TEMUKA.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 14 June 1926, Page 11

TEMUKA.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)'

YOUNG LAD’S DEATH.

An inquest touching the death of William Janies Simpson, aged 15 years, who was found dead in bed, was held in the Courthouse, Temuka, yesterday afternoon, before the District Coroner, Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M. Sergeant Dwan conducted the proceedings. W. J. Simpson, father of the deceased, stated that he resided in Guise Street, and that his son was born in 1911. Deceased was working on Mrs Pye’s farm, Main North Road, and on Saturday, sth June, 'Mrs Pye brought him home just after tea. -The boy complained about having, a cough, a cold, and pains in the ; backi Witness bought some cough/mixture and gave him some, but his condition remained the same.

I > Sergeant Dwan: “Did it not strike ] you to call in a doctor when the boy ] showed no.signs of improvement?” I Witness:' No; I did not think it I necessary to call in a doctor.” I Sergeant Dwan: "Did his condition i remain the same, or did it get I worse?” | Witness: "There was no differI ence, but his legs got thinner.” I Sergeant Dwan: “Was he still I complaining about his cough?” I Witness:. “Yes. I bought a bottle I of cough mixture on the Friday, and [ gave him the. first dose. We were all 5 j complaining, and I took a dose my- » self, and gave my wife and eldest £ son a dose also.” Sergeant Dwan: “When did you last see him alive?” Witness: “At half-past eleven on Friday night. I had to go to work that night, and I would not have gone if I had thought he was seriously ill. I came home about twenty minutes to three on Saturday morning, and my wife told me to go for a doctor as the hoy was dead.” Mrs F. A. Simpson, wife of the previous witness, stated that when her son was brought home she put him to bed. He asked for some water to drink, and witness gave him some, and he said he felt easier. Witness'did not dhinlc that he was very ■ bad, as they were all complaining. The hoy did not complain about any pains. Sergeant Dwan: “Did you not think him ill enough to call in a doctor?” Witness: "No; the boy said that he did not need a doctor.” Proceeding, witness stated that she spoke to him for the last time just before one o’clock on Saturday morning. Sergeant Dwan: “What did he say then?”

Witness: “He said that he felt so much better. A few minutes later I looked at him, and he seemed to be as usual, and I went to sleep. About haif-past one, an hour later, I awoke, and the boy was dead.” Dr. Ashley S. Mclnnes, stated that about three o’clock .on Saturday morning he was called to the home of Mr Simpson, and he found the deceased lying in a bed in a galley. He was then dead. Acting on instructions from the Coroner, witness held a post mortem examination. The body was that of a poorly nourished boy. There were no external marks of violence, and there were no signs of asphyxiation. In his opinion the cause of death was cardiac failure, following on acute lobar pneumonia. Sergeant Dwan: “Would the lad have had a reasonable chance if he had been seen by a medical man?” Witness: “Yes, I think so.” ; The Coroner: “The fact that the lad was poorly nourished reduced his power of resistance. If he had been well nourished he may have resisted

the complaint.” Witness: “That is so, sir.” Constable T. J. Kearney stated that on Saturday morning he was called to Guise Street, and he saw the deceased lying on a stretcher in a galley. The boy was covered with an old blanket. The body was removed to the morgue, and a post mortem examination was made. In answer to the Coroner witness stated that the boy was lying on a blanket, which was in rags; and he was covered with a single blanket. Sergeant Dwan said that Mr Simp r son was before the Court last Tuesday, and had given up possession of

his house.'. The only thing he could procure to live in was several galleys. The family were in very poor circumstances. The Coroner: "This young hoy, then, did not seem to have had a chance.”", Sergeant Dyvani “That is so, sir. The boy ougfit to have been sent to the hospital.”; The Coroner said that he was sorry to say that the conditions under which the boy lay,ill, for, eight days did not give film a cfiance. The boy should have been, attended to by a

medical man, or if' the, family were in "indigent circumstances he should have been sent to the, Timaru Hospital. Mr Simpson: “We did not have the means, sir.’’ The Coroner: “All the more reason why the hoy should have been sent to the hospital.” Proceeding, the Coroner stated that it was a great pity indeed that the parents were not in the best of health, and on that account perhaps they thought, that the boy was no worse than themselves. In bringing in a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence, the Coroner said that it was another life sacrificed when prompt medical attention would probably have saved the boy, but no doubt the parents did their best under the circumstances.

FIRE BRIGADE CHURCH PARADE At the Methodist Church yesterday morning, there was a very large attendance on the occasion of a church parade of the members and ex-members of the Fire Brigade, together with the Mayor (Mr G. B. Cartwright), Councillors W. F.

Evans, T. Gunnion, J. Lee, D. White, A. H. Fenn, and the Town Clerk (Mr A. J. McPherson). The procession was headed by the Pipe Band. The service was inspiring, and the choir rendered special music. Rev. R. Richards welcomed the members of the parade, and spoke of the good work that' the various local bodies performed. In : a sermon based on the words,' “Glorify God in the Fires,” he spoke of the place occupied by fire in the Bible, and in old religions. Passing on to the various aspects and the dangers, as well as use of fire in modern times, ho mentioned various aspects of human life, where men were tried as by fire. In passion, in trouble, and various temptations there was need to fight the fires in human life, and in so doing they would glorify God.