DEATH FROM EXPOSURE AND STARVATION.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12420, 9 December 1908, Page 3

DEATH FROM EXPOSURE AND STARVATION.

Wellington, Deo. 8. William Hill, a carpenter, who; was found unoonsoious at the bottom of a steep bank on^Sunday.-hay-. ing apparently lain there for some days, died at the hospital this mornLater. Dr A. McArthur, Coroner, held an enquiry at the District Hospital to-! day touching the death of - William j Hill. John Ewartj . the ■' medicalsuperintendent of the Hospital, said the deceased was admitted at. five' o'clock on Sunday evening. He was in a very weak and exhausted _condition and was semi-unconscious.; There were bruises upon various parts of the body, the left arm was paralys-: ed, and there were evidences . of: brain injury. He . had a bad sore! on the lower part of the back. De-J coased's condition " did not -improve from the time of admission. The cause of death was exhaustion from exposure and starvation. The; bruises were probably caused by a: falJ, the abrasions on the. body pointing to that ibobry. . Deceased. must have lain in the same position for some considerable time. There was' a bruise, on the left side of the scalp,' although there, was no fracture. Witness, was 6f;.ppinion that dece.ased be-! came unconscious ,'wjien. he fell. Andrew Kershaw said deceased was working for witness for about a fort-: night. Witness saw deceased on ■Tuesday, December. Ist at . 4.30. .p.m. He had asked in the morning for half a day's le v ave, which was granted. Deceased came back at 4.30 p.m. the ■same day.- He was not fit to w.ork, being intoxicated. Deceased said he would come to work the- next i morning, ani that was the last witness saw of deceased. To get home | the deceased could go past the tram- ! sheds where he was found. The widow of deceased and the two boys who discovered him lying.. in the ditch, 'also pave evidence but no fresh lisht was thrown on the matter. Dr McArthur's finding was in accordance with the medical evidence. Deceased, who was forty-four years of age, was horn in Tasmania. He had been in New Zealand for three years. He. leaves a widow and one child.