CORONER'S INQUEST.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXIV, Issue 8, 10 January 1890, Page 2

CORONER'S INQUEST.

The inquest on the body of the late Elizabeth Goss was resumed in the Court House this afternoon, before Mr Coroner Curtis and the following jury :— Messr9 G. Hodgson (foreman), Oakey, H. Baigent, Ttask, J. Harley, and J. Wilson. Henry Goss, the husband of the deoeased, was present at his own request. Mr Fell, who appeared on behalf of the police, oalled Constable O'Brien, who stated that; he was on duty at 4 o'olook in Coiling-wood-street "on the morningr of tho 27th Dooembsr, and on passing Goss' house he heard people talking. He heard a strange man, and also Goss' voice He then iuard a man's step or two on the floor. He appeared to be wearing heavy boots. He thsn hesrfl a woman sing a dauce tune, and afterwards he-ird Goss say : " Every d— drop is drunk." There woa nothing of tha naturo of a row. He then went into the Police Station and remained there about fifteen minutes, and returned to Colling wood-atree», and saw Goss coming from the direction of Sharland's shop towards his own house. He went in and BhuO the door behind hits. As fer aa witness oould see he was sober. George Henry Parmenter: lam a milkman, and have been in the habit of supplying Goss with milk. I went round on the morning of the 27th December last. There is generally a pannikin ot the back door. I noticed a dreßS and petticoat lying on the ground outside the verandah at the back of the house. (Produced and identified.) I heard a noise like a groat. , as if some one was stretching himself in his sleep, bnt it did not alarm me. Tb.9 and petticoat appeared as if water had been thrown over ihem or [on tbe grouud olose by. I bheD wont on with my business. - To the jury: I did not open the door to see who waa groaning. Constable* Micaniriu : I was on duly in Collingwood street at bulf-pasb eleven p.m. on the 26th mat. I had some conversation with Mrs Gobs who surt : " I hope you «re co" going to lock me up for being out so l*lo, I am waiting for my husband to come home. He has besn working all day for Mr Chisholm, and I expeot he has gone to have a game of cards. Ido not cara to ro to bed until be comes as a gentleman friend is coming with him who has come from Colling wood to see us, When my husband is drinking he is co very cruel to me. He insultsd yoa one nujht and he intended to apologise to you for it-." I saw her later on. a> out 12, *nd she was still there. At 12*30 I passed tha house again and heard the voioes of Mr and Mrs Goes and also a strange voioe. 1 passed at different times later on and did not hear anything like a row ; they were singing and talking together. I came off duty at 3 a.m. and heard them talking a§ usual. Apparently they seemed to be on good terms. Mrs Goss seemed to be perfectly sober when I saw her. From what I heard I should say that Mr and Mrs Goes were sober, but I heard another man's voioe in the house, who appeared to ba under the influence of drink. To Mr Goss : When I first saw Mrs Gosb she was in her ordinary dress. This was about half past eleven. Thomas W. Scaif c : I am a miner at present residing in Toi Toi Valley, Ahout 11 o'clock on the night of the 28th of December I was with my mate, Fred Boustridge, at the Trafalgar Hotel, and then we met Goss and all had a drink together, and we went towards the .Nelson Hotel, where Goss proposed to shout for us, but the Hotel was shut, and as he could not carry out his promise, he took us home, arriving at his house about midnight. Mro Goss was in bed when we got there. W«"weht in at the back door. She was completely dressed. The skirt produced is tie one she had on. There was a little delay before she came. A bottle nearly full of whisky was produced. We left the house about half past two or a quarter to three, and when we left there were a couple of wobblers left in the bottle. Mrs Goss had drinks, in fact we all drank, Mrs Goss was sober when we went in, and was, so far as I know, sober when we came out. I olearly remember what happened. We sang and had supper, but there was no actual dancing, nor was there any row whilst I was there. Ho angry words were passed. I and my friend \ ieft by ourselves, leaving Gobs and his wife in the house, both apparently on good terms, neither of them seriously the worse for liquor. After leaving the house I did not see Goss again. We had two bottles of beer on us when we went to Goss's house, and we drank this as well as the whisky. To Mr Goss : I don't reoolUot yoa walking with my mate and me as far as the Panama Hotel. To the Jury : When we left we went to

the Rocks and had a bathe 1 , Frederiok Bouatridge :hma miner, residing in Nelson at present. I remember meeting; Goss fit the Trafalgar Hotel on the 26th inst., and we had a few drink". My mate, So&ife, was with us, and we all went to Goss' house, Mrs Goss was not visible when wo got there, bub her husband oalled her out* We had two bottles of bser with us, and Goss produced n bottle of whisky, We stayed there till 3.30 a.m.. and then Soaife and I left. Goes did not go with us, . I w*s sober when I arrived. Goss was merry, but did not appear, in my opinion • o be drunk. Mrs Goss appeared to be sober when we left. She was merry, neither drunk nor sobor. I should think Scaife was the least sober of all the party. Soaife and I left by ourselves, without Goss. I did not see any more of Goss that morning, The proceedings Beemed to be quite good tempered, There were two songs Bung and we had"Borne supper. To Mr Goss : I reoolleot Mrs Goss asking me to sleep on the sofa. Ido not reoolleot your coming out of the door with us at all Constable Kelly : I was on duty at 8-30 a.m, on the 27tb, and from informaiien 1 received I went to Goss' house. I went through the door, in the lane, and went into the kitchen. When I opened the door I saw Mrs Goss lying on her back and her two arms atretohed out. Her legs were a little apart at the knees, the, right leg being slightly bent, her head inclining to the left. She had on „ a dress body fitting tightly round her body. Her chemise was drawn up right over hot dress, and she appeared to be in a B*ate of drunkenness. I noticed about her lips and mouth unman esorement, and on the "floor I noticed more. She was breathing at the time. She did not speak. I remarked to Bartlett, She is help, lessly drunk. I then pulled her ohemiss down. Her dress and pettiooat.were lying outside the door, I went to the Folioe Station and gave information. To the jury : I do not know where Gobs was. I did not see him. I reported all I had seen to the Sergeant. Sergeant White : On the morning of tie 27th December last I was on . duty at the Police Station, and from information I received, I went about a quarter to nice to Goss' house with Constable Bird. I went in at the back door, X saw Mrs Goss lying on hor' baok. Her faoe was extremely pale, and both her arms were apart from her body, and one. leg w*s resting on the other, A bag was thrown over the body. v She had a dress body on her body. The head was a little on one side. :■ Her mouth was covered over with human exorement, She breathed with great aisQulty,as if the fiUh in^r^d

with her breathing, , I immediate!/ flta* Constable Bird for a octodioal mw, . Thare was a small knife lying on the floor. She did not move, or speak, or groan. . I did not see V ioaa when I went, ban I sent a man to look . .; for him, and. after; a while Gobs came out of the front bedroom. I did not notion liis hands, I .n oticed from the ihraehold of the baok door as if something had. -been dragged along the floor. Tbe . ekirt and petticoat w re lyin;< outside the door. It appeared an if tbe dtc-ss w^ra pinned, and fio pin was boot na if it was - torn oparS, Tbe closh< a were dry bafc thero was water on tbe ground as if it had been ■brown on the grounds When Gosa came in 1 said woo could have done this? I was there about 10 oc 12 minutes bafare Gor-s ostne in. Gosa Baid, I don't know, I B aW, lisa anyone been va. tbe house asd ho said bo. I then asked, when did you ccc her lost 1 He *«« plied when sic was in bod. He paid ehe would not say in the ied but would lie in coma o'her place, I thea got some water and a b:>eia and told him to wsah the womaa'a faoe. He gob a email piece of rag and threw it down, not in the most gentle manner, on her mouth. I tntrgeflted to the doctor that tuac we should tako her to the Hospital but the doctor Baid it would not be safe to remove her. Gobs then prooeeded to take her into the front room, and in doing bo I noticed dirt on her clothes, and a dark mark on her body. Gosa said, "If I did this I must have been drunk. I believe I did do it.' I understood him to refgr to the exorement. I then said to him, " We'll Gobs, I don't think you would do it if you were' sober. " I fre« quently went to the house during the day. Acting under orders from the Inspector I secured a nurse, * The woman died at 8 p.m. I arrested Goss about 12 o'olook that day, Gosb was speaking in a very direspeotful manner of his wife, not in a kindly manner of her. I said to him, "No matter what she might ba..you ought to act with & Christian spirit towards her. ". To- the Jury : Ido not know who placed the bag on the body. The exorement atopped hsr breathing to a certain extent. There have been frequent troubles between Gobs ai jg his wife. I think drink was the principal cause of it. To Mr Goss : I think you eaii " I-believe I did it. " Constable Kelly reoalled : It was about 10 minutes between my leaving and Sergeant White going. I did not notice any eaok in the room. Sergt. White recalled : When Goas appeared he was quite sober, hue he gava the appearaooa that ha had baen drinking. To the jary: Gosa did not assist until I told him to wash her face. Mr Gos3 here stated that he sent for hie wife's mother direotly the Doctor eaid she was ia a critical Etate, George Henry Orassey: I am a duly tagiat tered medioal praotitioner residing at Neleon. On December 27ch I was called in to see Mib Gubs. I went at onoe and found the woman lying on tha floor. She was lying on the flat of her baok, her arms extended, a saok over the lower limbs, and the body of htr dress on. She was exiramely pale, and was breathing with difficulty. Her mouth and nostrils were covered with excrement. This most decidedly obstructed her breathing, because on its removal she breathed naturally. I noticed the pallor of her faoo. Her pupils wete wide'y dilated, showing extreme collapse. My first impression was that the woman was dead drunk, but I did not gome to any definite conclusion for some time* The husband was not in the room when I arrived, bnt he came a few minutes after from an inner room, and looked round in a dazed manner as if he Gould not understand the matter. I asked him " Can you explain tbiß 1" He said " I know nothing about it," I said " Did she sleep in the bed with you last night?" He said " Yes." It was then I told Sergt. White that the excrement must be removed. Goss did it in a very rough and unkindly manner. He then said M The dirty beaßt, she is always drunk." I then, said " Don't you know anything about it?" He said, "It is just possible I may have done it myself." He kept Baying, "She is only drunk, what is the good of making Buoh a fuss about it?" He admitted rubbing the filth pa her face. Goss was not drunk, but from his appearance he seemed as if he had been drinking the night before. Gosa did not seem to be in a fit Bt&te to be with her, seeming to have no very friendly feelings towards her, I saw Gobs giving her something to drink, I said, " Good God, what are you doing ?" He said, "I am only giving her some whisky and milk." He then said, " She is only eham. ming, She will bo like this sometimes for whole days together. She will be all right to-morrow.' ' She was past help. I kept her as warm as I could. She could not swallow. She waa perfectly insensible, She died that night between 7 and 8 o'olock. I afterwards made a post mortem examination with Dr Locking, The body was lying as I left it. I found, a ■ large bruise in the small of her baok. That was about a week old. I found several smaller bruisea on the left 'knee and thigh There web a bruise over the right temple, which after death disappeared. Had she lived it would have given her a black eye. The blow may have been given by a fist or boot. Thoso were all the external marks I found. I opened the skull. The skull waa not fractured, nor was it bruised inside. £ found a large olot of blood on the left aide of the brain, which had oome from a ruptured voßßel ia tbe front of the brain, Tha brain was very unhealthy, and veryaifiJT I examined the liver and stomach. The stomach was empty, and the liver Bhowed aigus of old ohronio disease; due to chronic intemperance. The other organs wete as they ought to be. There were no marks as if iha woman had been raviehed, I eatiafied myself that apo* plexy was the cause of death.' Apoplexy of the brain is the rupture of a vessel connected with che brain. There ia an effusion of blood which presses ou the brain. Consider^ ing (he condition of tbe liver and brain, I consider she might have died from apoplexy at some future dale. A blow on the head as desoribed would not bring on a fit of ibis sort t I don t thick the violenoe need w.ould cause " death, as in my opinion the blow was given after the fie ocotured. J think that excite* ment caused by drink * would produce tbe effect, The filth on the' mouth "would seriously impede the breathing, and if hel£ had not oome it would have oaus a d death to coma more qaiokhr. and preju dioe whatever hope tbers might have been of h or MO overy. To the Coroner: The breathing with difficulty was due to the excrement whioh covered her mouth. The exorement over her mouth probably accelerated her death. , T ,° * h « J«7 * I cannot attribute t h 9 soft state of the brain to an y one, thing, noi having had enough experie nceia thesilbjeofc to give a definite opinion. The bruises on the small oI the. baok were old. There was no blow that could hava caused death. There was no sfenSarTy £| having been administered. | 0 t, e £ J UH (Zeft Sitting}^