Body Of Man Exhumed At Napier

Wanganui Chronicle, 29 June 1948, Page 5

Body Of Man Exhumed At Napier

.v Napier, June 28 With the authority of the Minister of Health the body of Otto Heinrich Klau, who died in a Napier convalescent home last year aged 79. was exhumed this morning and after a pathological examination had been conducted, was reinterred. Police-Superintendent J. Fox said this, morning that inquiries made following Klaus death revealed that he was medically treated by a doctor prior to his death for disease of the heart, and the doctor issued a medical certificate that the cause of death was heart failure. 'These facts were reported to the coroner, who accepted the medical certificate and no inquest was held," the superintendent added. The superintendent referred to a recent Supreme Court case affecting the will left by Klau and added: “As a consequence of disclosures made then in evidence and more information received later, further inquiries were made into the circumstances surrounding. Klau’s death ’’ He said that following the forwarding of the new details to the Commissioner of Police, the Minister of Health granted an order for the body to be exhumed. r. Th Sr e: N am J. na,ion was conducted by R l ' w G f Somerville, pathologist to the Hawkes Bay Hospital Board. The result of the examination may not be known for :onvj time.