10

YOUNG MAN'S DEATH

INQUEST AT BALCLUTHA^.,(From Oob Own CoreeßPONDent;> " BALCLUTHA, Ma^,^: An inquest concerning. the dpath of Clarence William Peoples, who denly a.t ' a private ''hotel;; . formerly known' aa the Coffee Palace,''Balcliitha, was held last evening at the Cpurthojise before Mi- W. .Keari,. JJP.J,acting .corpner, and a jury comprising ."Messrs . .James Morris (foreinan), Joseph Clark-,-Jamea Hurring, and -John Barclay;'.' Constable Watkins conducted the inquiry on behalf of'the police. ■■>„./.-.. ■''..-•- ■;■ *o Patrick Francis ..Peoples) • of -tjunedin, identified the bodyi aa that of his eldest son, who . was - aged 26 years, and .whom he had last- seen, alive at 10 o'clock on Sunday morning, Witness next saw.:.tha deceased in his. bedroom : at -l-.p-m. - :: A. nurse who was in the house; had .gone jp call the deceased to dinner,-and-witness had been called vto the room; >v the deceased ,in a sitting posture.-, 'on iithe floor, and his brother was hojdingvhim up, while his head had sunk forward on his chest. With the help of his son, Patrick, witness lifted the body of the-der ceased on to the bed, thinking that he had had a fit; but his condition looked so serious that witness" serif for a doctor. The deceased was last-attended to by a doctor in Dunedin Hospital for a nervous attack. He had : been subject to. such attacks, and had had a fit in oamaru t l2 months ago: -He-had at. one time been subject to fits, but the attacks" h'advnoit been frequent, and he haj! had a/nervoua breakdown 10 or 11 years JSis mother said he had been headaches of late. ;■ ■■",,'.'• .'._ '•; '

Patrick Francis Peoples; jun./salesman, Balplutha, a brother of the deceased, ! gave evidence along similar'lines. ,; *' :." r Leslie Melville Burnett, medical pfactitioner, Balclutha, said. that death.in his opinion was caused by, asphyxia; followine bulbar paralysis. . The nianV to witness's knowledge, was a sufferer"'icota Parkinson/a disease, a-form of paralysis. After hearing .evidence by Constable Boyle the jury returned,a- verdict that the deceased died from bulbar paralysis. The coroner expressed his sympathy.with the relatives'of the deceased. -'," •'-.'.' ".l\