INQUEST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2623, 22 June 1904, Page 23

INQUEST.

An inquest was held at the Morgue on Fncia.f afternoon, before Mr C. C. Graham (coroner! and a jury of six (of whom Mr James Olives, was chosen foreman), into the circumstatice^ surrounding the death of John Anderson, night watchman at the wharf, who died suddenly en Thursday evening. Jane Anderson, wife of the deceased, statect that deceased was a Swede by birth, and wai 47 years of age. He was employed by tha Haibour Board as night watchman. During this week de^eas'id had complained of a pain, in his chest, but witness had not heard him' coughing, nor had she seen him spitting iiy b.ood. Deceased had not consulted a doctor, not considering the matter serious. Witness last saw deceased alive at 4 o'clock on Thursday afternoon, when lie seemed quite well, thougu. he complained of a pain in his chest. LaTs Jacobsen, an ab'.e seaman on tha schooner Isabella Anderson, stated that he was talking to the deceased at the Harbour Board's office about 7 o'clock on Thursday evening. About 10 minutes later deceased went on boarcl the schooner and started leading a newspaper* in the forecastle. Alter reading a, few wordi deceased gave a hard cough, and blcod issued from his mouth. Deceased he must have, burst a vein, and added that lie was going for a doctor. Witness put on his clothes and wenfa over to the Wharf Hotel, but by the time ha got there decased was lying ck.«l on the sofa ,in the waiting room. Hugh M'Ceirley, mariner, staf^d that he was in the Wharf Hotel when deceased entered, and he heard deceased ask Miss Dwyei to ring up for a doctor immediately. The deceased then went into the commercial room, where his head! was bathed with cold water and his hands rubbed. The doctor arrived about seven minutes after death took jjlace.

Dr E. J. O'Neill stated that in reply to a. telephone message he proceeded .to the Wharf Hotel, where he found deceased quite dead, death having apparently takea place a few minutes before witness's arrival The body, ,was fully dressed. Witness examined the body, and found it was that of a., robust man about middle age. There were signs of recent bleeding from the mouth and nose, and there wag a good deal of blood upon the floor. Witness made a thorough external examination of the body, but found nothing to indicate that death had occurred from anything but a natural caiiseJudging from the appearance of the body, tha symptoms exhibited before death, and the evidence of deceased's wife, witness was of opinion, that death lesulied from a rupture of an. aneurism of one of Ilie groat vessels of the thorax. Everything that could have been done for the deceased before witness's arrival had been done. , The jury returned a veidict that cleatli ivas caiised by the rupture of an aneurism of one of the gicat vessels of the thorax