Dunedin, September 20. Thomas Stevens, aged 15, died at the Industrial School this morning. Deceased had been an inmate of the institution and had been licensed out, but being taken unwell, was returned to the school a few hours before he died. -Ashburton Guardian, 20/9/1889.
INQUEST.
An inquest was held at the Industrial School yesterday afternoon, before Mr Coroner Carew and a jury of six (Mr Samuel McCracken, foreman), on the body of Thomas Stevens, who died at the institution early yesterday morning.
Elijah Titchener, master of the Industrial School, identified the body shown to the jury as that of Thomas Stevens, who was admitted an inmate in August 1878. He was then four years of age. His mother was Mary Stevens, and she had been employed as cook at the fever hospital on the Town Belt. He remained in the school till the end of 1886, and all the time his health was fairly good; but he had a difficulty in travelling fast, being always robust and fat, and he seemed as if he could not breathe easily. He was licensed out to a bootmaker, but did not give any great satisfaction, and was returned to the school in March 1888. He was in the school for a few months, and then Mr Hough, flax-dresser, of Kaikorai Valley, took him till September 1888. Mr Joseph Graham, farmer, Pine Hill, next licensed him, and frequently wrote to witness stating that the boy was not very well, and that all the work he could be put to was minding the baby and doing work about the house. On Thursday, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, Graham brought the boy to the school. Witness asked him what was the matter, and he said he had pains in his joints and in one of his groins. He was given a warm bath and then put to bed.
Alfred Sarney, an attendant employed at the school, said there was nothing in the boy's appearance yesterday afternoon to lead him to think that medical assistance was necessary. The boy was cheerful and talkative, and said he could not do hard work.
Clarence Mewer, living at the school, said he worked in a blacksmith's shop in Caversham. He occupied a room with Stevens on Thursday night, and when he went to bed Stevens was lying on his right side with his face away from witness' bed. He was breathing heavily, and groaned now and again. About a o'clock yesterday morning witness awoke, and saw Stevens standing by his bed. Witness asked him what was the matter, but got no answer, and Stevens turned away and staggered and fell against the wall. Witness looked for a match, but it was some time before he found one, and he then lit the gas and found that Stevens was dead. He placed a blanket over the body, put on his trousers, and then sat in the next room till a quarter to 6 yesterday morning, when Barney came. Witness could not say why he did not call someone when he saw the boy was dead. Witness had heard Mr Titchener tell the boys that if anything serious happened to any of them in the night it would be best to let him know. Witness' age was 17 years 7 months.
Herbert Henry Harris stated that he gave Mewer a match and went into his room with him, where he saw Stevens lying on the floor. Mewer lifted up deceased's head and then put a blanket over the body. Mewer told a number of boys in the room that Stevens was dead, but none of them said anything about calling Mr Titchener.
Joseph Graham and William Arthur Fox also gave evidence.
Dr H. Burns, medical officer of the institution, said he examined Stevens about two years ago, and the symptoms he found pointed to heart disease. He examined the body this morning, and from the appearances he would say that death resulted from asphyxia. There were no marks of violence on the body. Witness thought the cause of death was heart disease.
The jury returned a verdict to the effect that death resulted from natural causes. -Otago Daily Times, 21/9/1889.
Thomas Stevens was buried in Dunedin's Southern Cemetery.
No comments:
Post a Comment