Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Widower - nok listed as John McManus (Son) 52 Sussex St. Sydney, NSW

VETERANS DEATH
LIVED IN SQUALOR
DESPITE PLENTY
Unattended in Fatal Illness
At the Coroner's Court yesterday evidence was given to the effect that George McManus, aged 67 years, formerly of the British  Army, had been removed from a cubicle at Capital Hill camp last Tuesday and had subsequently died at Canberra Hospital McManus had been living in apparently poor circumstances at the camp, and it was not until investigations were made by the  Canberra police that it was discovered that he had cash and negotiable securities valued at £1,450 It is not known if deceased  has any relatives in Australia, or elsewhere.

The Coroner (Col J T H Goodwin) found that McManus died from pulmonary thrombosis precipitated by a severe attack of  influenza Mr D G McKellar, medical suptendent of the Canberra Hospital, stated that McManus was admitted to hospital on  Tuesday and died soon after admission Witness was unable to give a certificate of cause of death A post mortem examination was held on Thursday as a result of which it was found that death was due to pulmonary throm basis precipitated by influenza.

Dr  L W Nott stated that he was at the hospital on Tuesday when he received a phone message from Mrs Turnbull (The Manse) stating that a man was desperately sick in one of the camps at Capital Hill Witness was unable to leave the hospital, but  arranged for the man to be brought to the hospital by ambulance When the patient arrived at the hospital about 20 minutes later it was obvious that he was dying All efforts to improve the patient's condition were unsuccessful. Replying to the Coroner, witness said that he had never seen the patient prior to his admission to hospital.

Dr. Nott told Sergt Bailey that he did not know the conditions  under which McManus had been living at Capital Hill, but he  (witness) believed that they were deplorable. When the patient was admitted, said Dr Nott, he told the matron that in the event  of death he would not be prepared to give a certificate in the first  place he desired to lodge a protest against the conditions under which the man had been allowed to live immediately prior to his death, Owing to the condition of the patient he had not been in a  position to express an opinion regarding the cause of death.The Coroner Are you aware that the man was living under conditions of his own choice Dr Nott He should not have been permitted to  make such a choice Sergt Bailey Was it a breach of the housing regulations?  Dr Nott Definitely Continuing, Dr. Nott said that this  was a case of a man, critically ill, who had been lying in his bed,  probably unattended, for days, and until he got into a frightful condition.  Witness said that he understood that the patient had  locked himself in his cubicle the door of which had to be broken  down by the ambulance officers.
Senior Constable I C Perriman give evidence of identification and stated that the police had not been able to establish evidence of  next of-kin McManus had been an Imperial Ex-Serviceman and  had been in receipt of a pension of 1/1 per day Deceased had  recently been engaged by the Department of the Interior and  £1,450 in cash and securities had been found amongst his effects.
 
Replying to the Coroner witness said that the sanitary  arrangements at Capital Hill were satisfactory Some of the  cubicles were not kept in a tidy condition This depended upon the  tenant Claude Lomax ambulance officer "stated that it had been  necessary to force the door of McManus s cubicle. The door had  been double-locked when the first lock gave way, McManus got  out of bed and released the bolt He was very ill, and witness was  surprised that he had been able to get out of bed Witness did not  take any notice of the interior arrangements of the cubicle, and  was unable to say whether it was untidy or otherwise. 

MCMANUS.—The friends of the late Mr. George McManus, late of  Capitol Hill, Canberra, are invited to attend his funeral, which will  leave the Canberra Hospital this day (Thursday), at 3.30, for  interment in the Returned Soldiers' portion of the Public  Cemetery, Canberra.
MASON BROS., Undertakers.
Members of the R.S.S.I.L.A., Canberra, are invited to attend the funeral of their late comrade as above. 

PENSIONER'S HOARD
£1450 Found in Hut
CANBERRA, Monday.
After living in apparent poverty at a camp at Canberra, George McManus, 67, formerly of the British Army, died last week leaving cash and negotiable securities valued at £1450 McManus became ill and was removed from a cubicle at the Capital Hill camp last  Tuesday. He died soon after admission to the Canberra Hospital. At an inquest into his death, the coroner, Mr. J. T. H. Goodwin,
found that he had died from pulmonary thrombosis, precipitated by a severe attack of influenza.
Police evidence revealed that McManus had been an Imperial ex-serviceman in reccipt of a pension of 1/1 a day.