THE HOPE STREET FATALITY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15892, 11 October 1913, Page 13

THE HOPE STREET FATALITY

INQUEST AGAIN ADJOURNED,

Yesterday afternoon, 'at the Magistrate's Court, the district coroner (Mr _ C. C, Graham) resumed the inquest which was opened last Saturday morning into the circumstances surrounding tho death of Margaret Alary Donnelly, a single young woman trom invercargill who died suddenly last Friday morning in a boarding-house in Hope street. At the previous inquest Dr i'leming statod that he had made a post mortem examination of the deceased and found that she had had an early miscarriage. The internal orgafts showed' signs of profound toxemia, and the young woman probably died from toxcemia t£ pregnancy—ail exceedingly rare disease, and quite distinct from the ordinary cause of death after a miscarriage. It was a condition not thoroughly understood. Phosphorus poisoning was tile only other thing that could cause similar symptoms, and though ho thought that an extremely unlikely cause, he hiwl sent tho contents of the stomach to the Government Analyst. The inquest had been adjourned to uiablo tho Government Analyst's report to be considerod. Mr Hanlon appeared for Miss Inglis, who lived in the house where tho death tool; place, and Mr (Julian for tho relativea of the deceased. Senior-sergeant Dart said that lie proposed to call Miss Inglis. Tho inquest was originally adjourned lor a report 011 some specimens from the Government Analyst, but ills report hau not yet come to hand, so that utter Miss iMgns'o eviclonco had been taken ho would Have to ask tor another adjournment. Elizabeth Simpson Inglis stated that sho was in charge of the boarding-house iji llopo street, m which the girl uied. Mrs ltitchio was the occupier ot tho house and Mr Ueddes was the owner. Senior-sergeant Dart asked who paid tho rent to Mr Geddes. Mr llamon objected to this question.. Ho unuerstood it wii6 an inquiry lield for tho purpose of ascertaining the causa of death. Tlie .Coroner rulod tliat the nature of tho house was a question tiiiat should be inquired into. Witness then stated that the rent was paid to Mr Goddea by Mrs Kitchic, who had been away now about. three months. She was travelling somowhord Witness received money from hor since sho had left for tho. purpose of running tho establishment. She sont hor £10 at tho beginning of tho month. Senior-sergeant Dart asked where tho money came from. Mr Hanlon said that the witness could claiixi her privilege not to aiuswcr. This examination was a fishing excursion by tho police with a view to iiiidiiig out whether an offence liad been committed, and tho witness had a right to dcclino to answer tho question.

_Thu Coroner said ho did not see why the should not say if she know whero Mrs Ritchie was.

Mr Lallan said that tho relatives of the deceased were anxious that the polico inquiry'should bo unrestricted. Being asked by tho coroner whether she would answer tho question, witness intimated that she would decline to do so. Iho Witness went on to say that Mrs Kitchie had previously sent her money. Witness was a. general servant in the house before Mrs Ritchie wont away. Sometimes thero ivoro one, two, or more boarders in tho house. She had never advertised that the house was a boarding-house, and there was no notice to eliow that it was one. She had never taken in families or gentlemen as boarders. Tho deceased was taken in as a boarder at a charge of £1 per week without any previous arrangement having boon made. She answered the door when deceased came. The deceased asked her if she could stay there, as a friend had told her that sho could get board there, n itness told her that slio could stay, and allotted her a room. She did not go out again on the evening she came, and no one camo to seo her that night. She was out for part of the next day. Witness had novel' done any nursing professionally. She was a hairdresser by occupation. Doceased went out on Wednesday about 11 no ' roturn until alter 9 p.m. g| lo no( . o being unwell up to that time, except that she said that she had been sick on the tra;n coming up from luvcrcargill. The deceased had a room to herself and slept by wiinn! n 0U r ° r , S!lw , llur 'n tho house but witness. On Iliiufiday morning, before breakfast, deceased told her "that she felt sick, and she therefore told her that she had better go back to bed Thero was a Miss VVilsou etajmg i n tho house when deceased came. This boarder might have Been deceased, but witness could not s»y. Mi® Wilson whose age was between 30 and 40 years/hod been in the house about three weeks. Miss \\ ikon had told her she came fiom Iscw ■ Plymouth, She snid to witness tliat she had heard that boarders wore kept ill tho house, and asked if she might havea room She left on Friday, the day Miss JJonnelly died. She came and told witness she was going to leave, but did not say why.

Continuing her statement- about the deceased, witness said that on Thursday night she told her thnt she had had a misc-ai*-liage, either that day or tho night before, When sho told witness this she tnought she (dccuiiaed) was beginning to get delirious, but sho did not look very :ll then, and neither witness- nor sho thought she was very ill, Witness suggested getting a doctor, but deceased said, "Don't take any notice «£ my being sick; I am often sick." Sho remained in deceased's bedroom all that night m a separato bed, as sJie d:d not want lier to leave her. Witness did not tuink 6he was seriously ill. There was a jaundiced appearance about her. During the night and in tho early morning sho bigan to ask the deceased questions, but she would tell nothing about herself except her business occupation and prospects. Witness wanted to ;know about her people, so,, that she would know whom to send for if necessary. She did not recognise how ill deceased was till she (witness) pulled up the blind on Friday morning, and then she went at once for tho doctor. She wa6 then partly unconscious, and sho understood she (deceased) was referring to some person named M'Kay, whom she (witness) t-hought washor uncle. Sho did not. call Miss Wilson, but went at once for Dr Fleming, who lived close by. Sho told him that deceased was yellow as if with jaundice, aiid coming down the street told him that she had had a miscarriage. When Dr Fleming came to the house ho told her that tho girl was dying, and that he would like to call another doctor. lie went and brought hack Dr Macphcrson with him.

Senior-sergeant Dart then asked witness whether the deceased had received any treatment after tho miscarriage.

The witnees hesitated for a. few moments, and then said that she did not feel well and could not continuo to give evidence. After soma, delay it was decided to postpone further examination of tho witness until next Friday, when it was expected that tho report of t.he Government Analyst would lie to hand, and the inquiry would bo concluded.