Evidently
Suicide
Body of a Chinaman
Found in Bed at Battersby House -- Had Been Dead Some Time --
Inquest Being Held
Last Thursday evening Mr. L.
Brady, proprietor of the Battersby House, in company of Mr. N.
Porter, collector of customs, forced the door of a room in the hotel
that had been allotted to a Chinaman who had registered on the
Sunday previous.
He only asked for a room and
took no meals, and so attracted little attention by his movements.
Finally, however, Mr. Brady missed him and proceeded to investigate.
Looking over the transom he
saw the body of a man on the bed. He then summoned Mr. Porter, who
was on the street outside, and together they got into the
room.
Dr. Bowlby was at once sent
for. He pronounced the man dead and advised sending for Coroner
Richardson, which was done.
Investigation revealed the
fact that the body was that of a Chinese laundryman from Port Dover,
named Duck. Sam Yuen, one of our local laundrymen, states that he
sold the Port Dover laundry to Duck, and that Duck had been in very
bad health and threatened suicide.
The state of the room
supports this theory. The medical men say the man must have been
dead at least a couple of days, possibly longer.
A post-mortem examination was
made and the body decently buried.
Coroner Richardson's jury is
comprised of the following: T. E. Langford (foreman), Geo. Knight,
Bruce Green, Chas. A. Chadwick, R. Vance,
Herb Wood, John Goodland, W. Gilbertson,
J. D. McIntosh and Wm. Burgess. They will assemble to hear the
evidence at [6] p.m. tomorrow evening.
