VERDICT OF SUICIDE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27318, 18 February 1950, Page 4

VERDICT OF SUICIDE

AUCKLAND NURSE’S DEATH IN LONDON INQUEST CONCLUDED NZPA —Reuter—Copyright LONDON, Feb. 16. A jury today decided that the 23-year-old New Zealand nurse, Elsie Mavis Thornton, of Epsom, Auckland, who died in St. James Hospital, Balham, on the eve of her wedding took her own life while the balance of her mind was disturbed. Miss Thornton, who was to have married Dr Andre Janney on February 9, collapsed after a party on February 5, and died in hospital on February 8. The New Zealand High Commissioner in London, Mr W. J. Jordan, who was to have given the bride away, sat beside the coroner at the inquest. After the verdict, Mr Jordan thanked the court and the jury for their “ close examination of this unfortunate happening ” on behalf of the New Zealand Government, Mrs Thornton, end himself.

Maria Bacchi, a maid, said in evidence that she saw Miss Thornton take white tablets with a glass of water on the Sunday evening. Miss Thornton refused to say what she had taken when ~Noemi Veglio, who also kept house for Dr Janney, told the coroner that on the Sunday Miss Thornton and the doctor had been laughing and talking naturally when she saw them. Miss Thornton had told her about * the changes she intended to make to the drawing room. , , Dr Lionel J. Woods said he was to have acted as locum for Dr Janney for three or four weeks after the marriage. When he arrived on February 5 he joined the others in the lounge, and above the conversation he heard Miss Thornton say outside: “Don't talk about the wedding. I shall be far away.” Later he heard Dr Janney say: “ Why do you do this to me? Dr Robert D. Teare, pathologist, said that Miss Thornton’s condition was in keeping with barbituric poisoning. In his opinion more than 50 tablets had been taken. Dr Janney said in evidence that the wedding had been fixed for February 9. It had been arranged that Miss Thornton should stay at his house for three nights. She stayed on Friday and Saturday. On Saturday there was a social gathering. , , . Dr Janney said he had breakfast in bed on Sunday. Miss Thornton went to his room to have a cup of tea about 11 a.m. She was very happy. Early in the evening he returned from calls lie had been making to be told by her that she “was very tired and wanted to go home for a while.” She had packed a small suitcase. She then went to ner own room, where he found -her resting on her bed. That would be about 7.10 p.m. Dr Janney agreed that a document produced by the cdroner had been found by that time. Later in the lounge her maid said that Miss Thornton had taken some pills in water. Dr Janney said: At first I did not believe it. It was so stupid.' Then I heard someone going out of the house. I saw Miss Thornton walking down the road to her flat. I followed, and she said she wanted some fresh air. I then suspected something was wrong. Suddenly she collapsed in my arms.” Later, said Dr Janney, he was shown a bottle of capsules in his medicine cupboard. At no time had he thought Miss Thornton’s mentality unstable.