SUDDEN DEATH AT CHELSEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9139, 22 August 1888, Page 6

SUDDEN DEATH AT CHELSEA.

CORONER'S INQUEST. An inquiry into the causo of the death of Mary Sims, wife of Thomas Sims, Chelsea (Sugar Works), baker, was held yesterday before Colonel de Quincey, coroner, and a jury of whom Mr. James Kirk was foreman. The deceased woman expired suddenly on Sunday morning. The following facts were adduced in evidence :— Mrs. Sims was about 55 years of age. On Saturday morning she came to Auckland by the quarter past eifht ferry steamer in company with a friend named Mrs. Curtis, both returning by the 1-2.30 boat from Auckland, and reaching home about one o'clock. Mrs. Sims complained that her logs were tired, but otherwise she seemed to be in her usual health, and worked in the garden till six o clock, w hen she had tea with her husband, and each had a small nip of rum. The husband remained at home and Dlayed the concertina up to about nine o'clock, his wife singing to the music, and they then went to bed and fell asleep. At about two o clock in the morning both woke, and each had a small tot of rum, and then went to sleep again. At seven o'clock Mr. Sims called his wife to prepare the breakfast, and sho got up and partly dressed, but she then felt unwell, and said she would go to bod for another half hour. She laid down, and turning partly on her side, expired at once. Dr. Parkinson, who made a post mortem examination of the body, saw that the heart was in a terribly diseased state, and found that the cause of death was valvular disease of the heart. The jury returned a verdict of "Death from natural causes." Mrs. Sims has been in the colony 37 years, and leaves a family of three daughters and one son. _______________