Sudden Death of Mr Douglas.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 397, 31 December 1889, Page 3

Sudden Death of Mr Douglas.

A buodsn death occurred' in Gisborne on Sunday morning, the occasion being rendered more sad by the circumstances. Mr Robert Douglas, well known in Gisborne from bis former residence here, had come up from Napier by Sunday morning’s steamer, he with three or four others who accompanied him having been engaged to assist in the loading of the barque Peru, now in the biy. He was about town in the morning, greeting his friends. Shortly after ten o’clock he took a stroll down towards the Post office. Meeting some more friends there he accompanied them across to the Albion Hotel. He was seeming’y in the best of spirits, and there was no indication of bad health. While in the Albion he laid down, on the sofa, and dozed over to sleep. His three friends then went out, and some time afterwards Douglas rose, gurgling in the throat, and wanting to vomit. He was shown into another room, and a few minutes afterwards his friends were, astonished to learn that Donglas had expired. He leaves a wife and three children, who are resident in Napier, his wife’s mair’e i being Miss Lae (of Gisborne). Douglas was formerly in partnership in Gisborne wi'h Mr S. Doleman, being an experienced hand among horses; but things not being satisfactory in Gisborne, he left a few years ago far Napier, where he had since resided.

THE INQUEST. An. inquest was held in the Court House yesterday morning, before Mr J. Booth (Coroner), and the following jury Messrs J. Townley (foreman)', G. Bull, C. F. Lewis, G. B. Moore, E. Smith, and G, Markie. Constable Pardy conducted the inquest for ths police, and Sailed the following evidence: — James Madems, stevedore, deposed : I last saw deceased alive about 9 o’clock on Sunday morning, and st that time he appeared in his usual health, Douglas had been in my employment for about two years, and during that time I have never known him to be ill. We arrived together in the Manapoun and during the passage op deceased was drinking slightly, but he was not drunk. After we got ashore we had breakfast at tbe Turanganui Hotel and afterwards went up town. I left deceased outside the Argyll Hotel, and that wm the last time I saw him alive. Michael Bice, barman at the Albion Club Hotel, deposed ; I saw deceased lying asleep on a sofa in tbe bar parlor of the Albion Hotel about 10 o'clock on Sunday morning. I did not disturb hirq, but went into the bar and was there some time when I heard * peculiar noise—a sort of gurgling in the throat. I went into the room and found deceased lying on the sofa. I lifted up his head and he then commenced vomiting. I held him for some time, and as he appeared somewhat better I removed him to another room and laid bimon tbe floor. He did not recognise me when I called him by name, and I tbooght he was drunk. When I laid bim on the floor he was breathing freely, I shortly afterwards went to see bow he was letting on and found him sleepingcomfortably. visited him about fifteen minutes after and deceased was then dead. By tbe Foreman : It never occurred to me that deceased was ill. I thought it was merely an ordinary case of drunkenness. The deceased had not to my knowledge received any drink in the house. Douglas was alone when he died.

By Dr Pollen : Deceased was partly lying on hie back and resting against tbe wall, when I found him dead. His hands and feet were not contracted.

Dr Pollen deposed: I saw deceased lying on the floor. His head was arched back and the face was purple. The body was warm but the man was quite dead. There were etains of recent vomiting on his right coat sleeve. The vomited matter consisted of undigested bacon and eggs. I made a post mortem examination at 7 o’clock this morning. There were no markes, bruises, or wounds on the body externally, The body was very fat and the death stiffness had not left. I opened the chest first end found the lunge quite healthy. The heart was very small and contracted, and out of proportion to the size of the man's body, and had a slight cast of fat io one of its chambers, but there was not sufficient disease present to cause sudden death under ordinaiy circumstances. The heart was full of blood. I examined the abdomen, and found the intestines enormously distended. The liver was unnaturally large. The stomach was also very much distended and highly congested with b ood, and there were stains of a dark color. As the stomach had tbe appearance of poisoning, I removed it for further examination if necessary. From the appearance of the skin during my examination, and from the evidence I have heard, I consider that death was due to alcoholic poisoning and failure of the heart's action, caused through vomiting and pressure of extended stomach, and from the large liver, which was due to the position in which the body was lying. The deceased was a strong and fairly healthy man. By the foreman: It deceased had had some assistance at the proper time, by being lifted np, there is every probability that he would have lived. Ido not think it necessary to have a further examination.

This closed the eyidenge, and after a short deliberation the jury returned a verdiot that death resulted from alcoholic poisoning.