EXTRAORDINARY DEATH AT DUNEDIN.
The Dunedin Evening News of the 3rd inst. says: — A gardener residing at the Water-of-Leith named George Smith died on Sunday under somewhat extraordinary circumstances. It appears that the friends of the late Dr. Hulme, who was buried about three months ago, had prepared a vault for the reception of the body, and Smith, with some other workmen, were on Tuesday last employed to lift the coffin. While digging it out they were almost overpowered by the stench emitted, and a quantity of liquid matter oozing through the seams adhered to their tools. One of the men accidentally grazed the side of Smith's leg with the point of his spade, but the bruise scarcely pierced the skin, and appeared so trivial that no attention was paid to it. The same evening Smith, who is a Forester, was at a meeting of his lodger apparently well and happy, and on Wednesday he was working as usual. On Thursday he felt ill and took to his bed. Dr. Brown was called in to see him, and discovered that the unfortunate man was suffering from symptoms of blood-poisoning. Everything that medical science could suggest was done for him without avail, and after enduring the most fearful agonies imaginable, he died on Sunday afternoon. Decomposition set in so rapidly that the side of the body on which the scratch had been inflicted became as black as ink almost before the body was cold, and/the deceased had to be coffined immediately. The deceased was a hard-working, industrious man, about 40 years of age, very much respected by the members of the Order with which he was associated, and he leaves a wife and young family to deplore his death. -Evening Post, 11/4/1877.
It will be remembered that a few days ago we published a telegram announcing the death at Dunedin of a man named George Smith under very extraordinary circumstances. The Guardian of yesterday has the following in relation thereto: — "It is very sad to learn that the peculiarly melancholy circumstances of the death of Mr. George Smith are darkened further by the fact that his family, consisting of his widow and four little children, are left in very indigent circumstances. It is a case that calls loudly for sympathy from the charitable; but before making such appeal we feel compelled to say that a strong claim of justice, to say nothing of humanity, should be recognised by the executors and legatees of the late Dr. Hulme. We say nothing as to whether this melancholy event, which has plunged a family in bereavement and poverty, might not have been averted had the work of the undertaker originally been properly attended to. It is sufficient to note the close connection of cause and effect in this poor man's death. The late Dr. Hulme bequeathed an enormous sum of money, and considering the sad position of this poor family, we have neither hesitation nor delicacy in saying that it is the duty of the inheritors of that wealth to make a reasonable provision for life for the widow and family of poor George Smith " -Oamaru Mail, 7/4/1877.
The friends of the late George Smith (whose death was caused through bloodpoisoning while removing Dr Hulme's coffin) are trying to raise a small fund among his acquaintances and the benevolent for the purpose of erecting a small cottage for the benefit of his widow and the four children. We have heard that Mr Hart has kindly undertaken to recommend the case of Mrs Smith and family to his mother, the sole legatee of the late Dr Hulme. -ODT,1/5/1877.
George Smith lies buried in Dunedin's Northern Cemetery.
No comments:
Post a Comment