SUSPICIOUS DEATH IN CUBA STREET.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1024, 16 October 1891, Page 30

SUSPICIOUS DEATH IN CUBA STREET.

The adjourned enquiry into the oircum stances attending the death of Mary Coop Backhouse, who died on the evening of the 3rd inst., at her reaiden.'e in Tonka’ Grove, off Cu v a street, was resumed on Tuesday morning before Mr H. YV. Robinson, district coroner. Inspector Thomson read the report of Mr W. Skey, Government analyst, on the bottle of medicine found in tho bedroom of deceased at the time of her death. The ohloride of iron, the report said, was present in about the quantity Btated by Mr Sheehy. Any ergot, however, that it might contain was in so finely a comminuted state that it was impossible to get a section of it fit for a microscopic and chemical examination ot ergot. As regarded the aloe 3 and quassia alleged to be present, there was no chemical test by which as therein mixed e'ther of them could be identified. None of the alkaloids or mineral poisons was identified in the medicine. It should be said that ergotiue did not give good chemical reaction by which it could be well distinguished in these cases. There was no further evidence called, and The Coroner then reviewed the evidence at considerable leDgth, and in conclusion said the jury ha 1 to come to a conclusion as to the cause of death, and as to what wa3 the superinducing cause. The medical evidence went to show that the cause was syncope, or sudden stoppage of the heart’s action caused by shock. It was also pretty clear that tho woman w»3 pregnant, and tho medical evidence also went to show that the syncope was occasioned by some action on the part of the deceased in regard to her condition. If they found that the woman, knowing herself to be pregnant, took means to pro duoe an abortion upon herself, and that that was the cause of her death, they must bring in a verdict of felo de so. If on the other hand they believed she did not consider herself pregnant, and was only endeavouring to correct ii regularity, they must find that she had accidentally caused her own death. Further, if they believed her husband was •consenting to her endeavouring to procure abortion upon herself, he would undoubtedly be an accessory after the fact, and he himself criminally liable. As to who supplied the medicine (there was no evidence to show where the enema came from), if they were satisfied it was supplied with the intention of producing abortion it would be proper for them in their verdict to mention that together with the name of the person supplying it. If, however, they believed, as the evidence would quite allow them to believe, that Mr Sheehy, in supplying it, did so for the purpose of correcting irregularity, then there would be necessity for mentioning it. It was a very serious matter, affecting tho whole of the community, more or less, and they had to carefully investigate it as thoroughly as possible, but at the same time they must uot allow thcm&elves to be carried away by things picked up outside, but must

be guided solely by the evidence before them. With respeot to Mr Sheehy, tho only evidence they had before them was that of an interview between tho deceased and him, supplied by him. They must not jump at conclusions, but only consider tho evidenoe before them, and they had nothing before them in the way of direct evidence that would lead them to suppose Mr Sheehy gave deceased the medicine for the purpose of producing abortion. As to the remark said to have been made by the deceased that she would take certain medicine, " kill or cure,” there was the possibility she did not know she was pregnant, and simply meant that she was determined to cure herself of irregularity. Inspector Thomson said, without any personal reference, it might interest chemists in supplying similar medicine to know that, in tho opinion of medical men, it wa3 calou. lated under certain conditions to produce abortion, and he thought it quite competent for the jury to add a rider to their verdict to that effect.

The jury then retired to oonaidsr, and after a short iutorval brought iu a verdict to the effect that the deceased met her doath by aacidont, through using a certain instrument, not knowing her condition, and also from the stoppage of the heart’s action through the sudden change in tho system. They also said they had come to the conclusion to exonerato Mr Sheehy from all blame. A juryman remarked that they had added the last sentence through oertain remarks having been made outside about Mr Sheehy. The enquiry then conoluded.