A HASTY BURIAL.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13645, 10 February 1913, Page 6

A HASTY BURIAL.

EVIDENOE

INQUEST;

'. '■■\ y-\'l ■>..-■■ . ■ ■..-. » CORONER INTERBOGATES A

DOCTOR;

t'United i'utar Association.]

,;.: ,:,';;;;;; : \' < WeJUngton, -Fob, 9.. The inquest on: the,-'..'-'woman Jessie Edith lioult, or1 Mr*, jftiehards, was <*mtiriuedon Saturday.;; '■/• 1 v i)r.\V.t>odiiou&o, ac-fcing-rnedical superintendent of, the Wellington Hospital, said that deceased was admitted at midday on the 31st. Januarys — suffering from -burns on the. body. There wero some bruises on her back. She told .him that thre© weeke previo'ufily fihe had had an illno&s, and that afterwards sho liad-used iysol as-a disinfcKjtuat. 'liiat would, said the witness, account ior her condition. Shfe died on Wi'dnesday night. It was not possible to make an absolutely complete examination, owing to hor condition, without an anaesthetic, and she might have died under it. ■• tie reported -the doath to thepolice about 12.30 on the afternoon of the 6th. At tliat time he had not given a cei-titicato of death, nor had he instructed anyone else to give a certificate. He told the police that he knew the cause of death, but that it was a matter tor the coroner,; and he would .^uotf givo a certificato;until tht* corqner ha<l been informed. V On- the ;,l3rar'aday : j evening he understood that there was not Koi»K to 1 an >" inqwe'St. Until then he did not give authority- to bury the body. , . . , ■ • .. Sergeant llutlodgo said"no had mforniod tho hospital authorities'that an inquest woukl bo held. . The Coroner: And yet tho body get« Dr. Woodhouse: You seem to blamo me for something. ■'" Tlie Coroner: You gave authority to bury -the body in a case which you had already reported to the coroner, and you got no authority bwfck to bury the body. Dr Wood-house: Yes; we got the axithority back, as I thought. We got » message from the police which I thought to m(ean there was not to be an inquest, so I gave the certificate. " '' After soino further evidence had been taken the Coroner said it seemed that there had been some misunderstanding. The inquest was adjourned to allow investigations as to where certain medicines in tho possession of deceased came rom.