A PITIFUL CASE.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12353, 17 November 1905, Page 3

A PITIFUL CASE.

INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesterday 'aftex*-; noon by Mr H. W. Bishop, Coroner, and a jury of six, touching the death of Jennie Johnam, alias Dolly Jameson, who died yekerday_morning.. '•: - •Mas Elisabeth Wilson, taster of, deceased, -said t"he latter wm * eawfle woman, twenty-six year* of aa*ge. # .Wit--ness came down to Christchurch ra ,*&• spome to a letter from her eister, arriving here last Sunday. She went at once to see her sister, who waa Irving with a man named Byrne. The house she was living in waa ma bad state, but her sister, who waa ill, w»b in a clean condition, -r She waa in toea. There was no food in the house, and no money to get any with. Her sster spoke with great difficulty, owing to her face being hurt. Her jaw w«

: broken.r;her sister's c«mo to W broke*), *nd 7 asked:W sister, who told "Jack," meaning Byrne.^^•rJtid.'it.'TWitiße^ji' had her sister removed to? otbor7 TOJB6B th© 'iwt7diigrV''"':''.-(^'l'. : MW'VVDir. v .; : ' Ondbard, who told her docwsedMrnstoo H weak for anything to bo dome tocher J**- •.-/•-■'• ■■;■■'X.\ :'p _ Nunse-Maude said she saw deciwsed for the first time last Friday afternoon at the inquest of Byrne. .1 |She"itObk bedding and medical comforts.'7to* oeas»d, and Byrne did all he',mi asked to do by intnosß' The boom wis; in a d&reputablo oanditkra. Docoaaed told her that Byrne had struck Her in* broken hw jaw, but Bhe then began to wander. It had not occurred to"-wit-ness to inform the police. Doopaeed w«s half dead from consumption.. -.-■■'■•■77 Dr. Orchard said deceased called to see ihim at his surgery in company'with; Byrne. He found herluncs badly affected, and told them thather ooly'hope. was to go to a sanatorium, and directed them to go to Nurse Maude. Hecr jaw , was not then broken. Ho next eavt her Inst Friday. Byrne asked him to-sec her. He found die had only a short' time to live. Her jaw was broken. She said it had been broken for seven or eight days. Sho -said she had broken it through falling on her face. Byrne was evidently recovering from a drinking 'bout. Witness asked him why ho had not seen Nurse Maudo as aerraed, but had received no "satisfactory answer.The house was in a poor condition. Theoretically, no doubt, tho injury might have accelerated death, but not to any great extent in the conditiion deceased was in. Death was due to consumption. Ho did' not report the matter to the police, as he did not want to hurt the. feelings of the family of deceased. A fall such as deceased stated might very readily havo caused a broken jaw. •Mr Bishop remarked that it would have "been bettor if the police had been informed, which would havo enabled Mm to tako the dopoeitions of deceased. In summing tip, ho pointed out that there had obviously been gross ganca and carelessness on tho part of* Byrne. Tho jury returned a verdict that death was duo to coiisiuription-. They added two riders to tho effect.that Dr., Orchard was in error in not reporting to ",the police the woman's condition, and the fact of her jaw being broken, and that they considered Byrne should be severely censured for lic-glcoting to obtain meddoal assistance when deceased's jaw was broken.