SUDDEN DEATH.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 4057, 11 October 1915, Page 7

SUDDEN DEATH.

ELDERLY WOMAN PASSES AAV AY

IN HER BED

An inquest concerning the death of Elizabeth. Jones, a married woman, aged 50, who died suddenly at her residence, 108 Peel Street, on Friday morning last, was held before Mr It, SFlorance, S.M., at the Courthouse on Saturday morning. Sub-Inspector Johnston represented the police. Dr. Jas. Reid stated that he had conducted a post mortem examination that morning at the morgue. He found extenorally that the body was that of a well-nourished female, somewhat past middle age.. On the left arm, just about the wrist, he found a bruise, and another on the left arm .just below the shoulder.- They were antemortem bruises, and were very slight. They might have been occasioned.by a all, or almost anything. On examining the right- arm’ he found some slight .•Evasions on the wrist, and on the middle finger of the right hand. On examining the skull and brain, he could discover no fracture of the skull nor hemorrhage within the skull, the brain itself being healthy and normal. The chest, lungs, and heart were examined. The heart was found to be in a condition of fatty degeration. One of the valves of the heart was incompetent, which denoted a form of heart disease. The condition of the heart was compatible with sudden death. _ The lungs were normal. The abdominal organs were healthy, except that the patient had been suffering from a withered' condition of the spleen. Any physical or mental shock might cause death in the condition in which the heart was.

To Sub-Inspector Johnston: AVitness could find nothing during the examination to show any pressure on tho brain or other cause which would produce fits A severe fit would have been sufficient to cause death in the condition in which the heart was. Emily Lewis, residing at- 159 A, Lowe Street, said she know the deceased, who used to live next door to witness. As witness understood inirsime she used to pop in to attend to deceased when she was unwell. Deceased used to suffer from indigestion and had frequent reaching attacks. After these attacks, she was subject to fits, which sometimes lasted as long as two hours. AVitness on*one occasion was two hours bringing the patient round. This was fronii six weeks to two montns ago. AVitness last saw deceased on Wednesday night, when she was looking very ill. AVitness sometimes heard high words between deceased, and her husband, but- did not think that her husband used brutality towards lier. Deceased used to attribute her bouts of illness to worry and being run down, but did not explain what caused the worry. James Smith, laborer, said ho had known deceased and her husband intimately for many years oast, and had boarded with them for the last 14 years. The deceased had a fit about two months ago. Deceased and her husband occasionally abused each other, but her husband never illtreated her. AVitness last saw deceased at 9.30 on Thursday iglit last, when she called out for a drink of water and witness took it to her. Her husband was then lying on top of the bed'dressed. AVitness then went to bed. Mr Jones came to witness about 10 o’clock-next morning and said, “The Missus has passed out.’' Jones was a little excited. AVitness went in and had a look at deceased and saw that she was dead. There were no signs of a struggle or anything of that nature. Jones then went to tell Mrs 1 Lewis, but she was not at home. Jones then went to try and find Dr. Collins, who came sometime after K o’clock. Alfred Howard Jones, husband of the deceased, said he was a saddler by trade. Ho indentified the body he had seen at the moi;guc that morning as that of his late wife. He had found his wife dead beside him in lied at Ins residence in Peel Street about 7,30 on Friday morning. She had been very bad for some days prior to her death, suffering from fits of vomitmg ; She would not have any doctor. AA’itness used to give lier brandy and water, which used to stop it for a time. His Worship told witness that he did not think he had boon the kind husband lie might- have been to Ins wife. “I hope this will be a lesson to you to leave alcohol alone m fut-uie. You are suffering severely from the effects’, of alcohol now.” Proceeding, witness said ho had had high words with his wife on the AVednesdav night- prior to her death. His wife had wordily abused him because he was drinking, and he got angij also. This liad been the cause of his wife’s worry all along. The Coroner said that lie was satisfied that the deceased had come by her death as the result of heart failure on tlie date mentioned.