INQUEST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4097, 8 June 1881, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest on the body of the late Mr Josiah Birch, who was found dead in hia bed on Monday last, was held yesterday afternoon at the Provincial Hotel, before Br Frs.nkish, Coroner, and a jury, of whieh Mr Alexander Lean wa9 choseh foreman. After the jury had viewed the bodv, the following evidence was taken : — Emily Todd deposed : I am living aB servant at Mr Birch's house in Worcester street east. I last saw deceased alive on Saturday, June 4, about two o'clock ia the afternoon. He told me I need not get any dinner, because he was not aura that he was not going to Kaiapoi. I took some lunch into his room then, and never saw him alive afterwards. I believe he was at home on Bunday, although I did not see him. I was out of the houße on Sunday from 10 in tho morning to a quarterpast 6in the evening. I went to bed about 9 o'clock. I did not hear Mr Birch come in, but he used to como in sometimes without my hearing him. When I got up on Monday morning, I saw Mr Birch's clothes in tho dressing room, and thought he must be at home. Being a holiday, I thought Mr Birch was sleeping late. I did not knock at his door for fear of disturbing him. About half-paet two on Monday Mra Birch came home. She asked me if Mr Birch had gone to Kaiapoi. I told her that he had not, that 1 believed he waa in bed. She at once went to the bedroom. Bhe came out immediately and screamed. Miss Brown, who came back with Mrs Birch, went to the bedroom. Mrs Birch said : " Bun for a doctor." She came out of the bedroom directly after sho went in. I have not seen the body. Mr Birch did not say on Saturday that he was ill. I got a cup of tea for him about a quarter past seven on Monday morning, and left it in the sitting room as I have been in the habit of doing. He took his tea cold. Mr Birch had a latch key. I thought ho was merely having a little extra rest, and was nofc troubled about it. Dr Jamee Irving deposed : lama legally qualified medical practitioner. I was sent for on Monday afternoon to the houso of Mr Birch, and returned in a cab with the messenger. When I arrived I saw deceased ; he was perfectly dead. I ahould judge he had beon dead at least 12 hours. The head was very much bent upon the chest, and the arms crossed over the chest. The rigor mortis waa extremely well marked. The pupils of the eyes wero in a normal condition. Tho eyes were not open. I have made a post mortem examination of the body. I found considerable congestion, both of the brain and its membranes, and signs of old inflammation of the membranes. There waa more aerous fluid on the aurface of tho brain than there ahould have been. I found the liver one third, at leaet, larger than it ahould be. The kidneys wero very soft, and easily broke up. The Bpleen waa also Tary soft. The stomach contained about a dessert spoonful of thin fluid, possibly tea ; there was not the slightest smell of laudanum about ifc. The lungs were healthy. 'The heart was large, loaded with fat, and its muscular substance was undergoing fatty degeneration. Thero was also slight atheromatous deposits on the valveß of tho heart. It would be difficult to state positively what was the cause of death, as three important organs were in a highly diseased state. I think, however, that the cause was fatty degeneration of the heart. Catherine Beatrice Brown deposed : I accompanied Mrs Birch to her house on Monday. I heard her scream when she went into the bedroom, and went in myself. I saw Mr Birch and thought he was dead. I was in the house during part of the time tbat the doctor was there. I heard him say that Mr Birch had been dead eight hours. Mrs Birch arrived about half-paat two. Dr Irving camo about three o'clock. The Coroner said it seemed to him thero was no question as to the caueo of death. He briefly reviewed the evidence. The jury could not do better than adopt the same view as Dr Irving. The jury at once returned a verdict to the effect that deceasod died from fatty degeneration of the heart.