WOMAN TAKES POISON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15548, 4 March 1914, Page 10

WOMAN TAKES POISON.

A SORDID CASE.

RESULT OF MENTAL DEPRESSION.

Died from taking poison while mentally depressed was the verdint of the coroner Mr E. C. Cutten, S-M., in an inquest held yesterday at the morgue, on the body of Annie McLeod, late of Alexandra Street—a divorcee, who for the last two years or more had been living with a wharf labourer named Wm. Reuben Woods. From the evidence it appealed that Woods awoke about 4.30 a.m. yesterday, to find the woman lying dead on the bedroom floor, and that on discovering that life was extinct, he at once went and fetched a constable. , In "Pty to the coroner, Woods said that ho went to bed the previous (Monday) night about ten o'clock, at which hour deceased was in the house. He himself was slightly under the influence of liquor at the time. Just before he went to bed deceased had gone out of the house and brought a constable in—for what reason he did not know. McLeod lived with him as bis wife, and was in fair health generally, but was sometimes inclined to be depressed and hysterical, especially after taking drink. She kept some poison in the house, which he understood was used for disinfecting purposes. Dr. Aikin said that as a result of a postmortem examination, he found a bruise on the right, hip, and another on the right arm of deceased. The bruises might have been caused by falling, or possibly by being gripped. The mouth and chin were corroded, as a result of the' taking of poison, to" which death was attributable. - The evidence of Constable Clisk showed that he fond the bottle of poison lying on the bedroom floor.

Constable Frazer stated that on Monday, about 10.20, Annie McLeod came to him in Queen Street and asked him to go to her house, as her husband was ill-using her. He stayed outside while the woman went into the house, and he heard a man abusing his wife and calling her names. Witness then went in and told the man to desist, or he would take him to" the police station- Soon after the man quietened down. The man was drunk at the time, and the woman slightly under the influence of drink.