DEATH UNDER SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13193, 2 June 1906, Page 5

DEATH UNDER SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES.

INQUEST AT DUN EDI N. PROFESSIONAL CONFIDENCES. [BY TELF.CBAI'H. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] DuN'KDiN", Friday. The inquest was resumed to-day. on the body of Kathleen Mathewson, a single woman, who recently died under suspicious, circumstances. Dr. Roberts, who made the post-mortem, said the conditions present could only liave arisen from • septic interference from without. Where there were grave suspicions of criminal interference, and if the patient were moribund or expectcd to die. he would have communicated with the polite. He did not think he would, though, where there was a chance of recovery, even though he knew an illegal operation had been performed. He would not deem it to be his duty to inform the police while lie hoped for a recovery. ■ He would not "give away the patient" who went to a medical man in confidence until death became probable. The jury returned a verdict that the cause of death was septicemia, the result of an.illegal operation, but by whom performed there, was not sufficient evidence to show. The jury also expressed regret that the police had not been informed by the doctor and nurse of the circumstances of the case immediately after examination had proved that an illegal operation had been performed.