Coroner's Inquest.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 107, 20 June 1885, Page 3

Coroner's Inquest.

An inquest was held on Jnne 15th at the residence of Mr J. W. Courtney, Ponsonby, on the body of Margaret O'Brien, who died on Saturday night under mysterious circumstances. Dr. Philson was coroner, and Mr Henry Woodruffe foreman of the jury. Constable Collis represented the police. Jane Courtney deposed that she was the wife of William James Courtney, veterinary surgeon, residing at Courtney Place, Jervois Road, She had only known the deceased two days. The girl came to her house on Thursday last, at 4.30 p.m., and Bhe engaged her as domestic servant. She appeared to be in good health and spirits. Her age was 21 years. Mrs Whitcombe, of Albert-street, sent her. Next day (Friday) she set about her work, and did it well. She had a good appetite, and took her food well, and slept at night in the same bed and room as those in which the '.body now lies. She noticed nothing remarkable about her. On Saturday she worked well up till 2 o'clock p.m. She had a hearty breakfast, but would not take any dinner. She said she felt sick, and she went down the garden to the water-closet, where she remained for about half an hour. She came back to the house at 2.30 p.m., and then looked very pale, and said she felt sick. Witness told her to go and lie down, and she did so, lying down on the bed without undressing. Witness heard her retching, and went and asked her what was the matter. She said she felt very sick, and that she had pains in her stomach. Saw her vomit some liquid into the chamber utensil, but did not preserve what she vomited. Offered her a little whieky, but she refused to take it. Witness did not see her again until about 4.30 p.m., when She went into her room. She lay much as when ahe last saw her. She was on her right side, with her feet stretched out. Witness did not speak to her, nor she to witness. She was not retching at that time, but appeared to be asleep. She went into the room again about 8.30 p.m. The deceased was lying awake on her back, and was neither retching nor vomiting. Witness asked her how she felt, and she said she was worse. On her second visit witness asked her whether she had eaten anything that i might have disagreed with her, and she said she had been eating some green lemons that grew in the garden. Witness then went to bed. The deceased did not appear to be particularly ill at that time. It was 9 o'clock when she went to bed, and she did not see the deceased alive again. Her husband came to her about fifteen minutes past 10, and told her that the girl was dead. She saw the body on the arrival of the constable at 11 o'clock. Mr Courtney saw the deceased several times during the evening in her absence. No medical man saw her alive. She did not consider her sufficiently ill to require the services of a medical man. The deceased said she had been previously employed by a Mrs Murphy. William James Courtney deposed that he had no knowledge of deceased before she came to his house on Thursday. He remarked at that time that Bhe appeared to be * good, active servant. On Saturday afternoon, Mrs Courtney informed him that the girl was ill. About half -past four he was passing through the hall when he heatd her retching. He went in to see her in company with Mrs Courtney, and asked, " What is the matter, Maggie ?" She was lying on her side on the bed, undressed, and was vomiting into the chamber. The matter vomited appeared to be a mixture of food and tea, but he did not see any signs of lemon. He asked her what had caused her to be sick, and she replied that she had been eating green lemons, adding, " Oh I Mr Courtney, give me something, please." Witness offered to send for a doctor, but she declined. He mixed some peppermint with a little sugar and water, and she sat up and drank it. She appeared to be relieved after the draught. Witness felt her pulse, which was at 65. There were no convulsions or spasms, but she appeared to have chills. He covered her with blankets and left her, returning again at 6.30 p.m. with some tea. She said at .that time that she felt a little better, and the retching had stopped, but she was still very weak. She sat up and drank the tea, but declined to take any food. Mrs Courtney saw her again at 8.30, when she was easier,but still declined to undress. After seeing. a friend of his to the Three Lamps,, he returned home, an£ went into the room at 10.15 p.m. He found her lying on her left side as if in a faint or, a fit ofstupor, and scarcely breathing. , Her feet weie not drawn up, tout? BtTetobetf, wbile her h«£de were open, There, was

nothing to- betoken the action ■ of strychnine, although" he thought it was a case of poisoning. He told his wife that Maggie was in a fit or dying, and rushed off for medical assistance. He called and left word for Constable Collis, and when he was going to the house with Dr. Knight the constable met him and told him the girl was dead. He had no medicine chest or poisonous drugs in the' house. The constable, doctor, and himself searched the room and vicinity of the closet, but could find no trace of drugs or medicine. Martin Murphy, contractor, Wakefieldstreet, deposed that he last saw the deceased alive last Thursday morning at his house. She had been in hia employment as servant for the last nine months. His wife told him that she had had an attack of illness on one occasion, about two months ago, and that she was frightened for her. She was only ill for one day. "When he last saw her, she was in perfect health. She had been about six years in the colony, and was in the South about half of that time. She was not married. Her parents are still alive, and do not reside in Ireland. She had a brother and sister dead, the latter of whom died somewhat suddenly, under similar circumstances to those in the present case. Deceased left his service because he gave up his boarding-house, and had no further need of her services. He did not think there was anything on her mind. Constable Collis deposed that he did not know the deceased. He was called to Fee her about half -past 10 o'clock on Saturday night, He found her lying on her left side on the bed, and quite dead. Her limbs were contracted. Did not observe aDy froth at her mouth or nose, or any vomit about the bed. Her hands were half closed, but not clenched. He searched the room and the box, but could not find any drugs. The box contained clothing and £1 9s 2^d in money. Mrs Courtney was the first person he met when he went to the house. Dr. Knight deposed that he was called to see deceased about 11 o'clock on Saturday evening, but on arrival he found that life was extinct. She might have been dead an hour. The extremities were cold and the body warm. She was lying on the bed on her left side, and the body was quite rigid. Tho limbs were bent, the pupils dilated, the features calm, and eyelids partly opened. There was no froth at the mouth. The lower jaw was fixed. The body was well nourished and the condition good, and there were no marki of external violence. The clothes were saturated with fluid. He had made a postj mortem examination of the body to-day. The rigidity of the body was not now so marked. He first opened the chest, and found the appearance to be natural, theheart healthy, and both ventricles empty of blood. There were no clots. The heart appeared to be small. The lungs, outwardly were healthy -looking, but ne found them en" gorged with blood. There was no sign of pneumonia, pulmonary consumption, or pleurisy, and no serum in pleuro. ft either was there any aneurism. He next examined the abdomen. The stomach was distended with gas, and contained about a quart of thick pea-soupy liquid, with flakes of semi-diges-ted food. He saw no portions of lemon in it, but he had not properly examined it. There was no smell of opium or laudanum, or any other poison that he could specify. He had preserved the contents of the stomach in a jar. The liquid apparently did not contain bile. There were several patches of redness on the coating of the stomach, and some mucous, The intestines were healthy. He saw no reason to believe that it was a case of strangulated hernia, and thought it would be more satisfactory to have an analysis of the stomach. The inquest was then adjourned till tbi 19th, in order that the necessary analysis might be made.