DEATH FROM BURNING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10597, 18 February 1896, Page 2

DEATH FROM BURNING.

An inquest was held at Young's Terrace, Hoiiot row, oq the 30th nit,, before the District Coroner (5Sr B. H. Caraw) and a jury of six (of whom Mr M. Molonoy wks chosen ai foreman) upon the body of M«g*ret Graham, who had died on tUo previous evening. The evidence which was given by the husb.ind of the deceased, Terssa Wall, and Dr BarßOtb went to show that ou the 14th inst. Mrs Graham, who was 53 years old, was in her house along with a son, an invnlid of about 16 ye»rs of age. About 10 minutes before noon on tbati day. Miss Wall, who lived next door, heard Sirs Graham scream three times in front of her koase, and looking out of her upstairs wiudow and seeing smoko she oonclnded that the deceased's house wns on fire. She took up a blanket aud rnshed out of the house, when, she thinks, she iirsfc saw Mm Graham standing at the gate and she immediately afterwards saw her lying down on the ground. Tbe deceased was covered in (lames from head to foot. Mies Wall threw a blanket over her and with the help of her hands extinguished all the fl»mes she could see, but tbe wind wag blowing stiffly at the tima ami whou sho lifted Mrs Graham .up the (lame burst out afresh. , Miss Wall pat tho deceased down again and extinguished what flume there was, and then her sisters came out and they oorricd Mrs Graham into the kitchen. They took the remains of tho clothing off the sufferer's body snd applied linseed oil. and lime water to tho burnt. places, and then put her to bed. Dr Jeffcoat, who had been sent for, arrived very quickly and dreised the .wounds, and Dr Barnott, the family doctor, also arrived, and from that time took ohargeof tho oase. Dr Burnett's evidence was to the effeot that on arriving at tbe housn ho fonnd that Mrs Graham was extensively burned. He applied the usual remedies, and Mro Graham progressed very well until the following Sunday, when the doctor found that the barut flesh was deeper than he had aj first thought, aud as the dead flesh began to separate the patient commenced to show serious symptoms. The unavoidable absorption of dead mattar into the system set up blood poisoning, and this led to a fatal termination on Wednesday. The cause of death was stated by tho doctor toba exhaustion and soptiominia. The doctor added in evidence that the flame camo out from the range and caught her apron, which she conld not untie, and she ran to the back yard crying for help, but no one came, and then she ran to the front, trying in vain to tear away her clothes. The deceased's husband stated in his evidence that Mrs Graham had told him that ehe blamed no one, but that she attributed the accident to her own carelessness. A verdict of "Accidental death from burning " was returned.