WOMAN’S DEATH

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 124, 19 February 1929, Page 13

WOMAN’S DEATH

COMMENT BY CORONER “A VERY NASTY FLAVOUR” Dominion Special Service, Christchurch, February 18. Severe comment was made by the Coroner (Mr. E. D. Mosley) at an inquest which was held to-day into tile death of Marguerite Downes, a married woman, aged 32 years, who died in the Christchurch Hospital on January 24. Elizabeth Doak, sisted oi the deceased, said that Mrs. Downes had told her that she had visited a doctor at Ashburton, and that he had told her that she bad an abscess on her side. She was to have had an operation within a week. Joseph Downes, a labourer, said that at the beginning of January last he had been living at Clare Road with his wife. He went to live at Ashburton about January 7. Later in the month, Mrs. Downes had visited him, and she had appeared to be in fairly good health. Witness knew that she was pregnant. When later he came to Christchurch for the family he found that his wife was at Nurse Davidson's. She told him she had fallen down some steps, but made no mention of an operation having been performed, nor of having taken drugs. Josephine Cameron Davidson, a registered nurse, said that Mrs. Downes had been confined at her maternity home three years ago. About a month prior to her death she had made arrangements to be confined at witness’s home. She was to have consulted a doctor in the meantime. She had again visited witness on January 22, and said that she was in pain. She was feeling sick and said that she had had some very sick turns. Her condition became worse and a doctor was summoned. Mrs Downes had a miscarriage and was taken to the hospital some time after. Mrs. Downes had told her that she had fallen down some steps. Dr. A. B. Pearson, pathologist at the Christchurch Hospital, said that he had made a postmortem examination on January 25. It would have been possible for Mrs. Downes to have brought about her condition. As the result of his examination he had come to the conclusion that she had been interfered with, either by herself or by somebody else. “The case has a very nasty flavour,’ said the Coroner. “One can but come to the conclusion on' Dr. Pearson’s evidence that the woman’s death was brought about through unnatural means. I am quite satisfied that an instrument was used, either by herself or by somebody else. It is perfectly evident to me that it was not brought about in the nursing home, and I do not want it to go out to the public that Nurse Davidson was the cause of this trouble. I say that in case even a slight tinge of suspicion should rest on her. However, that it was brought about by someone is quite evident.” The Coroner returned a verdict that Marguerite Downes died in the Christchurch Hospital on January 24. Her death was due to acute septic inflammation of the uterus and to peritonitis. “In my opinion > her septic condition was brought about by some unknown person using an instrument,” added the Coroner.