Inquest.

An inquest was hold at the Salutation Hotel at eleven o'cjo&k fcbio morpiog. bpfore Dr Kilgour (Oorooer), into the ciyoumstances connected with the death of John Pain Restell, which occurred early yesterday morning. The following jury were svrorn :—Messrs ij. Panby (foreman), J. E. Brown, W. J. Constant, E, Feeny, J. Eennipk, and N. Taylor.

$1? $, 4. filler attended in the interests of the f'awtfy, After the body of the deceased had been viewed by the jury, Miss Eestell, daughter of the deceased, deposed that on Friday last she did not notice anything unusual in the demeanour of her father j' he wpnt ho^je from sphool as usual, went put between four and five o'clock, and did not return till late, after witness had retired. Thought she heard him go out agajn about an hour after wards. Ofi Saturday morning about Zl o'clock wept |to the spbQQl, on jooking through the window saw her father lying on the floor, apparently asleep., Obtained assistance, and Mr West went to the school to attend to her father. To the Police : The deceased had oomplained of sleeplessness, E. S. West affirmed that on Saturday morning l^st, upon being palled upon by the last Vitness, he proceeded to the Parawai school, and caw the deceased ljing on his back on the floor, apparently asleep, and breathing very bard; at tempted to raise his head, when he became partly conscious; noticed that he bad been'bleeding at fhp nose, and asked bim if be bad. taken anything, and ajtep » little time be said be bad taken an opiate j saw a cup near him, aod immediately went for Dv Payne, who advised witness to briog him to the Hospital; returned to the sehooi, find t>w a bruise ou the bapk of the head' of deceased ) on n<?tipjng it, deceased stated that a man fell foul of him the previous evening; got a cab and brought him to the hospital, where witness left him.

To a Juror: The sehooi was locked, but one wia^ow was open.

H. J. S. Ellis deposed that he lived with the. deceased, and saw him about

three o'clock on Friday afternoon at his residence. Tb<;r« was nothing unusual in

his demeanor or appearance. On Friday about 11 o'clock, beord Mr enter his house, and did not heaf him leave after that. Heard nothing more until 1 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, when deceased was in the hospital.

To the Foreman: He had frequently complained of sleeplessness, and had often taken opiates. Dr M.. H. Payne affirmed that o» Saturday morning last deceased wr'. brought to the Hospital suffering front narcotic poisoning, for which witness treated him ; he eventually died about hal

past twelve o'clock on (Sunday morning; I he rallied during the middle of Saturday ! and auok again and died in the exhausted stage ; there was a mark of a blow on the back of decea-ed's head, which would have something to do with accelerating death. Dr P. Callan sworn, stated—that he had seen deceased at about half-past eleven oh Saturday morning at the Hospital, he then bad all the symptoms of narcotic poisoning, aud the case seemed very hopeless, saw him twice afterwards, viz.: At half-past one, and ten o'clock, p.m. on the same day. The last time he saw him he was in a moribund condition, and witness did not think he would live two hours. Noticed two abrasions on the head, one on the back and the other on the crown ; they were simply abrasions of the cuticle and not contused wounds. In accordance with instructions from the police, made a post mortem examination of the body. There was a good deal of livi-

dity and post mortem discoloration, but there was no mark of violence excepting the two abrasions spoken of ; the organs of the body were in an advanced state of futty degeneration ; the liver was chronically digested and diseased, the membrane of the stomach and alimentary canal were

healthy, the heart was in a state of fatty degeneration—the right half being gorged with blood, the lutrgs were healthy, the bloodvessels of the scalp were in a turgid slate, as were also the small bloodvessels of the brain, the vessels in the brain sab-

stance were engorged, but there was no sanguineous effusion, there was an effusion of serum in the left ventricle ; came to the conclusion that the cause of death was narcotic poisoning. To the police : If deceased had been seen early his life might have been saved.

To the Coroner; According to the symptoms ho saw, deceased must have taken at least tho equivalent of five grains of opium. To Mr Miller : The bruises Bpoken of had nothing to do with the cause of death.

W. B. Hall, chemist, deposed that on Friday afternoon deceased went to bis shop in Shortland, and asked for a solution of chloral; told him he had not got it, he then asked for a draught as be was troubled with sleeplessness, gave him the usual allowance of a weak solution of morphia, containing 4grs of the hydro chlorate of opium, with written instructions not to exceed a dose of 60 drops in two doses of 30 each, there were eight doses in the bottle. Some three months

previously be had supplied deceased with a weaker solution for sleeplessness which he complained of, he stated he had taken it and it was not strong enough. His manner on Friday was the same as usual, he appeared quite cheerful. The contents of the bottle were sufficient to cause death if taken in one dose.

George Denby, chemist, swore that on Friday last about 5.80 o'clock p.m. deceased went into witness' shop, complained of insomnia, and asked for a draught to stop it, as he had had no sleep for three nights; he wanted syrup of chloral, but was refused this without a prescription ; he then asked for morphia, which witness would not supply ; he said, " I feel very unwell, can you give me something ?■" This witness did; the following were the ingredients : Batty's solution of opium (30 drops), 30 drops of ether, and half an* ounce of syrup of orange peel, directing him to take half at bed time, and the remainder after an hour if necessary ; deceased asked to have the contents explained to him, and this was done; he seemed a little worried and any.ious, but otherwise the same as usual; he could have taken the whole dose with safety, J. W. JJall, chemist, deposed to the deceased visiting his shop on Friday afternoon last at about 3 or 4 o'clock, asking for a preparation of chloral, which witness did not Keep t he stated he (deceased) was suffering from sleeplessness. At the request of Mr Ifestell made him up a eotaposing djraiight containing phltjral, of which he was to take half for a dose ; he seemed in his us«al spirits, in a pleasant mood, and made an appointment to play chess with witness next Wednesday, The whole dose would not have been dangerous if taken atpnce. The Coroner reviewed the evidence, and pointed out that the point to which the attention of the jury should be directed was as to whether he had taken

the overdose of nflreotie pojssqn caused h}s death v^llh the intention to take away his life, or. whether it was

taken accidentally. The mixture supplied

by Mr W. B. Hall was far more than sufficient to full him if be took it all at once ; there was algo evidence that be had b,een in the habit of taking opiates for sleeplessness, and when people frequently took

these things their systems sometimes tolerated large doses. The diseased organs spoken of by Dr Callan would pot be able io repel a la>ge dos*. The jury retired for about fifteen minutes, and after consideration returned

a verdict that, " The deceased came io his

death through an overdose pi morphia, tjiken with, [he jnfcenUqn e^pregsed by him of procuring sleep,"