CORONER'S INQUEST.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 3557, 2 May 1901, Page 3

CORONER'S INQUEST.

Yesterday. Mr W. Coltman, J .P., in the absence of the Coroner, held an inquest at the court-house, Waimate, touching the death of Mrs William Evans, of Leonard street, Waimate. The following juiy were sworn:—George I'ierce, A. Inkster, R. Brain, W. Freeman, J. Williams, E. T. George. Mr Williams was chosen foreman. After the acting-Coroner and the jury h;id viewed the body at the house of Mr I'.vans, the following evidence was , taken : Miss A. Evans deposed that she left deceased's house on the previous night at 10 o'clock. Deceased was then quite well, and seemed better than usual. £>he had not beer| ailing lately. William Evans, husband of deceased, deposed that deceased was in her usual health on Tuesday afternoon and night. Friends were in the house until 10 o'clock, and after that witness and deceased had supper and went to bed at about hntf-pasl 11 o'clock. They talked a few minutes. Deceased asked if it was twenty minutes to 12 o'clock. Witness said Yes, and deceased said she would try and get some sleep before the baby awakened. Witness was about to read when, deceased started coughing. She said she felt something like> a burning feeling. She sat up, and continued coughing. Witness told her not to strain herself. She showed him her hand and said—" How pale In getting." Witness thought she was going to faint, and he eased her down on. to the pillow. He got up and called the girl, and sent her to the doctor's. When witness returned to the bedroom deceased was very stiff and frothing from the mouth.

Witness raised her. She sighed, her muscles all relaxed, 'and -witness thought she was dead. He rubbed her near the heart and gave her some whisky. Dr Cruikshank came and said —" She is dead." Since her marriage she had had perfect health. The supper was one of toasted bims| pud cocoa. Margaret B. Cruikshank, a qualified medical practitioner, deposed that she was called very early on Wednesday morning to see deceased. Found her lying in bed. Breathing and circulation had entirely ceased. The body was still warm. There was froth coming from the mouth. There were no' marks of violence. She was well nourished. The surface of the body was pale with lividifcy of fingers and lips. There were no marks 01 corrosive or other poison about the mouth. There was no sign of miscarriage. The symptoms indicated failure of the'heart's action. ■"A blood-vessel may have been ruptured internally from severe coughing. A post mortem examination might cr might not reveal the cause of death more clearly than the external examination by witness. It would be impossible to arrive at the certain ca.use of death without a post mortem examination. The body had every sign of being well nourished and in good condition. There were external appearances of pregnancy. Witness had attended deceased during her confinement's, and was of opinion that at such times deceased would be likely to suffer from shock. After a short deliberation the jury returned a verdict that deceased had died from failure of the heart's action from natural cause.