Obituaries Australia

About three o'clock on Monday morning Mr. William Payne, innkeeper and storekeeper at Currawang, died rather suddenly from apoplexy. Dr. Hayley, who had been called to attend deceased but who did not arrive till after his death, held a magisterial inquiry yesterday, when it appeared by the evidence that the deceased was about forty-five years of age and had been married twenty-one years. He was a stout fat man. He was in the habit of drinking to excess, and had not been sober since the Friday week preceding his death. On Sunday last he ate very heartily, indeed to excess, and had done so for several days. He had also drunk a large quantity of spirits on Sunday. He was assisted to bed about ten o'clock, but did not go to sleep for an hour, and kept calling for one or other of his family. He then became quiet and was supposed to have fallen asleep. Shortly afterwards one of his daughters heard a strange noise in his room; and on Mrs. Payne going in she found him breathing stertoriously and black in the face. Some of the neighbours were sent for and such remedies as suggested themselves were applied; and a messenger was sent to Goulburn for medical aid. Deceased never rallied nor spoke, but remained unconscious till his death, which took place about three o'clock on Monday morning. From the evidence adduced, the opinion of the justice holding the inquiry was that the deceased died from apoplexy induced by excessive drinking. The deceased was son of the late Mrs. Newman of Goulburn by her first husband, Sergeant Payne. He leaves a widow and large family of children.