INQUEST.

Otago Witness, Issue 1974, 19 September 1889, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest was held on Thursday afternoon at Islay Cottage, Forth street, before Mr Coroner Carew and a jury of six, on the body of Margaret Lyon Carr, who was found dead in bed the same morning. William Carr, railway employe, deposed that the body shown to the jury was that of his late wife. She was born at Liverpool, and had been in the colony about 15 years. For many years she had been in bad health. Shejast saw a doctor about a fortnight ago, when she visited Dr Teevan. Shefwas then suffering with severe headaches and a pain in her left side. She had been complaiDiDg of the same thing for a good while. Witness was at work on Wednesday, and came home between 12 and 1 o'clock, and again at night. On the latter occasion tbe deceased seemed no worse than usual. About 8 o'clock, however, she screamed and beat her side in the region of the heart with her hand. She afterwards grew quiet, and witness asked her if he would go for a doctor ; but she replied that she thought it was not necessary. She had been as bad before Beveral times. At half-past 10, when witness went into her bedroom the deceased was asleep. He noticed that she was breathing in the ordinary way. He again entered the room about midnight, and she was still asleep. On Wednesday night witness slept in the kitchen. He got up about a quarter to 7 next morning, and went into the bedroom and found his wife quite cold. He got some whisky and put it between her teeth, but it had no effect; so he went to the Pelichet Bay railway statirn and telephoned for Dr Teevan. He thought that he was not understood and he went to see Dr Teevan at his house, and the doctor came to witness' house afterwards. Witness did not hear any noise in the night to cause him any alarm. The only physio his wife had taken lately was some mixtare for a cold with which she had been Buffering for about three weeks. The cold was not very severe. Deceased was about 37 years' of age at the time of her death. Witness had heard the deceased scream before Wednesday night, on more than one occasion, for two or three minutes. Mrs Sfcorer was with deceased on Wednesday night between 7 and half-past 9 o'clock. She said she did not think it was necessary to send for a doctor, as she had seen the decpased often in the same condition before. Mary Sfcorer deposed that she had known the deceased for a number of years, and had seen her frequently lately. She visited her on Wednesday night about 7 o'clock, and remained with her till about half-past 9. Deceased complained about her heart, and expressed gladness that witness had come to see her. Witness had often seen her as bad before, and did not think she was in a dangerous state. Deceased, however, had a very bad cough for at least several

weeks past. At times she took very violent fits of conghing, and seemed very bad afterwards. ■ John Grant Storer, a lad 12 years of age, Btated that he had been staying with the de- J " ceased for about a week. On Wednesday night he slept with the deceased. He went to bed about 10 o'clock, and awoke about 1 o'clock. He thought the deceased was then asleep He did not remain awake long, and did not waken after going to sleep until called by Mr Carr at about a quarter to 7 in the morning. ' Dr Teevan deposed that at about a quarter ] past 7 on Thursday he received a telephone message from the Pelichet Bay station which he , could not understand. When he went to the telephone himself he found that they had , "rung off," About an hour afterwards -Mr \ Carr came to his house and informed him that 1 he had found his wife dead in bed at 7 o'clock . that morning. He came down as soon as he ' couldj and on his way to Mr Garr's house, called ' at the police station and informed -the police. On arriving at Mr Oarr's house he found the body of the deceased laid out. He -made an external examination of the body* but 'found no marks of violence nor anything to indicate the cause of death. The right side of the face and the side of the body were greatly discoloured, and the right arm was bent over the chest ! in the direction of the heart. From the discoloration be concluded that the deceased was lying on her right side on her face at the time of death. He thought the deceased had been dead about sis or eight hours. He had known her for about four years, i and during that time she had frequently complained of headaches. About 10 days ago he treated her as a patient at his own house. She then complained of a cough and headache. He believed that death was caused by apoplexy owing to atheroruatous condition of the blood vessels of the brain, and probably of the great vessels of the heart. The jury returned a vei <' . ' : o the effect that the deceased waß found from natural causes.