EXHUME THE BODY?

Dominion, 24 February 1913, Page 6

EXHUME THE BODY?

MRS. HOULT'S CASE. , ■ - . ■■ ' / CORONER SAYS NOT NECESSARY. ' The coronial inquiry into the death of Jessie Edith' Hoult/ alias Richards, was concluded by Dr. M'Arthur, S.M., on Saturday morning. Some weeks ago Mrs. Hoult was removed from a house'in/Lome Street to the public hospital, where she died a while later. When Dr. M'Arthur, S.M., proceeded to the hospital to view the body and hold ah inquest, Jie discovered that the body had been buried. At the dnquest this' fact gave rise to a considerable dialogue between the coroner and the hospital doctors. However, the inquest was adjourned at the request of Senior-Sergeant Rutledge, who wished to trace certain pills and nietVcine to their source. ■ When the inquiry was resumed on Saturday, Sergeant Rutledge, stated that hehart been unable;to ascertain where tho pills and medicine had beeni obtained, and that lie had no further evidence to produce. Dr. M'Arthur: Before'saying what the cause of death is, I want to say this: that thero has evidently been a misunderstanding between'the-doctors at the hospital (there aro two concerned) and tho coroner. As coroner I am perfectly satisfied that my instructions to the police were that an inquest was necessary.:, But, through some misunderstanding, the hospital authorities camo to the conclusion that an inquest was not neccssnry, and the body was buried without the certificate to bury having been arnnted. The Act, I know, is very vague, but there is distinction.between a doctor being able to give a certificate of the cause of death and the coroner giving a certificate of burial. T have /no doubt a misi "prehension took place on : tiie riart of the hospital doctors, but, baring"' taken the full evidence, I have no hesitation in saying that the full and fair decision was according to the medical evidence. The only thing is I have not got tho body. T do not consider it necessary to cihuino tuo body which I have not .viewed, as no suspicious circumstances have been adduced. The verdict was that .Mrs. Hoult had died through lysol burning.