Daniel Brown was a miner living in Palmersotn when he volunteered for the Boer War in 1901. His service there is difficult to pin down on account of the numers of "Troopers Brown" visible in the newspapers of the time.
Daniel might have been the Daniel Brown who was in court for drunkenness in Dunedin in 1912 - he was certainly the private Daniel Brown whose Army record shows, among other offences, "on active service, found after hours in an estaminet," and being caught on the march with liquor in his water bottle and smoking a cigarette - along with insolence to a superior officer, "to the prejudice of good order and military discipline." He certainly seems to have had a thirst. He was given Field Punishment No. 2 for the first and forfeited 28 days' pay for the second.
Whatever his qualities as a soldier, he took his time in the line of fire and stopped a bullet in the spine in the Battle of Messines in June, 1917. The following February he was put on the "Marama" for New Zealand.
PRIVATE BROWN.
Private D. D. Brown, who was severely wounded in the abdomen in the Messines engagement, is a war veteran, for he volunteered for the Boer war, and participated in the severe fighting at Bothasberg, in which the New Zeaalnders were engaged, fortunately coming through it without injury. He was born at Arrowtown, and was educated there and at Palmerston. After leaving school he went mining and farming with his father, and was thus occupied when he enlisted as a member of the Seventh Contingent for South Africa. Upon receiving his discharge from the army after the return of the New Zealand contingents, he resumed his former civil occupation until the call to arms stirred him, and he enlisted in the Expeditionary Forces for the present war. Leaving New Zealand as a member of the Seventeenth Reinforcements, he arrived in France in December last. His mother, Mrs J Brown, of Melbourne street, South Dunedin, has been informed that he is now a patient in the Walton-on-Thames Hospital. -Otago Daily Times, 3/7/1917.
The Police Court did not sit until this afternoon, when two men were charged with drunkenness. Daniel David Brown was remanded for seven days for medical treatment. Donald McIntyre was fined 20s or 48 hours.
Jubilation! Celebrate it in Watson's No. 10 Whisky; without a peer; just lovely. [— Advt.] -Evening Star, 29/11/1918.
INQUESTS.
DEATH IN A SORDID DEN.
THE OCCUPIER WARNED.
An inquest into the circumstances of the death of Daniel David Brown was held at the Morgue yesterday morning, before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, coroner. The deceased had been fouud dead on Sunday morning at George Mullin's house, 123 Caroll street, where he had been staying. The police were represented by Senior Seargeant Murray.
Dr Evans stated that he had examined the body the previous afternoon, and found rigor mortis well marked. The body was fairly well nourished, and there was marked cyanosis of the whole of the face. On the left arm there was the tattoo mark "South Africa, Seventh Reinforcements," and on the right arm the word "Bessie." He made a post mortem examination, and found hemorrhage into the brain. The heart was slightly enlarged with atheroma of the aortic valves. There was well marked cirrhosis of the kidneys and liver. His opinion was that the cause of death was oardiao failure following cirrhosis of the liver.
To Senior Sergeant Murray: The commonest cause of cirrhosis of the liver was excessive use of alcohol.
John Alexander Brown (labourer), residing, at 153 Melbourne street, south Dunedin, a brother of deceased, identified the body. His brother was a single man, a labourer, who turned 40 last October. He returned from iht war in August, 1917, and was discharged in the following October. He had been living with his married sister, Mrs Alexander, in South Dunedin, but he usually worked in the country. None of his family had seen him on this last visit to town. He was in fair health, but had had to go into Hospital as a result of wounds received at Messines. He had also served in the South African war with the Seventh Reinforcements. He was a pretty heavy drinker at times when he was not in the country.
George Mullin (bootmaker), living at 123 Carroll etreet, said he was a bachelor living in a one-roomed house. He had known deceased a little over three months, and this was the second time deceased had stayed with him. He came to witness at his house on Friday week. He had half a flask of whisky with him, and looked as if he had had a few drinks. He had stayed with witness since that time, and had been drinking pretty heavily. Witness got deceased six bottles of ale on Friday, and on Saturday he got him 2s worth of brandy. When witness came home early on Saturday evening, deoeased was lying on the bed dozing. Witness had brought home a bottle of beer, and gave deceased a drink from it. They both lay together on the single stretcher bed, but during the night deceased shifted and lay across the bed at an angle. On waking at 8 o'clock next morning witness noticed that deceased had not shifted and that his face was black. He went down to a neighbour's place, and told him Brown was dead, and then went and informed the police.
Cornelius Walsh, 14 years of age, living at 187 Carroll street, said he had been at the house of the last witness (Mullin) about 9 o'clock on Friday evening. He saw deceased and Mullin lying in bed with their clothes on. He saw Brown drink something from a mug. Mullin did not seem to be drunk, but Brown had been vomiting on the bed. On Saturday afternoon witness and others went to see Mullin, but he was not in. They heard Brown groaning on the bed, and apparently he had been sick again. He asked the boys to go for beer for him, but they said they would not.
Constable McCulloch said he knew deceased and the witness Mullin personally. About 9.30 a.m. on Sunday he went to Mullin's house and found Mullin there, and the body of deceased lying across the foot of a stretcher. There was no sign of disturbance about the room. Deceased was lying face down with his head in the bed clothes. He knew deceased was a man given to heavy drinking, and that Mullin permitted his house to be a sort of a rendezvous for dissipation.
The verdict was in accordance with the medical testimony that deceased died of cardiac failure, following on cirrhosis of the liver. After delivering his verdict, the coroner addressed a few words to the witness Mullin, telling him that it was quite clear from the evidence that he allowed his place to be frequented by people who wanted to dissipate in liquor. He would have to stop that sort of thing. It was disgraceful that he should encourage a man like deceased to drink and lead him on to drink when he should have been back at his work in the country. As a result the man had died of drink. He would have to turn over a new leaf or some steps would have to be taken. -Otago Daily Times, 17/6/1919.
MILITARY FUNERAL.
THE Friends of Mrs ISABELLA J. BROWN (and family) are respectfully invited to attend the Funeral of her late SON Private DANIEL DAVID BROWN which will leave 153 Melbourne street, south Dunedin, THIS DAY (TUESDAY) 17th inst., at. 2 o'clock, for the Anderson's Bay Cemetery.
A. S: ARCHER & CO., Military Funeral Directors. -Otago Daily Times, 17/6/1919.
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