CORONER'S INQUEST.—SUDDEN DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1401, 14 May 1868, Page 4

CORONER'S INQUEST.—SUDDEN DEATH.

An inquest was held yesterday afternoon at three o'clock, at the Prince of "Wales hotel, Hobson-street, before T. M. Philson, Esq., Coroner, toucliing the manner by which Elizabeth Bond came to her death. A respectable jury, of whom William Hoffman was chosen foreman, was empanelled, and after viewing the body the following evidence was taken : —Sarah I/egg, deposed : I am a widow, and reside in Chapelstreet, and follow the business of a staymaker. My house adjoins the residence of deceased, where I have resided about a month. I had no acquaintance with deceased. I have very seldom spokdn to her. I believe she lived by herself usually. A man whom she called her uncle was staying in her house for a short time. The last time I saw him there was about a week ago. The last time I saw deceased was about 11 o'clock on Monday morning last. She passed my parlour window very hurriedly.' She walked very quickly and her hair hung down her neck. I lent deceased some firewood on Thursday last. She then told me she never was so badly off in her life. She was then quite sober. The reason I did not cultivate an acquaintance with her was because I had heard a very bad account of her character. I never heard any noise in the house at night. Scrgt.-major "Molloy, of the Auckland Police, deposod: This morning at 9 o'clock Mi-. Major's son came down to the fstation-house for me, and informed me that Mrs. Bond had been missing since last Monday. I at once went with the boy to Mrs. Bond's house, and entered with him by the front door, which was partially open. I passed through the front room and entered the bedroom immediately behind, and I saw deceased lying in the same position in which the jury have seen her on the side of the bed. Her right leg hung down on the floor. Her head was inclined to the left side, and her face was quite black and swollen. There was no appearance of any struggle having taken place in the room. The bed. clothes were not disturbed. There were no indications of poverty about the place, it being neat, clean, and well furnished. I found about 10s. in cash on the drawers. lam quite certain that no'robbery has been committed. I saw nothing to lead me to suppose that a man had lived in the house. I saw no spirits although I made careful search. I have known deceased for several years. I have occasionally seen her the worse for liquor, but she was not known to the police as a person of intemperate habits. I never saw her that she was not able to take care of herself. I last saw her about a fortnight ago. She appeared then to be in her usual health. I believe that she had some valuables left her by her late husband, which I should say she has lately disposed of to support herself. I did not observe any marks of violence about her person. Jane Bevege, deposed : lam the wife of James Bevege, a coach painter, and live in Chapel-street. I have been acquainted with the deceased about 2i years I last saw her alive between nine and ten o'clock on Monday morning, when she came to my door and asked me to supply her with a dress. I perceived that she was in liquor and persuaded her to go home. She went away, and I watched her go into her house. This morning Mrs. Legg called me in as I was passing and told me that a man selling fish had found the door open, which raised her suspicion that something was wrong. I then asked M-. Major to send for a policeman. I afterwards lo< ked through the back window and saw the body af it lay on the bed. I cannot speak as to the habits of" deceased. I have frequently been in her house and never saw it disorderly. I have once or twice seen her in liquor, but never so much so as to he incapable of taking care of herself. Some time ago she had a lodger whom she called her iracle.

Richard Day, deposed : lam a legally qualified and registered medical practitioner. I have seen the dead body of Elizabeth Bond. I found her lying on her back on her bed, the body somewhat rigid, death having probably taken place two days before. I saw no external mark" of violence whatever, except a slight bruise on one sliin. The face and neck were much swollen and of a deep purple colour. There was a little bloody mucous issuing from the nostrils. There was no mark of strangulation round the neck. The string that was round the neck allowed the finger to be introduced between it and the neck. The body was well nourished and very fat. From the way in which the body lay asphyxia could not hare taken place, as respiration was not impeded. I have made a post mortem examination. The vessels of the pia mater were highly congested, the substance of the brain firm, and not exhibiting more red points' than usual, the lateral ventricles containing about an ounce of scrum. There was no appearance of apoplexy; no ruptured vessels. I found the heart of a natural size, very flabby, and nearly empty. The lungs were nearly black from congestion, but otherwise healthy. Tho liver was an olive-green color. It was smaller than xisual, and rather soft. Ycry little bile in the gall bladder, and nearly transparent. The mucous membrane of the stomach was very much inflamed. The intestines were healthy, but the contents were very trifling in quantity, I could perceive no smell of spirits or laudanum. The kidneys and bladder- were healthy. I believe, from my examination, that congestion of the brain was the cause of death. The congestion of the brain caused pulmonary congestion, causing death by coma. The abuse of intoxicating drinks would be a sufficient cause for producing congestion of the brain. Deceased was of a plethoric habit of body, having a short thick neck.

This was the whole of the evidence. The jury returned a verdict that " Deceased was found dead on her bed, without marks of violence, and that the cause of death was ascertained to be congestion of the brain, produced by some ageney respocting which no evidence has beeni elicited. 1