WOMAN’S DEATH

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20925, 3 January 1938, Page 13

WOMAN’S DEATH

POISON TAKEN VERDICT OF SUICIDE “It is quite clear from the evidence that this is a case of suicide," said the Coroner, Mr H. Morgan, at the resumption of the inquest into the death of Annie Augustine English, who was found in a dying condition on a section at the corner of Princes and King Streets on the evening of December 12. He returned a verdict that death was due to the effects of self-administered poison. Shortly after 9.15 p.m. on December 12 he was walking along King Street, when he heard the screams of a woman from the direction of Princes Street, said Robert George Bell, labourer, Timaru. Going in the direction of the screams he found a woman lying on a vacant section at the corner of King and Princes Streets. She was lying on her back. Her hands were on her chest and she appeared to be suffering pain. He attempted to lift her up, and she said “leave me alone.” He asked her what was the trouble and she replied “poison." In reply to a question she named a poison. She then said “take it out of my pocket, quick.” Dr King was summoned, and he arrived on the scene about 15 minutes after the arrival of witness. He gave the woman an injection. Katherine Frances King, Princes Street, Timaru, who accompanied Bell, gave corroborative evidence of the finding of deceased. She said that at the request of deceased she removed a packet of poison from her pocket and handed it to a man.

Lying on her back the deceased was very rigid when he arrived on the scene, said Dr R. D. King, Timaru. He could not find a pulse, and he gave the deceased an injection of morphia. However, she died within three or four minutes of his arrival. The symptoms were consistent with poisoning of the type of poison used. He conducted a post-mortem examination, and the stomach, part of the bowel, liver and spleen were forwarded to Christchurch for analysis. There were no external marks of violence. He was of the opinion that the deceased died as the result of poisoning. Evidence was also given by William Henry Edward Bennett, an old age pensioner, who lives in a house adjacent to the section upon which deceased was found.

A detailed description of the scene and the position of the body was given by Constable H. S. Alsop, Timaru.

She had viewed the body of deceased at the morgue, and it was the body of a woman who had taken a room at her house for two nights, said Mrs E. I. Head, Timaru. Deceased was not very talkative, and had not said anything about being worried. Apart from being very quiet, there was nothing unusual about the attitude of the deceased.

Police inquiries disclosed that the correct name of the deceased was Annie Augustine English, said Sergeant A. Black, who produced a report from the Government analyst, Christchurch, which showed that there was poison present in the organs submitted to him in sufficient quantities to cause death.

The inquiries made by the police to identify deceased were outlined by Sergeant Black. The poison had been purchased in Christchurch, where deceased had told a chemist that she required it to poison cats. She was given instructions how to use it to poison cats. The police were unable to ascertain where deceased had stayed in Christchurch, said Sergeant Black. However, it was discovered that she had booked in at the Balmoral Private Hotel, where it had been noticed that she appeared to be distressed. She had gone straight to her room. She had not been seen at the hotel since the day she paid her account. It was quite clear from the evidence that it was a case of suicide, said Mr Morgan. The evidence of a brother of the deceased showed that she was not financially embarrassed, and that on December 10 she sent the sum of £2O to her sister. The previous day she had purchased poison, and the inference was that the event was premeditated. There was nothing to indicate the true state of her mind, but it could be surmised that she was depressed. The medical evidence indicated that it was possible that she was suffering from abdomenal pains. His verdict was that she had died as the result of self-administered poison.