Obituaries Australia

Inquest on the Body of the late Mr. Moss Marks.— The Goulburn Herald of Saturday states that, on the 6th instant, an inquiry was held into the cause of death of Mr. Moss Marks, J.P. The inquiry was commenced at Thomas's Family Hotel, Auburn-street, Goulburn, and was subsequently adjourned to the residence of the deceased in the same street. The coroner. Dr. Waugh, having been the medical attendant of the deceased, and being also the referee of the Australian Mutual Provident Society, in whose office Mr. Marks's life was insured for £1260, it was deemed advisable to hold a magisterial inquiry instead of a coroner's inquest and the witnesses were accordingly examined before Mr. William Conolly, J.P. Mr. Gannon, the legal adviser of the deceased, was present and Mr. Walsh appeared on behalf of the family, Mr. I. Fox, file agent of the Mutual Provident Society, was also present. Much evidence was taken, that of Dr. Waugh being the most important, who stated,— I was called upon to see deceased on Saturday last, the 31st July; I found him suffering from a large incised wound across the abdomen, and another upwards forming the shape of a T, through which the bowels protruded to a great extent; I found that he had lost blood at the outside to the extent of about eight ounces; I replaced the bowels, closed the wound, and found him with a weak nervous pulse, such as is usually found in persons suffering from debilitating diseases; I attended him several times a day up to the time of his death; he progressed favourably up to yesterday, the 4th instant, when on seeing him in the evening I found him sinking; I remained with him some time, and saw him again this morning and remained with him till his death at about ten minutes past 8 o'clock; I yesterday morning removed the dressing from the wound in his abdomen, the incisions looking healthy; I have this day made a post-mortem examination of his body; there was no inflammation where the wounds were; the kidneys showed a state of fatty degeneration; the liver was natural in its state; the heart was pale, showing a tendency to fatty degeneration; the lungs were healthy; the brain was healthy, though there was some slight effusion on the surface of the brain; I had been informed that the deceased had been suffering from diabetes for two months previously; he was much emaciated, and died, I believe, from that disease, and not from the result of the injury to his abdomen; the loss of blood from the wound would not account for his death; there was a total absence of peritoneal inflammation; although in some instances an injury such as Mr. Marks sustained would produce a shock to the nervous system; in his case, from the state of his pulse and general appearance, he did not appear to be suffering any shock, but appeared to be suffering from some previous disease. Mr. Marks had been nearly thirty years in the district. He was a man of studious habits and very fond of reading, with a cultivated musical taste. Some years since he used to take part in public matters, and frequently wrote letters, and sometimes verses, for the Press. Under the signature of 'Pablicus' he published a pamphlet on railways nearly twenty years ago; it is now out of print. When Mr. Marks first came to Goulburn he was in the employ of Messrs. Benjamin and Moses, of the Argyle Store; and on the partners ceasing to reside in Goulburn, the management of that establishment was confided to him. He subsequently purchased the business, and on the expiry of his lease, being unable to come to terms with the owners of the property, he built for himself the handsome and substantial premises known as the New Argyle Store, where he has resided and conducted the business of a general storekeeper ever since. He married Mm. Davis, widow of Mr. Isaac Davis, who was murdered by bushrangers at Burrowa, upwards of twenty years ago, by whom he leaves several daughters. During his commercial career he experienced some vicissitudes; but we believe that his affairs have long been in a satisfactory condition.