CASE OF EVA SIMES

NZ Truth, Issue 854, 1 April 1922, Page 5

CASE OF EVA SIMES

DEATH UNDER PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES.

An Open Verdict.

The police have been inquiring into the death at the Wellington Hospital under somewhat suspicious, circumstances of a young woman named Eva Sirries, who was admitted to the hospital at 6 p.m. on March 23, and expired on Friday evening last. As much of the unfortunate woman's story as is known at -present was related at the 1 inquest, held by Coroner W. G. Riddell on Saturday and Monday last. De-tective-Sergeant Andrews had the matter m hand for the police, and he conducted the inquiry. Dr. H. E. Hav,ris, a house surgeon at the Wellington Hospital, said that when the deceased was admitted 'o the institution she was m a profound state of toxaemia, and her bodily condition showed .SIGNS OF /NEGLECT. It was evident that she had been delivered of a premature child. • The deceased was rather refractory mentally, and declined to give any details about herself. Witness held a post-mortem examination, arid the cause of death, m his opinion, was general peretonitis following septio* premature labor. Details of the woman's injuries were described by the witness, who said it was possible that they had been. : self T inflicted. Margaret Culliford, who is a fruiterer with a shop m Riddiford-street, said that on March 11 the deceased, who "was a stranger to her' paid. her a visit, and said that she had been looking for a, room. She had been recommended to try tho witness, Witness gave deceased the use of one of her rooms. Sim o« told her that she had come from Wanganui, but more than that sho would not say. On March 17, a Friday, deceased complained that she did not feel well and said she had a headache. On the Sunday Miss Simes was seized with . AN ATTACK OF SHIVERING and she said she must have caught a. chill. 'Witness sent for* a nurse, to lock after the deceased, who was yellow m color and was perspiring very freely. Early on the -morning of March 20 the young woman had another attack and. when a' nurse went into the room about 11.30 o'clock she found a child neWly born. Dr. Gilmer was summoned, and he attended the deceased until*, March 23. Richard Tomline gave formal evidence of identification. , ; A brother of the deceased, Walter Edwin Simes,. said his , sister had had no financial worries, although prior to leaving ChristchurCh some , three months ago she had been an inmate of a mental hospital on account of a nervous breakdown. Since leaving for the North Island the deceased had not written to her family. Dr. H. A,-.H! Gilmer deposed that he had. attended, the woman. On March 23 ' he ordered her to the hospital. He had several times questioned the deceased'regarding her condition, but could make no headway /with her. Without commenting at all on the evidence the coroner found that death had been due >..to'; ? general peretonitis, following: septlo premature labor.