DEATH OF A YOUNG WOMAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 29

DEATH OF A YOUNG WOMAN.

SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES

A death, surrounded with what cannot but bo regarded a 6a 6 - suspicious circumstances, occurred at Mrs Norman's private nursing homo 111 Serpentine avenue at 9 p.m. on Moiklav. 7th ;nst. The namo of deceased h Kathleen Matthewson, a single girl, whose parents, it is understood, reside at Port Chalmers. From inquiries made it appears that on Thursday a you-ig woman, who gave hear name as Kathleen Smith, called on Dr Church for the first time, and said she had just come from the Leviathan Hotel, and had net long before come to town from Alosgiel. It was obvious the girl was very ill. and she complained of great thirsi. She admitted she was in trouble, and that for the last few weeks she had bot»n taking very strong medicine of some kind. Dr Church questioned her as to whether anyone had performed ari illegal operation, or had used instrument? upon h< r. and she replied in rhe negative. Her temperature was then very high (lOld^g l . and the doctor ordered her" to take to Ikh bed. recommending her to go to Mrs Norman's private nursing rom- in Serpentine a\cnue on her refusing ro go to the Hospital. Tbe girl steadily refused to disclose the identity of the person who was responsible for her condition. An attempt was made several times to g-Pt her to disclose his identity before she died, but nothing would induce her to do so. The only admission she would make wa.s that he had given her money to purchase the medicine. Dr Church saw her again soon after she went to Mrs Norman's and gave directions as to how she was to be treated, but the following day she was no hetter H^r temperature berame very hifth, and sho was troubled with severe diarrhoea. Questions a* to how her condition had been brought about were always an-swered in the same way— that she had "taken medicine, but she- declined *o say where she got the drugs. On the Saturday it was decided to call m further medical advice, and Dr Siedberg saw thgirl and ch'.oroform being administered, aa examination was mado. Extensive inflammation was discovered, and the usuai antiseptic treatment was immediately applied. The girl made a good recovery from the antiseptic, and seemed benefited by what had been done. The diarrhoea, however, continued. On the Monday a message was sent to the sufferer's parents ai Port Chalmers, but they did not reaoh the place till too late. Mrs Norman states tbat when Miss Ma.tthewson came to her sho said she had been to Dr Cburoh, and had told him she had had a mishap on Monrlav at Mosgiel, and that she wished

to go to a comfortable home for a few days until she got better. Mrs Norman heard heT say she had taken a quantity of • medicine that had oost •£3 15s, but she did not say where she got it. Tha doctors thought the girl's illness was due 'o the quantity of medicine she had taken, and that this, together .with exhaustion, had caused her death. It is stated that one evening a man called at Mrs Norman's and asked if he could see Miss Matchewson, but was told he ccrald not. He refused to give his name, but mentioned that he was married and had three children. He saiVP further he would sco Miss Matthewson through her trouble, and would pay all expends. He is described merely as a • tall man, and wore a slouch, hat. The girl is said to have filled several, situations as I domestic servant since she left home some I time back. The matter was reported to the police too late to have the girl's depositions taken, but diligent inquiry is being made into the case. A post mortem examination of the body was made on Wednesday. THE INQUEST OPENED. An inquest on the body of Kathleen Mathewson, the young woman who died under peculiar circumstances at Mrs Norman's private hospital on Monday last, ' was commenced by Mr C. C. Graham, coroner, and a jury of six. of whom Mr D. C. Cameron was selected foreman, at the Slorgue- on Thursday afternoon. _ Chief Detective Herbert watched proceedings on behalf of the police. Nicholas Mathewson, the first witnesscalled, said he was a brother oF deceased, and identified the- body as that cf his late sister, who was 25 years of age. Deceased had been living at home with her parents at Port Chalmers, and left there on the 18th of April, saving she was going to Mosgiel for a holiday. From then to the date of her death- her family knew nothing of het whereabouts- The first intimation they received- sis to where she was was a massage from Mrs Norman on the 7tb in«t. that she was lying dangerously ill at her (Mrs Norman's}- house in Serpentine avenue. Witness's mother went next "day to Mrs' Npfma'n's^ and found, deceased had died the night previous.' Deceased was a general servant, and Her people had no idea she was in ill-health. She had always been a strong., healthy girl. / The Foreman : Had she any friends* at Mosgiel to whom you expected her tq go for a holiday. Witness : No. She had no friends, there^ She said she was going with another gjrl from Dunedin. Chief Detective Herbert: We know there is no truth in that. We don't pronose to introduce the. other girl's name into the inquiry for the other girl'.s_ sake. It is obvious this inquiry cannot be completed to-day, and it can be adjourned to make further inquiries. Therefore it, is a question whether you should take any further evidence to-day or leave it to _ a time we would know more 'about the history of the case. At present there is a good deal of mystery surrounding it. The "■irl's movements from the 18VH of April, to the week before her death will have to be traced by the police, and that may tafcp> more time than we anticipate — somelittle time, at anyrate. Therefore I think it would be better to adjourn at the present stage. The Coroner : Dr Church is here, and we might as well take his evidence. It has already been published in the papers. I may as well take Dr Church's evidence. It will obviate the necessity of his coming again. Dr Church deposed that the deceased came to his house on Thursday afternoon before 4 o'clock. That was the 3rd of May. That was the first time he had seen her. She told him her name was Kathleen Smith, and that she had met with, a mishap tho previous Monday at Mosgiel — that was on the 30th of April. She said she had just come from the Leviathan Hotel, and had not long come into town by train. Witness saw she was very ill — flushed face, pallid lips.— and she complained of an acute thirst. Witness took her temperature in the month, and the thermometer registered 101.2deg. Fahr. Witness remarked that she was too ill to be about, and that she outrhf to bp, in bed. She said her home was at Port Chalmers. Witness then said sho ousrbt to be in the Hospital, and that she should go to the Hospital, but she absolutely refused to go. She be-gged of witness to try and find a . private home for her, and he recommended Mrs Norman's, No. 2 Serpentine avenue. Witness saw her again in the evening at Mrs Norman's, and took her temperature, which was 103deg. She was ' then in bed. Witness gave full directions to Mr* Norman as to antiseptic treatment, and saw his patient asain next (Friday) morning, the 4tb of May. He. saw her again in the afternoon, and, finding her temperature was high acrain, said there must be a thorough examination under chloroform, and that he would require the : services of another doctor. He accordingly srot Dr Siedeberg on Saturday, May 5, and on an examination of the parts found extensive inflammation, particularly in one locality. He carried out the usual antiseptic treatment removing all rh& foul tissue he could, and left instructions with Mrs Norman to carry out what was necessary The Coroner : Did you form any opinion as to how the inflammation was ; caused— whether by drugs or instruments? Witnoss • Well, I don't see how drugs . could do it. The Coroner : Then you consider it ' niust have been caused by the use of instrument.- ? | Witness: I think it must have been i caused by treatment from without. I don't -.cc how it could have been caused 'by drug 3 alone. Witness (continuing) said ■ he saw the girl a few hours after the operation, and she had anparentlv rallied very well from the anaesthetic. Her temperaturo was still high, and she had diarrhoea and vomiting, from which she had been suffering- all along. When he first saw the girl during his first interview on the Thursday afternoon he suspected she had been in mischief or that someone had been tampering with her, and he put the question directly to her if an operation had been performed on her for the removal of her trouble, or if any instruments had been used, and she stoutly de- . nied it. Her words were, " T have brought all this trouble on myself. I hay« been taking . diugs for a long time." Witness questioned her further as to whether she knew wl.afc drugs she had been taking, and as to where she got them. She* did not know what she had b>jen taking, and she conl'l not teLl where >=he got the drug She said the man who had got her into trouble ,

iad paid for it. After the examination under chloroform witness was co convinced the girl had been " tampered- with with an instrument that he .repeatedly asked her — in fact, every time he went to visit her — to admit she had been tampered with, but she stuck to her story.' Witness also asked her directly to give him the name of the man, but ebe showed" signs of irritation and ajinqyance, and would not gire ifc. He asked Mrs Norman to try and get all the information sh^ could from the girl when he was away, thinking she might tell Mrs Norm^an when she would not tell him. On the Monday he had hopes the girl would recover, but in the afternoon there were signs of a ' collapse, and she gradually sunk, and died about 9 o'clock in the evening, when witnses was present. In his opinion death was caused by oollapse due to . septicaemia. He thought this was due to the introduction of septic material from without, probably introduced by an ii'stru'ment. The operation had been complete, and practically nothing remained behind. To Detective Herbert: She said her mishap occurred at the fourth month. She said she had been taking strong medicine for a long time, and that she had suffered horribly, and witness believed it. He doubted her statement that no one had tampered with her in the way of operation. He did 'not believe it. He did not know until the Monday her name was ilathewson, and be then got Mrs Norman to send >.ier maid to Port to the giri's parents. The girl r&turned without them. They did not come up till Tuesday morning. •The sympton^ the girl first showed -were quite in accord with what was discovered by* the examination afterwards. Witness was present when Dr Roberts performed the post mortem, arid his first diagnosis •that an operation was performed by the use of instruments had been confirmed by what he then ' savr. The girl's condition when examined under chloroform was such ss could not have been caused by drugs, i Witness was quite surp of that. Deceased j became unconscious after she showed signs of collapse. He had remarked to - Mrs Norman that the girl was going to die, but it did not occur to him to communicate with the police and have her dying depositions taken. A Juryman : Did the patient know she was dying? Witness: I don't think so. She never said so that I know of. The Coroner: You did not . inform- her sk<> was dying. Witness: No, I did not. The' Foreman ;. Is Mrs Norman a thoroughly qualified nurse? Witness : I have attended two patients there, and I have always been satisfied. ' The Foreman : Do you think she bad the necessary experience? Witness: I think so. Detective Herbert said Mr Matheweon desired him to mention that the reason why the ssirl's parents did not. come up to see her tlie night they got the message was that the message came too late for them to catch a- train. * ■Dr Church : Yes, it was late. " A Juryman : You did not- get & s-ampie of the medicine? Witness : Oh, no. The • Foreman : When was the matter first reported to tbe police? - Witness replied that he went dovm and s&y. r Inspector O'Brien on the Tuesday Jabout 2 o'clock in thp - afternoon. He took the blame upon himself for not reporting it 'sooner, and was exceedingly sorry he bad not reported it. A Juryman : Does the doctor consider I the instrument was clumsily used. Witness*: Whot-ver did it muet have used an unclean instrument, because it must have introduced the poison. To I « riot he* Juryman: I think the rjerson who did it was a fool, because they could surely have seen that the instrument was clean. The Coroner observed that these were all the witnesses present. Inquiries were at present being made by the police in the direction of what bad been disclosed in evidence, and, in any case, whatever witnesses they now examined, it would be necessary to have an adjournment. Dr Roberts was not present, probably because he had been under the impression he would oot be v anted at this stage.""* It was decided to adjourn the further making of evidence to the 18th inst., at 10.30 ».m., at the Magistiate's Court.