INQUEST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2051, 15 June 1893, Page 11

INQUEST.

An inquiry into the circumstances attending the death of John Edwin Haydon was held at the residence of the deceased in St. David street on Monday morning before Mr Coroner Carew and a jury of six. Dr Coughtrey deposed thab he kaew the deceased, and had observed him in the streets, apparently in failing health, for some time past. He was called on Saturday to see the deceased a little/ before 2 p.m., and found his body in the front bedroom in his house in St. David street. It was cold, and had apparently been dead for about three hours. He made a careful external examination of it, and found no Bigns of foul play or of suicide— no smell of poison or of drink. The appearance of the pupils and of the left side of bhe body led him to come to the conclusion that the deceased died from sanguineous apoplexy of the interior of the brain.

Edwin John Haydon, son of the deceased, deposed that his father was born in London, and had been about 25 years in this colony. Deceased waa for some years licensee of the Captain Cook Hotel, and lately had been doing some commission business. He had not complained of his health lately, but he did complain of the cold. He had not been having any medical advice recently, so far as witness knew. On Saturday morning last witness left home at 9 o'clock, leaving only his father in the house. His father had been up and dressed since about half - past 7. He took about the same breakfast as usual— a little bread and butter and some tea. He made no complaint of his health, and looked better than usual, if anything. He made no complaint about the cold, and seemed in good spirits. Witness knew that his father intended going into town that morning. When witness returned home, between half-past 1 and a-quarter to 2 in the afternoon, he. saw his father lying on the floor in the kitchen, dressed, as he was when witness left the house in the morning. He felt for a pulse, but could not find any. He then went next door to Mr Munro, who went for Mrs Clancy, and she came to the house. Mr Munro subsequently telephoned for Dr Coughtrey. Mr Knox and Mr Sleight came in and bhey carried the body into the front bedroom, where Dr Coughtrey saw ifc soon after. Witness saw no sign of life in his father, who could nob have gone cub in the morning, as he was not properly dressed. He seemed to have been standing near the fire and had fallen backwards. There was no other person in the house when witness left it in the morning, and no other when he returned home. Sinclair Munro gave evidence as to going into deceased's house with the last witness and seeing the deceased lying on the floor apparently dead, and also as to going for Dr Coughtrey. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that death resulted from apoplexy.

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