WATERSIDER’S DEATH

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19136, 3 October 1936, Page 6

WATERSIDER’S DEATH

INQUEST ADJOURNED EVIDENCE OF SEIZURE An inquest into the death of Thomas Corkery, sen., was opened this morning by the district coroner, Mr. E. L. Walton, 8.M., and was adjourned later to furnish an opportunity for a pathological examination of the condition of the deceased’s heart. Dr. Harold Angell, who conducted the post mortem examination, stated that tho indications pointed to heart failure as the cause of death, but he would prefer not to give an opinion until he had received the results of a pathological examination, for which lie had arranged with the authorities in Wellington.

Dr. W. A. Bowie stated that he had never attended the deceased, and could not speak of his condition prior to his death. This witness was called to attend deceased after his collapse, and stated that from what ho was told of the circumstances, ho could say that the collapse was characteristic of heart failure. Thomas Joseph Corkery, son of the deceased, deposed that his father had not complained of ill-health, and that shortly before his death he had been in good spirits* and apparently in good health.

The incidents leading up to (lie collapse of Mr. Corkery were described by two witnesses, the first, Gordon Leo McDonald, stevedore, slating that deceased had been a member of his gang, and that- after helping to lift a heavy strainer, he had gone away to sit down on a box in the goods shed at the wharf. Shortly after it was found (hat Corkery had collapsed, and a doctor was called.

The other witness was James Livingstone, who stated that he and deceased had been working a truck in co-opera-tion, and that they had commenced lilting on to the truck a heavy strainer which had rolled off out of Iho sling. Witness lmd noticed that the lift, was a bit ton much for his mate, and had called another man to aid him. The strainer had hern weighed later, and sealed 3cwl. 1411). After unloading the truck along the wharf, Corkery told witness to take, it back to tho ship, as. he was- going to sit down for a minute. He collapsed within a minute, witness thought.

The innuest, at which Mr. A. A. Whitehead represented the. Waterside Workers’ Union and Mr. J. Blair Ihe Gisborne Lightering and Stevedoring Company, Limited, was adjourned by (lie coroner.