DOCTOR’S DEATH

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 June 1930, Page 9

DOCTOR’S DEATH

PUZZLED BY STRANGE ODOUR.

LONDON, April 20.

1 The death of a Harley Street specialist, Dr William Whitcombe, ' who was found burned in his house at I-iOiiand Koaa, Kensington, after i. lire in the basement, was the subject of an inquest at Kensington Town Hall yesterday. Dr Whitcombe was an authority on the treatment of certain internal complaints by means other than surgical operation. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, he was at one time medical officer of the Eccleston Hos pita! for Officers and the Eccentric Club War Hostels. He was mentioned in despatches during the war. The West London Coroner (Mr H. R. Oswald), who sat without a jury, said that Dr Whitcombe was a Harley Street doctor. He.was found to have been burned and his clothing was burned. ' “Possibly, even probably, he died from shock consequent on these burns,” added the coroner, “but there are other features in the case which did not satisfy me that that was the only cause, and so I have ordered a post-mortem examination to be made by the specialist, Dr Bronte.” Evidence of identification was given by the widow, Mrs Josephine Miriam Whitcombe, who said that her husband had been in ill-health for a very long time. He had a very serious illness about six years ago and had never really recovered. Recently he had been very feeble and ate practically nothing. Mrs Whitcombe said that only last Saturday her husband was seen by a Dr Townsend. “Dr Townsend told me that my husband was very ill ir deed,” she said. “He said that hi • blood pressure was very low and that his nerves had gone.” Describing the night of her husband’s death, Mrs Whitcombe said that they had a friend to dinner, but there were no servants in the house, as it was their evening out. She was in the kitchen until about 9.30, and her friend was in the drawing-room reading. Her husband, as was his usual custom, remained in the diningroom listening to the wireless. “When I went into the drawingroom I heard a sound like a bump, but I really thought it came from next door,” added Mrs Whitcombe. “About five minutes later I heard another bump, and this time I ran downstairs. When I opened the dining-room door I could see nothing for smoke. I called out, ‘What is the matter?’ and then I groped my way over to the window, and found my husband huddled up on the floor.” The gas, fire was still full on.

When answering questions by the coroner, Mrs Whitcombe sat with her head resting on her hand, and seemed on the verge of collapse. Suddenly she burst out: “You question me as though there is something funny about it.”

The Coroner: We shall have to find the truth, you see, whatever that might be. That is all we are after. Mrs Whitcombe became very distressed, and answered the coroner with difficulty. As soon as she found what' had happened, she said, she called to her friend upstairs, who came down. She pulled off the tablecloth and tried to put out the fire while her friend threw flour on the flames.

Several bottles, one of which was not labelled, and a broken wine-glass, were handed to the coroner, who examined them carefully. He asked Mrs Whitcombe who smashed the wine-glass. “1 may have done it when I pulled the tablecloth off,” was the reply. Mrs Whitcombe said that her husband’s clothing might have been ignited when he was lighting his pipe with a paper spill from the fire. Tho Coroner: Was your husband’s life insured?

Mrs Whitcombe: Yes, he has always been insured.

For a large amount? —I do not know for how much. I know that was the marriage settlement. P.C. James Bowl said that the, room where the fire occurred was very little damaged.

NAME OF WITNESS WITHHELD.

When the next witness was called, the coroner, addressing him, said: “I think for business reasons you do not wish your name to be made public. “That is right,” replied witness, a tall, well-dressed man. Mr Oswald said that he would refer to him as “Mr X.” “Mr X” said that for about eighteen months he had been staying at Dr Whitcombe’s home as a paying guest. He was a bank official. Describing how Dr Whitcombe was found, “Mr X” said that when he reached the dining-room Mrs Whitcombe was trying to put out the flames from the doctor’s clothes. Together, they poured flour over him, but when Dr Townsend arrived he declared life extinct. The Coroner: Did you ever hear him threaten to commit suicide? "Mr X”: No. Was his health worrying him?— Yes. I feel pretty sure it was. Mrs Whitcombe was recalled, and said that • her husband was in the habit of taking drugs. “He had a great faith in medicines,” she added. “That is strange for a medical man” observed the coroner. “Personally I always avoid threm. I have a great faith’in the healing powers of nature.” Dr Bronte, the pathologist, said that Or Whitcombe’s arms, right side of the body and legs were badly burnt. “While conducting the examination I detected an aromatic odour -which I was not able definitely to place,” he added. Itwas something like tincture of orange, which is sometimes used for flavouring drugs. Whatever it was, it must have been taken shortly before death.” Dr Bronte added that in his opinion some of the burns were caused after death.

After Dr Bronte had concluded his evidence, the coroner said: “I am afraid, after this evidence, I cannot conclude this inquiry to-day. I shall have to adjourn it for analysis of the contents of the stomach.” He then adjourned the inquiry.