BODY AT MORGUE

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20784, 19 April 1939, Page 8

BODY AT MORGUE

DETAILS OF THE FUNERAL remains placed in box Frederick Daniel Miller, hospital laboratory attendant, said he took charge of the morgue in the absence of the usual attendant and he was in charge on February 8 and recollected Patrick Shine’s body being there. Relatives of Shine had visited the morgue that day. Witness was also present and assisted while Dr. Williams did a post-mortem on the body. During the examination witness noticed cotton wool in several parts of the body, particularly the mouth. He had pushed the cotton wool further into the mouth and rebound the chin up. Witness then described his dressing of the body after the post-mortem had been carried out. Drainage sources in the body were always packed with cotton wool.

AA itness placed a rosary and crucifix round Shine's neck after the postmortem on Monday, February 13. He was also on duty at the mortuary and received from Constable Pollard a large brown box containing burned bones. Witness saw the contents but did not touch them. On the lid of the box he wrote: ‘Not to be removed—remains of Robert Gordon McKay.” The box remained in his possession until it was handed over to Mr Cyril Phelan, an undertaker’s employee/on February 14. Witness later saw a large box with his writing on the lid and the same writing as spoken of handed to Dr. Williams by Mr Trethewey. Witness identifie-d the box by that writing. Box Placed in Casket Cyril Phelan, motor driver, employed by a firm of Auckland funeral directors, was the next witness. He said he received from Miller on February 14 the remains of a burned human body. Owing to some misunderstanding he had no warrant for burial. At that time the remains were contained in a cardboard b*x and witness took them to his firm's workshop, later placing the box and contents in a casket bearing McKay’s name and age and the date of death as February 12. Eight Screws and one nail fastened down the lid. The casket was then placed in the mortuary chapel, where it remained until the next day, February 15, the day of the funeral.

A hearse driver, Edwin Stanley Barker, next gave evidence touching the funeral which followed the coffining of the burned remains. At 10 a.m. on February 15 the casket with the McKay name-plate was placed in a hearse which he drove to Waikumete Cemetery. He helped to place the casket in a grave in the Anglican part of the cemetery. Witness saw the casket lowered into the grave and pointed to Talbot in the dock as one who was present at the graveside. Witness was also present at the opening of the same grave by the detectivesergeants. The casket was then in the same condition as when placed in the grave.