DAISY TURNER'S END

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7928, 11 October 1911, Page 1

DAISY TURNER'S END

HOUSEMAID'S DEATH GAS TUSKED FULL ON, BUT UNLIGHTED. PRESS ASSOCIATION. CHRISTCHURCH, October 10. Daisy Fioreuco Turner, between sixteen and seventeen years of age, whoso parents live at Rolleston, and who was in the service of Mrs Henry Forwood, Murray place, St. Allans, was found dead in bod this morning. The gas in her bedroom was turned on, and death had apparently been caused by asphyxiation. At the inquest held before Mr H. VV. Bishop, coroner, Susan Jane Forwood, wife of Henry Forwood, gave evidence that deceased had been in her service for nearly three weeks ae housemaid. The girl did her work well, and appeared contented and happy, and she never' spoke at all of any trouble. She slept by herself in a bedroom which was about 12ft by 10ft. There was a gasburner about 7ft high on the wall of the room. The burner was of the ordinary type, not an incandescent one. This was the only light the girl used. The deceased wont to bed last night as usual at about 8 o'clock, and there was nothing whatever about her manner to call for any remark. The girl generally rose some time after 6 o'clock. Witness got up about 7 o’clock and saw that deceased was not up. When witness went to the door of deceased's roem she found it locked. Witness then smelt gas and went round to the window and found that it was closed, but not fastened. Witness opened it and saw that the girl was lying quite still in bed. The cook got a pair of steps and entered, the room. She found the gas was turned on, and turned it off. Witness then sent for Dr. Jennings. Witness thought the occurrence was purely accidental. The burner had a ring attached, and the tap turned very easily. Witness thought that perhaps the girl, after turning off the gas, had unwittingly turned it on again by catching her finger in it. Dr. Jennings said he found deceased lying pn the bed dead, with her back against the wall. The pillows were disarranged and the girl's hands 1 were clinched. Rigidity had set in, showing that death had occurred at least four hours previously. Witness had made a post-mortem and was of the opinion that the cause of death was poisoning by illuminant gas. Annie Denniston, employed os cook by Mrs Forwood, corroborated the statement made by Mrs Forwood as to getting into the room. Deceased was one of the most light-hearted and cheerful girls witness had ever met. She was never out, and to witness's knowledge no man had ever paid her any attention. The coroner said thit, in view of private medical information given to him by Dr. Jennings, he would reserve his verdict, to enable a microscopical examination to bo made of the girl's' night attire.