A SUDDEN DEATH

Otago Witness, Issue 3148, 15 July 1914, Page 55

A SUDDEN DEATH

Mr William Samson, a well-known resident'of Burnside, was found on Thursday night lying dead inside the gate of hia I'fcs.dencc. Miss Ogilvio, a domestic employed by Mr Samson, made the discovery. Dr Carswell was summoned, and pronounced life to have been extinct for some time. Mr Samson, when found, had a deep wound at the back of his head, and thero were bloodstains on the cross-beams of tho fence.

An inquest was held at the deceased’s residence on Friday afternoon, before Mr C. C. Graham, coroner. Jean Ogilvie, domestic servant' in the deceased’s household, said that he was a butcher residing at Burnside, and was 47 years of age. On Thursday night, at about a quarter to eight, witness went out of tho house, and, when at the- front gate, tripped oyer tho boot of the deceased, who was lying there. He was dead at that time. Witness informed Mrs Samson, and went at once to the store for assistance. With - tho assistance procured the deceased was carried into the house and laid on tho bed. Witness noticed that - the back of deceased’s head tvas cut and bleeding. Dr Carswell was called, and arriving in an hour’s time, pronounced life to be extinct. Miss Mary Samson, sister of the deceased, said that she had been accustomed to seeing her ‘ brother every day. Lately he had been complaining of a pain in hia back, and at times, after exertion, of shortness of breath. He w T ao a stout man, and had always suffered from a cough, but was reticent concerning his ailments. Witness had always expected him to die suddenly. On more than one occasion he had spat blood, and he had turned blue in the face after exertion. He did not drink to excess, and for the last 15 months he had drunk verv little.

Dr Carswell said that he proceeded to the residence of the deceased on Thursday night in obedience to a summons, arriving about a quarter past 8. He found the deceased in bed, partially clothed, and quite dead. He had been dead for only a short time. Witness examined the' body and found a horizontal wound, two inches in length at the bank of the head, with the bone exposed at the bottom. Witness made a post mortem examination. He found that the membranes on the surface of the brain showed signs of chronic inflammation. There was no fracture of the, skull. In the chest there were marked signs of old pleurisy. The sac surrounding the heart was thickened, and contained a considerable quantity of fluid. In witness’s opinion the cause of death was heart failure. Death was probably accelerated by reason of tho blow received on the head. Probably deceased had turned faint at the gate and had fallen, sustaining the wound on his head by striking against the gate-post. Wiliam Robert Otrie, motor ,car driver residing in Dunedin, said that ho had not known the deceased until Thursday night, when he met him at the Waterloo Hotel, where he was having tea. The licensee of the Waterloo Hotel (Mr Crossan) engaged witness to drive deceased out to his house at Burnside. Before they left witness had a drink, but did not see deceased have any. Witness could see that deceased had had a drink or two, but not too much. They arrived at Burnside between half past 5 and 6 o’clock. There were in the car two other men, named Watson and Christie. They arrived all right. Deceased got out of the car, and witness saw, him enter the gate and close it after him. Deceased got out of the car by himself, and walked in. Witness turned ithe car up the : road, and, as he passed the house again, deceased called out to one of the men in the car “Good night. Bill.” Deceased was then, standing at tho gate. The police offered to call Messrs Watson and Christie, but the Coroner said that it would bo unnccssary. He was satisfied from the evidence that the cause of death was heart failure, no doubt accelerated by the blow. It was evident from the bloodstains that the deceased either tripped or became faint and fell back, and so inflicted tho wound. The shock accelerated the failure of the heart. Tho verdict would bo that the cause of death was heart failure, accelerated by a wound on the head, caused by falling against a fence