LIFE’S SLENDER THREAD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3573, 12 July 1912, Page 2

LIFE’S SLENDER THREAD.

THE TAPUWAI SENSATION. AN EXTRAORDINARY FATALITY. WHAT THE INQUEST DISCLOSED

An instance of the slender thread on which the human life hangs was given ,at the inquest held at the Tatapouri Hotel by Mr. H, E. Hill, J-P-j concerning the death of Joseph Denton, aged about 29 years, who was found walking in the surf at Tapuwai on Tuesday, and who subsequently died in a- fit. The medical evidence showed that a piece of shell or decayed tooth double the size of a pin’s bead had lodged in the right lung and caused death. Joseph Benjamin Merritt, of Poutae station, said that on Tuesday last as lie was riding down the Coast, and just- before reaching the Tapuwai rocks, he 'noticed a man floundering about in the surf. Witness went down on to the beach and pulled deceased out of the water. He left him on the beach while he went and informed Mr. Biddles of the occurrence. AYlien he pulled deceased out of the water he asked him where lie came from, but deceased could mot tell him. Witness noticed that deceased’s^sw,ag was high cn the beach- In his opinion deceased appeared to he demented or he had a fit. He thought that deceased had been in the water for some time, as his pockets were full of sand. He would say he had been in the water about three or four hours. V ltness did mot see deceased again. Harry Stanbury. a cowboy on "the Tupiiae station, said that an Tuesday he was instructed by Mrs. J. Biddles to go down to the beach, as there was a man there who was nearly drowned. When he arrived he saw a man swinging or waving his arms about in the air! He called out to him: “Hullo! What's up?” The deceased murmured some tiling, but he could not understand what the deceased saidJust as he got near him deceased was in the act of falling. He then gavetne deceased some whisky and tried to bring him round- He only gave deceased a small quantity of the liquor, and he appeared to be better. The deceased remarked: “They sav I cannot swim, but like Robinson Crusoe I get back to am island again.” Air. Biddles then came alcim and took the deceased to his homestead. After deceased had had breakfast he seemed to have had a- sleep, and when witness took him his dinner he was standing I un in his bed looking at the ceiling. Witness asked deceased where he came from, and he said lie belonged to Brixton, London, and that. he -had been in New Zealand for nine years. He did not see am- more of deceased until 8 o’clock that night, when he went to take the light away from him, and when he arrived there lie was wandering about the yard in his night clothes. The deceased went towards the shed, as if to go inside. Witness then came away. At 6-30 the following morning the door of the room in which the deceased slept was shut, and when witness opened it the deceased was standing up an bed looking at the ceiling. He asked deceased what sort of a night he had bad. and bo replied: “Prettv bad.” Witness then left him. At 9.30 he saw him sitting on a box with both hands to his head. Ho never spoke, and witness went to his work. About an hour later Air. Biddles told witness he thought the man was dead. John Biddles said that he "ave instructions"tor the previous witness to go to the beach and he would follow as scon as he was dressed. When he got there he saw Stanbury supporting the deceased. They conveyed him to the homestead. Deceased heartily ate his breakfast, and after bis swag had hemi brought from the beach they rolled him up in Ins blankets . and made him comfortable- On visiting him later deceased appeared to be dozing, but lie thought lie was in a very dazed condition, as he could net get much satisfaction from him. In reply to a question when coming from the bench, deceased said he was a sailor. Later witness learned that deceased had been eiwbved at Tokomaru, working on a stone-crusher. The following morning, and when witness visited him later, he seemed dazed. Deceased had net touched his breakfast, with the exception; of the tea, and witness said to him: “Come J along and eat your breakfast while I t talk to you.” Deeeased only gazed upwards, and remarked: “I think I’ll ■have a wash before I go to Heaven.” In reply to a further question deceased sail] lie had only Is 2d when lie left Tokomaru. He remembered arriving • at Tokomaru Bay, and said lie bad a ' good feed there. He seemed to have • had no recollection of events during his career down the coast until he was found. About 10 o’clock witness looked to see how he was getting on, and found deceased lying on the floor witli his head and shoulders underneath a potato bin fixed ini the shed. Witness pulled him out, propped him un and rainr for the police about a doctor, but was informed that there was no special doctor. He rang up Dr- Wilson, and was instructed to try artificial respiration. This was done for aiii hour, but.without result. He did not know the man’s name, and had never seen him before. He thought lvis condition was due to his immersion in the sea. Constable Moore gave evidence t-o the effect that there were mo marks l of violence on the body. From papers ! found on deceased his name was Jo--1 scull Denton. The description given on the ship’s discharges found on deceased’s swag tallied with that of deceased. Dr. Reeve stated that lie had made a post-mortem examination of the bodv. and found a foreign substance—probably a piece of decayed tooth or shell from the beach, about the. size of two pins’ beads —embedded in the right lung. This caused a stoppage of the respiratory process and caused hi® death. Otherwise the body of the deceased was healthy and well noui - ished. ~ . To a juryman : It would be quite impossible to sav liow long the foieigw matter was in deceased-s lung bet ore ho died. . ~, , , , A verdict was returned that deceased died from a foreign body—-prebibly a piece of decaved tooth or slie.l fi om the beach double the size of a Pin s head—which had lodged in the right lung, causing a stoppage of the respiratory process- We are of opinion the foreign matter was probably inhaled while deceased was employed on a stone-cruslier at Tokomaru Bay. A rider was added placing on record the kindness shown to the deceased during his apparent illness o. Mr. Biddles. .