INQUEST.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1515, 5 June 1886, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest was held on Thursday at the Crown Hotel, Geraldine, before the Coroner, H. C, S. Baddeley, Esq., on the body of Thomas Raine, who died on the previous Tuesday from an overdose of spirits of wine. The follow! • g jury were empanelled Messrs N. Sims (foreman), E. J. Brisco, A. Eisher, R. Baxter, R. Wood and H. N. Hiakeus. The jury having viewed the body the following evidence was taken

Thomas Turner deposed : I am| a cordial manufacturer in Geraldine. The deceased, Thomas Raine, was in my employ. I use spirits of wine in making cordials. Deceased used to use them too iu making cordials. I l ave several times known some of it to be missing. I taxed deceased with drinking it and he acknowledged ho did so. lat one time lost as mu has half a bottle. Deceased never said anything which would lead me to think he intended to drink too much of it or of anything else that would do him harm. He did not seem at all low spirited, aad was quite cheerful on the day I saw him last, which was the Ist of June, the day on which he died. To the Coroner : He had never at any time threatened to take his own life. He was addicted to drink, and would take it whenever he had an opportunity. I had to lock the spirits of wine up because he would take it. He would drink a good deal of spirits of wine at a time. I have missed several half bottles which must either have been drunk or put by in another bottle, as the one it was in was empty. 1 have missed them within an hour and a-half.

Robert Skilling Cook deposed : I am a chemist residing in Geraldine. I keep Mr Turner’s spirits o£ wine in my shop, and gave it out to him and deceased as they wanted it. About 12 o’clock on the Ist June 1 gave deceased this bottle (produced) full. It holds 24 ounces. At about twenty minutes past one deceased came to me and told me had taken the lot, I did not know what he meant and he repeated it several times. I then said “ Surely you have not drank all the spirits of wine.” He laughed and said he had. About three or four minutes afterwords he was taken bad and Dr Fish was sent for. I have measured what was left in the bottle ; there were three ounces, so that hs must have drank 21 ounces, I gave him an emetic but it did not effect him.

Robert -Pish deposed : I am a medical practitioner residing in Geraldine. On the afternoon of June Ist I received a message asking me to come and see the deceased, Themas Raine. This was about three o’clock, 1 was told he hid taken something in the form of spirits and I went immediately. When I arrived deceased was very ill indeed, ha looked as it he could not live many minutes. I used the stomach pump and remained with him with the exception of very short intervals till within a short time of his death, which took place a few minutes past eight. I have no doubt that death was caused by the spirit he had taken, which was an unusually large quantity for any person to take. Smie of the spirit came up with the stomach pump, but the greater part was absorbed into the systern before I saw him, The amount of spirit taken would about equal two bottles of whiskey. A quarter of the spirit deceased took would be highly dangerous to life, B, S, Cook, re-called, said; I have known deceased for the past 23 years* He was about 41 years of age, I have known him to be in the habit of drinking sprits of wine for 15 years. The jury retired for a short time and returned with the following verdict.; — “The jury ore of ophron that the deceased Thomas Raine met his death by taking an overdose of spirits of wine, which he had been in the habit of taking for many years. They are not of opinion that he had any intention of taking bis own life."

The funeral took place the same afternoon at about half-past four.