THE INQUEST. Auckland, December 29.

Otago Witness, Issue 2288, 6 January 1898, Page 18

THE INQUEST. Auckland, December 29.

The inquest on the death" of Su«an Harriet Campbell M'CaUum, formerly of Dunedin, wa3 commenced to tlxy. Mrs Metcalfe deposed that the decease 1 took a room at her house under the name of Mrs Sparks early last S&ptember. She said her husband was away. She remained till last Wednesday, when Dr Orpeu sent a cab for her and took her to a private hospital in Hepburn street. Mrs Sparks had previously baen in bed 12 days, being attended by Dr Oipen all that tini3. When she arrived at tha hospital two muses carried bar in. Witness did noi see her agaiu until the day she died. D-icsased told ■witness that her father was Cip-ain M'G*Uum, hubourma^ter at Port Chalmers. A fortnight ago, when deceased was ill, she made certain statement* to witness as to her condition. Witness was in the room every time Dr Orpen called. Deceased Slid she also saw him at hi? office in town, and that her object in seeing him was to have an illegal opeiation performed. Nui'se Ogilvic, employed at the private hospital, deposed that when Dr Orpen arranged for admission of the deceased he said she was suffering from acute g.istri i-«. Dr Orp*n saw her several times after her admission. Dr A. C. Purcbas also saw her three timea while in the hospital. She died on Christmas Nixht. Mr Allom, a justice of the peace, was called in to taka her dying depositions. Witness called him in because she suspected something wrong. She said to the dec a-ed, '"If I bring a gentleman bere_ will you tell him the whole story?" She replied, " Yes." Dr Purcbas recommended witness to' send M.r Allom, who came at 11 o'clock on the night of the 24 h. She did not send for the police. The body was removed by an undertaker at 12 o'clock on tho night of the 25th upjn witness's instructions. This was the usual course iv her house. Witness further stated Ihat the deceased was con^ious till the la»t. She had besn dyin^ for the previous 24 hours, vomitin=t incessantly. In reply to Inspector Hickson, witness said she thought she had done her duty in sending for a justice of the peace when she suspected something wrong.

Inspector Hickson said he did not hear about the affair until the body was about to be buried. The parson implicated (Or Orpen) waa thsn clear of the coldny. He didn't bUme the nurse, but thought that the police should have been informed earlier.

Mrs Garrett, at whose place I>r Orpen lodged, deposed that the doctor left about 1 o'clock on Christmas Day. He told her he was going a trip for the benefit of bin health. He did not say when he would be back. He had been talking some time about taking a trip. Hia departure was very sudden. He called witness and asked her if her boy could take his boxes to the outgoing mail boat. Dr Hope Lswis depo-ed that Dr A. Challinor Purchas, who had been called in for consultation by Dr Orpen, had asked him (witness) to ex -mine the patient and see whether an operation would be justified. They drcided not to do it, as the woman was practically dying. Mrs Metcalfe (recalled) pi oduced medicine and pills and de c ased's bank book. Dr Challinor Purcbas deposed that he had several patients at a private hospital, Hepburn street. Dr Oipen called liiai in in consultation, stating that a young woman was suffering from gastritis Dr Orpen then called him on one side, and said she bai had a miscarriage 10 days before and that he (Orpen) had not s>een her till five days aftei-wards. Witness pevfoi mcd the s-light operation of curetting. lie af cenvardt had suspicions, and asked the woman if she had been tampered with. She made evasive answers, but from her manner his suspicions were strengthened. Still they were on'y suspicions. The matter weighed heavily on his mind, and he took legal advice as to what he 'should do. That advice was that he was cautioned against making any statement on the t-light information that he had. That advice was given as the only means he had of placing himself in a right position, and of defending the nurse. He had frequent reports as to the woman's condition from Niuse Ogilvie. Oa the day of her de ith, on Friday, he told the nurse the woman's depositions should be taken. At 11 p.m., after being houis out looking for a justice of the peace, she returned home heartbroken at her non-success. She telephoned to witness, " A failure."

Constable Hutchinson, of the Parcell Police Station, deposed that be received the depositions of a woman dated 24th December, about 5 p.m. on D'c-mber 26 from A. J. Allom, "J P , and took a cab at once anci drove to Inspector ll : ck«on's residence. He read the deposition*, in which the woman alleged an operation had besn performed on herbyDr Orpsn in his office at the Victoria Arcade. In the depositions she stated she was a sinule woman passing under the name of Mrs Sp,»rks.

Albert J. Allom, J.P., deposed that on the night of the 2-lth December he had been called to a pi'ivate hospital in Hepburn street, and bad taken the depositiona of the woman M'Callum. He did not think it was necessary to at onca communicate with the colics, as he did Hot wish to act bftstiljt

Dr Bakewell was detailing the results of the post mortem when the inquiry was adjourned till next day.

December 30.

At the adjourned inquest on the young woman M'Callum Drs Bakewell and Scott detailed the results of their post martem on the body. From the nature of the injuries, they were of the belief that instruments had been ussd to bring aboat the condition they described. Dr Bakewell added that local medical men were being constantly pestered by women to perform illegal operations. Only last week be had to turn out of his house two women who persisted in worrying him with such a request. Inspector Hickson iaformed the coroner that he had evidence that Dr Orpen had left the olony, having t*ken passage by the outgoing San .Francisco steamer.

Thomas Henderson, representative of the Union S""e&m Ship Company, give confirmatory evideuce. Orpen, booking as Arthur Herbert, sailed as a steerage passenger iv tha Alameda. Witness saw him leave — Little, the undertaker, said that he did not know of auythingtill Sunday, when he sent toDrOrpeafora certificate of death, and found that he had left the colony. — At this stage the inquest was aijourned bill to-morrow.

The following is the text of the dying depositions of the young woman M'Ca'lum: — "The deposition of Susan H»rneb Campbell M'Ch.llum, taken at a private hospital in Hepburn street, Auckland, when depnnent ia lying dangerously ill, December 24, 1897. This depotunt being duly 'sworn, sntb. as follows : My n-*me ia Susan Harriet Cirai»baU M'Callum. lam a single woman. lam known hero as Mrs Sparks. Mv birthpltce is fVrt Chalmew. It ii abou L . 12 rcoths since I weot to live with Mra Steale at Remuera. After tb\t I wa>» at Smith's, of Avondale. Latterly I have been living at Mr Bae>t«Vs, in Vincent street, Auckland. Then I W6»ifc to livft with Mrs Aliworthy, housekeeper to Mr Reid, of Motutapu. I have been lodging with Mis MetcalEe, in Haydn street, Auckland, for about the last three mouths. I saw Dr Orpen about two months ago. He ,gave me some pirt*. I took fcheeo t *see a day for about aw-ek. They had no t-ffee 1 ). [Witness here stated she then went toDr Ocpea again, and he performed an operation.] After this I felt as if I were going to faint. 1 walked home. This operation was performed by Dc Orpsn at hia office, Cjotabes's Arcade, Q i.-en street. The S*turd*y before l&st I had a Miscarriage. That would b» oa the llfcb Deteaib-'r. The operation was perfocmau' on the previous Thursday (9*h December) . I was very ill oa the 11th December. Dr Orpen came to see ma at Haydn street on the following Moadvjr (13i:h December), and has been to see me every day sinee — sometimes twica a day. I was admiHed here on Wednesday last (22 id December) at 8 pm. Dr Orpea came to see me here yes'erday twice. He c*me at 10 in the morning and in the afternoon. Ha met Dr Purchas here. D? Orpen has been to see me here ttuea limes to-day. Dr Purchas has alio been to see me to-day. If anything happens to mj, will you cotamuaica-te with my f*ther, who is the harbourmaster at Danedia. I wouJd like my body to be sent hom9. lam making this statement because I think it probabl* that I may die soou. I have some money in the Auckland Savings Bank, and Mrs Metcalfe has my book. My father will settle my expanses. — Susan Harriet Campbell M'Callum (Uer X mack)." A foofcuote to the deposition »ts,tsd that deceased was too weak to sign her name, so could only make her mark. Mr Allom attested the statement. DeeemVer 31. The adjourned inquest into the recent death under peculiar circumstances of the young woman Susan Harriet Campbell M'CaUum w*s resumed before Mr B*fcer, J.P., coroner. Inspector Hickson represented the police.

Dr R. Bakewell was recalled at the request of the jury in order to giva his opinion on the operation performed on deceased at the Nursing Hospital in Hepburn street by Dr Patches. The coroner read the evidence of T>c Scoit, ia which that witness said that Dr Purchas's operat : on did not cause the wound in the ufcerm of the deceased, and did not in any way accelerate tfie cause of death, bub would rather teud to retard death. The coroner also read Dr Purchas's statement. Dr Bykewell was asked by one of the jury: "In your opinion wai tha operation of 'cureling' performed bjr Drs Purchas and'Orpea on the patient at the Nursing Hospital a fit and proper one under the ciroumstancos, and could it in your opinion have caused the wound in the uterus, and vra* such operation in any way a contributing cause of death?" Dr Bstkewell replied thab ha did not think tha operation was a fit and proper one, bse-tuse the only operation that could have given evea a chance to the woman was opening tli9 abjeeps in the pelvis and letting out the matter, and washing out the abscess with antiseptics. Knowing what they do now, tho operation would not have saved har life. To the question as t\ whether the operation of cureting could have caused tho wound ia uterus, he unhesitatingly answered, "No, it could not." In reply to the last part of the question, as to whether the operation was a contributory causeof death, he said," I say, in my opinion, no." Dr Bakewell gave his reason for holding this opinion very fully. He said : "It is absolutely certain that the wound was inflicted by some sharp-pointed instrument." He added that the operation for opening the abscess should have been performed much earlier — before the woman went to the hospital. Dr Bakewell, in the coursa of further remarks to the jary, again referred to the prevalence of the practice of abortion, and said women who resort to it don't know the risks they run — the risk is very great indeed.

laspector Hickson said he had desired in his questions to elicit the truth and to show that the police were not to blame for the escape of the person implicated. He referred to an oversight of Mr Allom, J.P., who took tha depositions, in not forwarding them to the police sooner.

A Juryman : An oversight which was followed by such consequences should not be overlooked.

Tha Coroner : Ob, well, gentlemen, from what I know of Mr Alloui I doa't thiok he'll do it again. — (Laughter.) The Coronet" then read 'ho vrhole of the depositions over ajzaiu to the

jury, this further prolonging the inquiry somi two hours. B3?ore considering their verdict the jury asked the coroner (Mr Baker) what he would have done if he had taken the girl's dying depositions. He said, "At once communicate with the police." The jury returned a verdict of ni .slaughter against Dr Orpen and expressed tho opinion that Dr A. C. Pnrchaa and Mr A> J. Allom, J.P., had committed a great mistake in nob communicating notice of the death of the woman M'Callum earlier to the police. It is surmised steps will now bs taken taken to effect the arrest of Orpen at 'Frisco. The funeral of Mi«s M'Ca.Umn took place *6 Purewa. Mr Gran 1 ), district railway manager, who is personally acquainted with the girl's father at Dunedin, attended the funeral and was alao present during portion of the inquiry. j Dr Orpon's cheque to Mr Henderson (local [ manager of the Union Steam Ship Company) for passage by mul boat just closed his account at tho bank on Saturday. Dr Orpen changed all his notes for gold.