A PAINFUL CASE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 196, 13 May 1908, Page 8

A PAINFUL CASE.

INQUEST AT CHRISTCHURCH. SEVERE REMARKS BY THE CORONER. ' (BT TELEGRArn.—TRESS ASSOCIATION.! Ciiristohuroh, May 12. One of tho most painful cases that have been investigated for somo years in Christchurch occupied the attention of tho Coroner (Mr. H. W. Bishop) and a jury this afternoon!, ,It appcars,that on Monday tho sudden death, of, an woman, Mrs. Margaret Robinson, . a;, .widow residing at Brougham Street, 1 Sydenham, was reported to tho polico. Sergeant Remer and Constable Baird proceeded to tho cottago to remove the body to tho morguo, and discovered a condition of affairs thit for filth and squalor could hardly ".be imagined. At the'inquest the l deceased's son, William Robinson, aged 26,' i "unmarried, gave evidence: He said that his mothor .was a widow, 01 years of age. She lived with him, and ho found everything. Ho paid Gs. a week rent. His mother was addicted to drink, hut she: was quite woll up to .three weeks ago. As a result of. a fall about that time, she injured her back, and she had been'inched over, since. His sister (Mrs. Siivare) and he .used.,to attend to her. She could • not walk ,or move. Ho did not call in a doctor.'■ His wages amounted to £2 2s. per week." On' Monday morning he gave his mothor, some gl'uel,which sho drank at 6 a.m., and he loft for work at 7.30 a.m. Ho returned, at. 9.15.; a!ui., and found hor dead in bed. ■ Margaret Savaro, ,'a young woman, said she was deceased's only daughter, and lived some distance from ,lier mother's house. She used..t6,:call..oyery.,.day. at 10 a.m.,to seo her mother,' £>,n<l, siiicq' she had been ill, w'itness ■ went frequently. Witness used to wash, aressj. and feed hor. At. 10 a.m. on Monday', witness. \vorit to tho house and found her mother dead. *. • "I ought to liavo done more than I did to keep her clean," tho witness tearfully admitted to tho . coroner. Dr. Irving,,,who.had mado a post mortem examination of -the body, said that death was duo'ito'prioiiihoriia and advanced pleurisy. . Tho deceased .must havo suffered great pain! * Tho Coroner':'Was there anything to load you reasonably,to believe that her lifo, would havo been saved witli caro and attention? • Dr. Irving: I.certainly think it could havo been, saved. Tho body was in a disgusting state ,of, filtli'.' * '. . • The,, Coroner: There is no reason -why her life, should not have been saved by i, proper attention... Dr. Irving: Her lifo could certainly have been saved by proper attention. Addressing, tho jury, the Coroner said tho evidence .showed that there had been absolutely inexcusablo vnoglcct on the part of those .responsible for, looking after this old woman. It was a horrible story-telling of abominable neglect ,on; the part of the-only son" and daughter towards their. mothor, who at' least i had ' some claims on them., Tho daughter at. least, had .the decency to attend and .acknowledge, that phe had not done all that sho-shoitfdXjho question was, whether by their gross, aßominablo, and inexcusablo neglect tho son and : daughter had contributed .towards. th'e decease of their mother. If -the jury accepted tho evidence of the doctor the. answer must be clear. • If the' jury considered that death, was hastened by this ,neglect they, should not hesitate to say so.' ..... ' ,' ' I After a short retirement, the jur.v returned a verdict that deceased had died from pneumonia, and that death was accelerated by, gross neglect .on. tho part of her son and daughter. , . Sergt/.-Romer: That is tantamount to manslaughter, your Worship. '