LOUISA WHITE'S DEATH

NZ Truth, Issue 570, 20 May 1916, Page 5

LOUISA WHITE'S DEATH

Result of the Inquest

The inquest on the victim of the Nairn-street tragedy was held m the Court House, Wellington, on Tuesday, before Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M. The evidence was merely of a formal character, and most -of the witnesses told of the circumstances of the fatal shooting which took place on the night of March 27, as already described m "Truth." Ernest Charles Jewell Devoin was to have been charged with the attempted murder? of touisa "White, but, at the last sittings of the Supreme Court, held last week, it was announced by the Crown Prosecutor -(Mr. V.R. Meredith) that on account of the sinking condition of the victim of the revolver being certain: to end m death, he would apply for an adjournment, as the proceedings were almost sure to end m thd grave charge of murder being preferred against the prisoner for the alleged offence named. Dr. Hamilton Gilmer gave evidence of the post mortem conducted by him, Mr. Meredith: From the time of the impact of the bullet she would be paralysed?— Yes, below the seat of the injury. What -was .the cause ot death? — The &*ptl<J condition and extreme wasting away consequent on the damage done to the spinal cord by the bullet The. Coroner: From the position of the bullet is it possible that It was selfinflicted?—; IT IS HIGHLY IMPROBABLE, if not altogether impossible. The Coroner found: "That the death of the deceased, Louisa White, was caused by theveeptio condition and extreme wasting resulting from damage done to her spinal cord by a bullet discharged from a revolyer at the deceased by. one Ernest Charles Jewell Devoin."