INQUEST.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4764, 23 June 1900, Page 3

INQUEST.

A man named George Carter, who bad been working ris a rabbiter and miner in the Waipori district for a number of years past, came into Lawrence on Saturday last and put up at the Qamp Hotel. On Wednesday night be went to bed about 12 o'olock, and next "day, at abont midday, be not having made an apppearance, Philip Duffy, who wait staying in the house, went to hi* room to call him and on eottfing found him dead. An inquest 1«f btla at tb« Camp Hotel, Lawrence,

on Friday afternoon before Mr J, C. Arbuckle (acting-coroner) and a jory of six, composed of Messrs J. C. Browne (foreman), J. J. Gibson, D. Munro, Alex. Miller, D. M. Lockhart, and Peter Skinner. Philip Duffy, , residing in the damp Hotel, Lawrence, recognised the body of deceased as that of George Carter, whom he had last seen alive about 12 o'olock on Wednesday night in the sitting-room. Deceased then left to go to bed. He came from Waipori on Saturday about 3 o'clook, and remained in the hotel till he died. Witness discovered he was dead about 12 o'clock on Thursday when he went to his room to call him. He (witness) left the body undisturbed till the police and doctor arrived. Deceased was perfectly sober when he went to bed on the previous night. Tie was playing cards with witness and others between 10 and 12 o'clock, and the only drink he had between these hours was two very small brandies He had not been drinking to excess while in the hotel. < Never heard him complain. About half an honr elapsed between the time he found him dead and the arrival of the doctor. Bobert Robertson recognised the body of deceased as that of George' Carter, whom he had last seen alive at 11 o'clock on Wednesday night sitting by the fire in the sitting room of the hotel* Mr Duffy^and Mr Boughan were the only otuer"ocoupants of the room at that time. He did not appear to have been drunk. There was nothing unusual about his appearance. * To the* Coroner: Deceased bad told him he had finished at Waipori and was looking for a job. William Forsyth Bauchop, duly qualified medical praotitioner, residing in Lawrence, deposed that he bad been called about half-past twelve on Thursday to see the body of a man who had | died at the Camp Hotel. Found the I body in a bedroom and examined it. It | was quite covered with blankets, and clothed in shirt, undershirt, drawers and stockings. There was no sign of life in the body, and life must have been ex* tinct for several hours. Examined the body externally and found no bruises. In the mouth there was' a secretion partly due to bronchitis. There was no | outward sign of death, and in the absence of a post mortem examination he would ascribe the cause of death to heart disease. Jas. M'Leod, shepherd, Bungtown, deposed that he identi6ed the body of deceased as George Carter. He had known him for about 30 years. He last saw him alive on Monday last in Lawrence. Deceased had been rabbiting and digging at Waipori for the past 13 years and had left there with the intention of going up-country to take up a claim. He was ac Englishman by birth and was about 58 years of age. Did not know whether he had any relations in the colony. He did not think he was a married man. This was all the evidence, and without retiring the jury returned a verdict of death from natural causes.