THE SUDDEN- DEATH AT PARNELL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9242, 20 December 1888, Page 6

THE SUDDEN- DEATH AT PARNELL.

A Coroner's inquest was held yesterday at the Exchange Hotel on tho body of Maud Wannop, who was found dead in bed in her house in Bradford-street, Parnell. Dr. Philson was coroner, and Mr. F. Tom-

linson foreman of the jury. Constable Hobson deposed to having known deceased for live years. She was the wife of Win. Hlundull Wannop, at present an inmate of the Asylum, who had been formerly n teacher. She was 38 years of ngo, and resided in Bradford-street. At fifteen minutes past eight on Tuesday, from information received, he went to her house and found her dead in bed. Ho saw no signs of violence. Deceased's habits were rather intemperate, but she was never before tho Court, and he found no liquor on the premises. Deceased's children and Mrs.

Perry informed him that she htttl boon ailing for about a fortnight, and hud taken very little food, and her daughter Emma told him that her mother had consumed a bottle of schnapps and a bottle of stout in 2-1 hour<<. Maud VVannop, 13, eldest daughter of deceased, deposed that her mother was ill in bed all day on Monday, the 17th, and complained of pains in her heart. Witness gave her medicine prescribed by Dr. Wright. At about four o'clock in the morning she went to the front door and complained that who could not breathe, and soon after she began to talk funny. Witness {jot her to bed, and lay along-side her and fell asleep, and next thing hlio knew was that she was told hor mother was doad. Dr. F. W. Wright deposed to having first visited deceased a fortnight ago, when die Kent for him. He found her nervous, excited, and under the influence of drink, and she said she had been greatly frightened, but he did not prescribe for her or detect any disease about her at that time. He again saw her on Monday at abouk halfpast nine in the evening. She was then suffering from great mental excitement and hurried breathing. The skin was cold and clammy, the pulso feeble. Ho examined her chest, but found no disease there, but she complalined of pain about the uppor part of the .stomach, and he found that Mrs. Perry had been fomenting her. He prescribed for her, and sent,her medicine. He then thought her in a bad way from exhaustion, and that was why he gave her stimulating medicine, and ho left her in charge of Mrs. Perry. Ho was summoned at eight o'clock next morning, and found her dead. He observed no froth then at the mouth and nose, although it waa there now. The cause of death, in his opinion, was heart failure from want of power, consequent on continuous drinking, for it appeared that she could keep nothing in her stomach for some time past. He saw no necessity for a post mortem examination. When deceased complained to him of being frightened, she showed him an anonymous letter which contained :omo oxtravagant language. He advised her to take less drink. Maria Perry, wife of John Perry, painter, Garfield-streeb, and a neighbour of deceased, also cave evidence. She had never been acquainted with deceased, and saw her first a fortnight ago last Monday, when deceased called her into her house, as she understood, at the request of Dr. Wright. She last saw deceased alive on Monday evening last, when she brought her some barley water. She was then in very great pain from her stomach up to her heart, but witness did not think she was in danger of death. She smelled of liquor, and witness was told by neighbours that she was given to liquor, bub had never seon her intoxicated. Witness applied fomentations and a mustard plaster. She left at ten o'clock. At seven o'clock next morning deceased sent to ask witness to make her some gruel. Witness made it, bub when she sent it over she was informed that deceased was dead, and when she went over she found her dead in bed. The jury returned a verdict of " Death from natural causes." The Coroner drew attention to the evidence of Dr. Wright, which waa that death was caused by excessive drinking and want of nourishment, but the jury adherocl to thoir verdict.