Inquests.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXIII, Issue 4208, 30 May 1901, Page 4

Inquests.

An inquest was held by Mr S. Johnson, Coroner, at Makotuku, on Tuesday night, on view of the body of the late S. J. Gamman, who died suddenly at the Makotuku Hotel, on Monday afternoon. The following were the jury:—Messrs J. Scholes (foreman), L. Wright, L. Webb, P. Olsen, J. McGann, and C. Mitchell. Francis Henry Gamman stated.—l am the eldest son of the deceased. I identify the body here lying dead as that of my father. I last saw him alive last Thursday, 23rd May, at the sawmill. He was then in excellent health. He was very healthy altogether. The next I heard of him was that a gentleman staying at our place came here to fetch him home, but he told me afterwards that he could not persuade him to come home. I thought my fathei was all right and therefore took no steps yesterday, but remained at the mill. He occasionally had a habit of going to stay at a public house drinking for a week at a time. It is between two and three months since he did so last. I believe he left home on Thursday after dinner. I have charge of the sawmill during his absence. I believe he usually took whiskey. He was not particular to any house when he was drinking. I had no word of my father being ill yesterday, till 10 minutes to 5 o’clock in the afternoon. When I did hear I stopped the mill and came down as quickly as I could. He was dead when I arrived.

Ferdinand Henry Halse Francis stated. —I am a duly qualified medical practitioner residing in Makotuku. Yesterday about 3 o’clock in the afternoon I was sent for by Mr Goddes, the landlord, to attend Mr S. J. Gamman, the deceased. When I saw him he was unconscious and quite cold, breathing somewhat irregularly. I could not find any pulsation. I immediately ordered hot flannels and adopted every means to restore circulation. As evidence that he was not paralysed he moved his arms. His breathing became weaker and gradually died away. He expired about half an hour after I first saw him. I had seen him once at the hotel when staying here. He was then worse for drink. The conclusion arrived at from my observation was that he died from failure of the heart’s action. I was informed that he had taken no nourishment for the last few days. This, while only taking liquor would quite account for deceased’s death in my opinion. It might happen anywhere under the same conditions.

By the Police.—There is no doubt but his mode of life in drinking would undermine his constitution, by weakening the heart’s fibre. Both Mr and Mrs Geddes were most helpful to me while I was attending deceased. Benjamin Geddes stated.—l am the licensee of the Makotuku Hotel. I have known Mr Gammon, the deceased, about a year. He used to frequent my house occasionally. He stayed once before three or four days, he was drinking while he stayed. He usually drank ordinary beer. At other times he just came and went like others. Last Thursday afternoon he came here and stayed all night. He had perhaps two glasses before he went to bed. He might have drank with someone else, I do not mind. He left on Friday morning without breakfast, he had nothing to drink. I do not know, but I believe he went to the other hotel, the Beaconsfield hotel. He re turned on Saturday morning, before I got up. He had no breakfast. When I came down he had a glass of porter. After drinking the porter he became sick and complained of pains in the stomach. He asked for a brandy to relieve the pain and I served him. About an hour later he had another glass of brandy. About two hours later he wanted another glass of brandy, but I would not give it to him, because I thought he had had enough. Throughout the day he had a glass occasionally, I think it was English beer, and at night, after 7 o’clock, his men came down and he had some drinks with them—l don’t think more than three or four, and they were small drinks. He sat in the room after the men went away talking and joking in his usual way. He had a small glass of English beer before going to bed. I took him up a small bottle of English beer and a glass after he went to bed. On Sunday morning I brought him up another pint bottle of English beer. He remained in bed during the day and had another bottle of beer in the afternoon. I asked him to have some dinner but he refused, and I refused to give him any more drinks unless he had something to eat. He could eat nothing all the time he was here, neither Saturday, nor Sunday, nor Monday. On Sunday night I left him a small bottle to drink during the night, and he took one glass out of it during the night. He had no drink on Monday. He did ask for a glass of brandy. He took it in his hand and then said “ No,” and would not take it. In fact he never did take it. I went to him every half hour after that, but ha seemed to be sleeping, and his breathing was as usual. About 2 o’clock I went in and asked him if he would have anything to eat. I put food on the table, but he refused it. When he was here before I could not get him to eat. I removed the blankets from about his head and he then seemed to be rambling. I then thought he was bad and I went to the mill and left a message for the son

with the trolly man, that his father was bad and to send for him. When I came back I saw deceased and he looked worse, and I then went for the doctor. The doctor came at once. On Saturday when deceased oanie, be said he felt bad and I advised him to see the doctor. He replied “ Oh, I’m not bad enough for that.” He complained of being cold, and said he had been sleeping in a bed with insufficient clothes. When he went to . bed I put extra clothes on the bed. He preferred to stay in bed when he was away from home drinking. I tried to get him up this time but he would not. On Saturday night when he went to bed, he was not the worse for drink. I have had no opportunity of noticing whether he had a good appetite or not. Arthur Henry Clayton stated.—l am residing at present at the Beaconsfield Hotel. Mr Cook, the licensee, is absent, having left yesterday morning for Palmerston North. I was in the house last Friday and I saw deceased there. He came in after dinner. He did not appear out of the ordinary way. He had a drink or two but did not appear any worse for it. He drank schnapps, a kind of gin. He slept there that night. I don’t think he had any drinks in the evening but lay down on a couch, and slept there all night, all the beds being full. He had two large rugs to cover him. He had no drink before he went to rest. When I got up in the morning I thought I saw deceased going away crossing the station yard, about 7 o’clock. He had no drinks that morning. I cannot say whether or not he had anything to eat at the hotel, but I could not say he was drunk. I never saw deceased but on that one occasion. The verdict was to the effect that the cause of death was failure of the heart’s action, and that the cause was hurried on by drink, and insufficient nourishment.

An inquest was held on Tuesday, at the house of Mr A. Jacobsen, Matamau, by Mr S. Johnson, Coroner, on view of the body of Arthur G. Anderson, who was killed the previous day in the bush. The body was all but cut in two, and presented a very gruesome appearance. The jury were Messrs J. P. Leighton (foreman), G. Moss, C. a Leighton, A. H. Beckett, B. Hall, and 0. N. Holm. Victor Nordloff stated—l am a bushman residing at Matamau. Yesterday, Monday, 27 th May, at about half-past nine o’clock in the forenoon, I was in the bush. Deceased brought a mare into the bush at the time John Anderson was felling a tree, and he called out to deceased to get out of the way. He went away about five minutes before the tree fell, but we did not see which way he went. The tree did not fall as was intended, but fell the opposite way. We stood talking for a while about this. We then called out for deceased, and got no answer. So I got on the barrel and walked along it calling out. Still there was no answer. Then I got up among the limbs and had just turned round to come back when I saw him underneath a hinau tree, which had been pulled down by the tree that had been felled. I then called out to the other men that deceased was killed. They came up to where he was and I came out to the mill and reported that Anderson had been killed by the tree. I next sent a telegram to the police. John Anderson is a very careful man in treefelling. It was green timber we were felling. It was the wind that blew the tree the wrong way. The tree was five feet thick. The hinau was about two feot in diameter.

John Adolf Anderson stated.—l am a bushman residing at Matamau, and am one of the firm of Anderson and Jacobsen. Yesterday morning I was working in Matamau bush, at about half past nine o’clock. I had just finished in readiness for felling a tree. We had a good deal of trouble with the mall to get it over. I sang out to Nordloff to bring another mall and deceased brought it, Nordloff coming a few minutes behind him. When he brought the mall, I told deceased to go out again. He went away and that was the last I saw of him. The tree fell in the wrong direction. I remained by the stump to see which way it would fall, and when it had fallen I looked to where the horses were and saw deceased was not with them. I went out to the horses and called out, but got no reply. Then we went to search under the tree and found deceased there, but he was quite dead. It was a good five minutes after I told him to go away before the tree fell. He had ample time to get back to his horses before the tree fell, and I expected he had done so. Deceased has been about here only three weeks, and I can’t hear where he belongs. I have a good practical knowledge of bush-felling for 18 years. I spoke to deceased, telling him to get out of the way, before I spoke to the others. It was about three hours before we could extricate the body. John Brown stated.—l am a laboring bush hand. I was in the bush yesterday morning when John Anderson was felling a tree. We were backing up a tree for felling it in the usual manner, and Mr Anderson came to help us. Just as the tree was about to go, the wind came up in gusts and we sang out for another mall and deceased brought it in, and as soon as he came we sent him away for fear of an accident, and he must have left us fully five minutes before the tree fell. When we saw the tree falling in the opposite direction we got out of the way ourselves, and when we all mustered again and stood talking, Mr Anderson asked for the young fellpw, meaning deceased. When we failed to see him or hear him, Nordloff went along the tree and saw him lying dead under the tree. He came from Waikanae, I believe, but he was a perfect stranger to me. He had time to have gone a quarter of a mile after he was told to go away, before the tree fell. The verdict was accidentally killed by the falling of a tree.