GIRL’S DEATH AT BLENHEIM.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 2645, 14 May 1923, Page 5

GIRL’S DEATH AT BLENHEIM.

TWO 'MEN CHARGED WITH MURDER. ALLEGED ILLEGAL OPERATION. [Per Press Association.] BLENHEIM, Last Night. At the adjojurucd inquest into the death of Rita Violet Nicoll, aged 18, who allegedly met her death as the result of an illegal operation, before Mr E. J. Hill, district coroner, Chief Detective Kemp represented the police, and Richard Hollis, who is under arrest on a charge of performijng an illegal operation, and Thomas Viggars, charged with procuring Hollis to perform the alleged operation, were present. The depositions of the accused were taken on May 4, and the Registrar of the Supreme Court was proceeding to read them when Mr P. F. Rolling, for the accused, claimed the power of the Coroner to prevent pilDlication of the evidence when matters on which it touched were sub-judicc. This, said counsel, was an instance where publication should bo prohibited. As the two men were under arrest, it was desirable that the depositions should not be made public. He did not object to them being read before the Coroner’s Court, and the depositions were then read.

The Coroner stated that he could not jirohibit publication. Had Mr Relling advanced reasons for opposing the reading of the depositions, he might have felt inclined to support his contention, but it having been given in evidence in open court,he could not see why publication snould be prohibited. The Chief Detective said it was the first instance he had ever known of a request of a similar nature being made.

The Coroner said ho would leave the matter to the discretion of the press. The Coroner’s verdict was that death was due to septic pneumonia, caused by infection of the blood stream, caused by injury inflicted by a nansurgical instrument unskilfully used. There was no evidence, apart from the girl's dispositions to show by whom the injury was caused. Both accused arc now in custody on the major charge of murder and the hearing will be before the magistrate on Tuesday.