Accidents & Offences

New Zealand Mail, Issue 889, 15 March 1889, Page 29

Accidents & Offences

INQUEST AT NEWTOWN.

SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS. On Friday afternoon, at about half-past 3, a young woman named Martha Astridge, wife of Albon Charles Astridge, a storeman, died at her husband’s house. Green-street, Newtown. Dr Collins, who had been attending the deceased, refused to give a medical certificate of the cause of death, and the Coroner accordingly held an inquest at the Newtown Hotel at 4 o’clock on Saturday afternoon. The jury were sworn in at Astndge’s house, but as the accommodation there was limited, after viewing the body, they adjourned to the hotel, where the evidence of Drs Collins and Fell, (the latter gentleman having assisted Dr Collins in mailing a post-mortem examination) was taken, and the husband was also examined. As, however, Astridge, who is subject to fits, became extremely nervous, and was apparently unable to complete his evidence, at 20 minutes to 8 the inquest was adjourned till Monday at 2 o’clock. The jury sworn in were—Messrs H. R. Hollis (who was chosen foreman), E. Ward, James Smith, A. Gosden, A. Dennison and F. G. Whitcombe. Pievious to beginning the taking of evidence Mr Robinson, R.M., district coroner, addressed these gentlemen, urgifig upon them the importance o( tfie 'matter in hand, and pointing ofit tfiat in order that the investigation might he moat thorough qnd complete it would probably ’fie necessary to devote considerable time to it. At the hi cm e a t the police were represented by Inspector Thomson. Evidence vfSLs taken as follows ;

Dr Collins deposed ; On Tuesday afternoon last I was eaUed in to attend Mrs Astridge at her husband’s house. She was fil bed looking dreadfully ill, and I was told by her husband that she had had a miscarriage on the Sunday previous. I inquired into the cause of the misoarriage, and was given to. understand that it had came on without any apparent cause. The husband and the deceased gave me to understand this, The husband told me that before I was called in the deceased had, been seen by Dr Porter, who was discontinued because he had not attended once when sent for, I then examined the deceased. (The witness then described the condition of the deceased.) She was lying iu a kind of lethargic condition, with a look of intense anxiety and distress on her face, and frequently became excited, and called out for something to be done for her. She did not appear to bo suffering any great pain. Her temperature showed high fever, her pulse was quick and small, and the skill dry and hot, I fold the husband I thought she was suffering from septicoeuua, tfia.fi is, blood poisoning from tfie absorption of offensive discharge form the uterus. I explained the serious, nature of the complaint, and told him to get a nurse, which he did. I saw her on the three following mornings. The fever got higher and the deceased’s distress greater, and on Friday morning, she haying got a great deal worse during the. night, I went to see her soon, after 9< o’clock at Astridge s request She was then much worse, and apparently would not live very long. I further questioned Astridge, in deceased’s presence (she was then in a semi-delirious condition) as to the cause of the miscarriage, and on

my questioning him closely he told me that against his will (or wish) his wife hacL been to see Mrs Thorpe on four occa® sions ; that his wife had told him Mrs Thorpe had done something to her on each occasion ; and that after the last occasion the miscarriage came on on the Sunday. Seeing that the woman was very much worse, and as I thought she was likely to die, I called again in the afternoon, taking Dr Fell with me. Unfortunately when we arrived she was dead. On the Friday deceased was wishing to have the Bible read to her, and spoke ’ about the commandments, and said “ I hope none of my friends will go to that horrid woman.” That was while her husband was telling me what caused the miscarriage. I was informed that deceased had been pregnant about three months and a fortnight. This afternoon, in conjunction with Dr Fell, I made a post-mortem examination of the body. Rigor mortis was pretty well marked. The body was emaciated and there were signs of decomposition about the lower part of the abdomen. The brain was healthy ; the lungs were congested at the bases, otherwise healthy ; the right ventricle of the heart contained an ante-mortem clot and the left ventricle was contracted. The bowels and substance of the heart were healthy. The intestines were healthy, the liver congested and enlarged, soft and easily broken down ; the spleen enlarged, and congested, soft, andfriable, andstuddecl with small abcesses, as were the kidneys and liver. (The witness proceeded to describe the condition of the uterine organs.) I did not find any puncture or sign of injury from external cause. By Inspector Thomson : The extremely offensive discharge and the septicoemia produced by absorption made me suspect that something had been done, and that was why 1 questioned them so closely about it. The condition was consistent with the supposition of abortion having been procured. I would not like to say, however, that the condition was unnatural. The cause of death was septicoemia or blood-poisoning from the absorption of offensive matter from the uterus. Astridge told me his wife told him that Mrs Thorpe had used an instrument upon her, and on one occasion hurt her a great deal. That was when the deceased made the remark about her friends not going to “ that horrid, woman.” By a juryman : The miscarriage was the cause of death, because, it caused the absortion of purulent matter into the blood.

’Walter Fell, medical practitioner, agreed with the previous witness as to. the condition of the body generally. The brain, lungs, and stomach were practically healthy, but the spleen, kidneys, and liver were enlarged, congested, and studded with small abscesses, which indicated blood-poisoning. Having described the condition of the other organs, the witness said death undoubtedly resulted from blood-poisoning, brought on by the absorption of putrid matter. The Coroner: Did you find anything in the shape of a sign that force had been used ?

Dr Fell : Thera was nothing to show it. He added that the uterus had been preserved for future examination. By a Juror ; Part of the placenta was, retained, and caused an offensive di?‘ charge. It is an unusual thing for- it. to be adherent (as it was, in this ease) where a miscarriage results: from natural causes.

By tfie, GSoroner; Them ’ W as no mark of an instrument lmv:- ilg q een use d, but I should like. q say, to examine the uterus furfifi er _ Hy Inspector Thomson : The condition of the womb and its contents indicated that abortion had been procured.

Albon Charles Astridge, a storeman, husband of the deceased, deposed : My wife was 28 years old, and had three children. She informed me about the 10th of January that she was pregnant, and said she would go to Mrs Thorpe ‘ ‘ to have it taken away.” I understood that she meant she would undergo an operation, and I told her she might lose her life through it. I greatly objected to it, and we had angry words over it. She then said she would wait a day or two, and on the 16th left the house saying she was going to Mrs Thorpe. She returned about 9 o’clock, and I asked her if she had been. She said yes ; and that Mrs Thorpe had told her that if she was pregnant she could procure abortion ; that deceased said she wished it to be done ; and that Mrs Thorpe then took her upstairs and used an instrument upon her. Deceased seemed well, and said the operation was nothing. About a week later she left the house between 7 and 8 at night to go and see Mil’s,Thorpe

again. I again objected, but she persisted in going. She returned two hours later looking very poorly, and told me Mrs Thorpe had repeated the operation, and “ she suffered great pain, and thought Mrs Thorpe would tear her inside out,” and that “ during the operation she distinctly heard a ‘ pop,’ and remarked to Mrs Thorpe that she had broken something (thinking it was very likely the instrument). Mrs Thorpe remarked, ‘ Oh, that’s nothing.’” Four days later she again went to Mrs Thorpe, 1 again strongly objecting. She came home looking veryill.

At this juncture the witness became extremely nervous, and seemed unable to go on with his evidence. His brother, who was present, said the witness was subject to fits, and was really not in a proper condition to give evidence. In these circumstances, and as it was manifest that the inquest could not be concluded then, it was decided to adjourn till 2 o’clock on Monday. Inspector Thomson said Mrs Thorpe was present, but of course he should not think of asking her to give evidence. Perhaps she would consult a solicitor before Monday.