SUDDEN DEATH AT PLEASANT POINT.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 3559, 9 May 1901, Page 3

SUDDEN DEATH AT PLEASANT POINT.

News was received in Timaru early yesterday by the police that a man named John. Oliver, a well known butehor, had been found dead at Pleasant Point, lulu the previous night. Constable Madden roported the case, and an inquest, was arraii"od for yesterday afternoon. The inquest, was hold tit the Pleasant, Point) Hotel at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, before tho Coroner, Mr C. A. Wrny, and a. jury of six.

Evidence was led as follows: Andrew Cockbum said that he had known the deceased for the last five or six years. For the last four weeks deceased had been .sleeping at his house.

His usual occupation was that of u, butcher, but he had not been working since he left Mr Matthews. He was a very stout man, and appeared to be always short of breath. Two days ago he complained of urinary troubles. On Tuesday night at about 8 o'clock, when in. his house, he said that he did not feel very well. Deceased laid down on his bed, and witness covered him over. He went and had a look at him about 11 o'clock, and found that the man was dead. Witness then called William Gibson, who was in the house at the time. He came in and examined the deceased. There had been no liquor in the house that evening. Witness brought him no drink that day, and he was in the house all day until half-past 5 o'clock. He found him at the Point Hotel before 6 o'clock, and took him homa. Deceased was not drunk or the worse feu liquor, and) witness would ,not call him r>. drinking man, but he had some drinks iocently.

William John. Gibson said that he was hx Mr Cockburn's house on Tuesday night from 7.30 to 8.30. He saw deceased sitting by the fireside; he was breathing heavily, and complained of not being well. Witness went home and got some gruel for deceased, and brought it to him at about 9 o'clock. He had about half of it, and then went to bed. Witness remained in the house until 11 o'clock; then went to look at deceased, and found him lying on his mattress dead. Witness added that hs had heard Oliver groaning about half am hour before. He was not the worse for drink that night, but had been drinking lately. Robert Stuart Reid, a duly qualified medical practitioner residing at Timaru, said that he had that afternoon made a "post mortem" examination on the body of the deceased, and found that he died I from fatty degeneration of the heart. The jury returned a verdict of " death from disease (fatty degeneration) of the ' heart." I