ELDERLY MAN’S DEATH

Southland Times, Issue 22040, 13 June 1933, Page 6

ELDERLY MAN’S DEATH

INQUEST HELD. On Saturday evening, Mr James Ward, Justice of the Peace, actingCoroner, and a jury of four, of whom Mr J. Robertson was foreman, held an inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Edwin Willcocks, of Timpanys, who died suddenly on the 9th instant. Sergeant Abel conducted the inquiry on behalf of the Police. Alfred Reynolds, a labourer, stated that when he went to call the deceased he found him on his knees, on James O’Donnell’s property. Deceased was alive when he and his brother-in-law picked him up, but he never spoke. They placed deceased on a lorry and brought him to his nephew’s place in Invercargill, but he had died, and was removed to the morgue. The deceased was in good health, but had been laid aside about 18 months ago when a horse jumped on him. Dr. W. J. Barclay, who, according to instructions, had made a post-mortem, stated that there were no external marks of violence, but there were signs of old pleurisy round the right lung, also there was an old depressed fracture on the left side of the skull. In addition there was thrombosis of the basiler artery of the brain, and that, in his opinion, was the cause of death. All the other organs were healthy.

George H. Willcocks, residing at Invercargill, said the deceased was his uncle. He was aged about 74 years, and had lived at Timpany’s for about 13 years. He appeared to enjoy good health.

James O’Donnell, farmer, who went to call deceased, said he found him all right at 10 o’clock, and as deceased wanted to go to town, they agreed to take him in in the afternoon, but as