WOMAN ENDS LIFE

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 59, Issue 4176, 23 August 1939, Page 6

WOMAN ENDS LIFE

ACUTE MENTAL DEPRESSION. CORONER’S VERDICT. The death occurred late last night, under distressing circumstances, of Mrs Jessie Edith Anderson, wife of Mr Kenneth Anderson, of Pakura Street. At an inquest held this morning, before the Coroner Mr W. Jeffery, into the cause of death, Dr. Clough Blundell said he was called to the home about 12.30 p.m. on Tuesday and found Mrs Anderson lying on her bed in an unconscious condition, and deeply cyanosed. He had her removed to a private hospital, and all possible efforts were made to save her life, but death occurred at about 11 p.m. He had been attending deceased for about three years, and she was subject to frequent headaches, causing severe depression. He did not think she would end her life deliberately, and had never indicated any intention to attempt to do so. The husband, Kenneth B. Anderson, said he had been married eight years; their married life was quite nappy; his wife suffered greatly from periodic headaches which caused her, sometimes, to lose her sight and selfcontrol; but she had never threatened to end her life. She had returned on Saturday last from a visit to Auckland relatives, and thereafter seemed happy and bright. On Tuesday he returned home from work after midday. and the two children, aged seven and five, told him their mother had gone to bed sick. He found her unconscious. He called her doctor. To the Coroner.—His wife had taken tablets prescribed by the doctor on several occasions to ease the head pains. There were other medicines in the cabinet. He thought she had taken the wrong liquid while in a state of extreme pain. Evidence of identification was given by deceased’s step-father, Samuel Freeman, of Karori. The Coroner returned a verdict that Mrs Anderson died by her own hand, taking liquid poison while in a state of great mental depression.