SHOCKING FATALITY AT RAVENSBOURNE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3254, 26 July 1916, Page 4

SHOCKING FATALITY AT RAVENSBOURNE.

Upon returning at 9.50 p.m. on the 20th from Port Chalmers, where lie is usually engaged as a carpenter, Mr Goo. Anderson, a respected resident of Ravensbourne, f < unci his house locked up, and. on effecting an entrance, he discovered his wife, Thomasina Anderson, 36 years of age, lying in the passage, apparently having been terribly burned to death Only a vestige of clothing was left on her, and the fire from her burning garments had burned through the oilcloth, and aiso through a board an inch in thickness where she lay. It is believed that the iatality is the restilt of mental weakness. Bank books and gold articles were found burnt in a lireplace. Mr Anderson left home to proceed to his work at 7 a.m. When the children, of whom there are four, the eldest being 12 years of age, returned from school in the afternoon and found the doors locked, they went to a neighbour's residence, believing that their mother had come into Dunedin for the day. The house, which is a comfortablyfurnished wooden one, contains six looms, and it is rather remarkable that the placo did not take lire. THE INQUEST. Mr J. R. Bartholomew (coroner) held an inquest at Ravensbourne on the 21st inst. concerning the death, under painful circumstances, oi Mrs Thomasina Anderson. George Anderson, carpenter, husband of the deceased, said that his wife was 56 years of age. They had been married for 13 years, and had five children. On January 20 the deceased was committed to the Scacliff Mental Hospital, and was discharged from the institution about three weeks later, returning home, where she continued to live. Ihe deceased used to say that the house was affected by electricity- and that people were talking about her For three months after her return she seemed in normal condition, always doing her duty, though sometimes sho would still say the house was affected. She recently had been again saying that the house was affected and that people were trying to put her out of it. 15he had nob seen_£ doctor since coming out of the mental hospital. Dr Fitzgerald had attended her previously. 6he had never given any indication that she would do anything to herself, and up till the day of her death she had been going about her household duties, doing everything as usual. Witness left for his work at Port Chalmers at 7.15 a.m. The deceased got up and got the breakfast, and' when he lelt seemed to bo particularly well. There was no one in tho house apart from the children. Witness returned home about 9.50 p.m.—his usual time when working late. The house was locked up, with no lights in it. Witness got in by the bathroom window, and found his wife lying on the floor. Sho appeared to be dead, and there was a smell of burning. Witness immediately sent for Constable M'Kenzie. George Anderson. 11 years of age, the eldest child, gave evidence that the mother gave the children their breakfast, and also their dinner on their return from school. After the school closed in the afternoon they could not get into tho house, and, as their mother had expressed an intention of going up to town, they thought she had clone so. Witness met all the Dunedin trains till the time his father returned from Port Chalmers Constable M'Kenzie said that, on answering the summons to the house, at 10 p.m., he found the deceased lying in tho hall in a coiled-up position. There was a reddish frothy fluid coining from her noso and rnouth. Her clothes were all burnt off, with the exception of some near the feet; the body and arms were badly burned. The trunk and extremities were quite cold and rigid. On removing tho body, he saw that the oilcloth and floor had been burned through. Further examination .about tho house revealed that kerosene had been used freely. All the chairs and the sofa in tho front room had been partly saturated and set fire to. In the passage there wero the ashes of a bi«' piece of paper, where evidently it had burnt close to where tho deceased woman was found lying, kerosene again being spilt about the floors. The hallstand and looking-glass were smashed, and bore hammer marks He found in the kitchen the remains of two watches and a silver teapot that had been burnt in tho fireplace. The glass case at the side of the fireplace was also partly smashed. Dr Fitzgerald stated that he saw the deceased on January 9, and agaiii on January 14 and January 20. At that time she was very much depressed in mind, and had several delusions. On January 20 _ witness certified that she was of unsound mind, and she was committed to the Soacliff Mental Hospital. He had not seen her since, and did not know that she had been discharged till yesterday. He had examined the body, which was badly burned about the trunk, head, and legs, and would say that death resulted from shock, due to burning. At the time In- saw the deceased there was no expressed suicidal tendencies; but there was always a potentiality in these cases. Ho had no doubt that the deceased was of unsound mind at the time of the occurrence. Suicidal impulses developed very se.ddenly in patients suffering as the deceased did. The Coroner said it was obvious what had occurred in this very sad case. The deceased was of unsound mind at the time. The verdict would lie that death was duo to shock, the result of burning self-inflicted while the deceased was of unsound mind. The remarkable thing about the case is that the house escaped heinar burnt down. Dr Fitzgerald remarked afterwards that e.ises of depression such .as the present wero always dartyerous. Some of tho children might easily have be.en involved. Tho youngest, two mid a-half years old, was away with tho others.