Obituaries Australia

Another old resident of Maitland has passed away in the person of Mr. John Thomas Smith, of Holmwood, East Maitland. His death, which took place early on Sunday morning, was quite unexpected, so far as his friends were concerned. Mr. Smith was a native of Newcastle, where he resided for many years, and had completed his sixtieth year. On Saturday evening he was in his usual state of health, and conversed with his daughters in the sitting room up to 9 o'clock. He then retired to rest. He was not in the habit of rising till about 9 o'clock, but on Sunday morning he had not appeared up to 10 o'clock, at which hour one of his sons, Mr. William Smith, had occasion to enter his room to procure a newspaper, and looked towards the bed which his father occupied, and saw that he was apparently sleeping, but on going closer he observed no movement of the body. He placed his hand on his father, and found that he was dead. Death had evidently taken place some time previously. The bed clothes were not disarranged, and Mr. Smith apparently died without a struggle. It seems that Dr. Pierce had been his medical adviser for some years, and warned him that he might drop dead at any moment, as he suffered from fatty disease of the heart. A magisterial inquiry was held before Mr. A. Vindin, at Holmwood, yesterday afternoon. After hearing evidence Mr. Vindin found that death resulted from disease of the heart. The deceased gentleman was a very old resident of Maitland. He leaves a large family.