INQUEST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16, 1 June 1868, Page 2

INQUEST.

Ail inquest, touching tlia death* of Mm Harriot Campbell and hur infant Jaon Jams < 'ampbcll, wa» bold by J. S. Coward, £bq.» Coroner, on Saturday, at 4 p.m., at the Quecn'i) Hotel. A jury having been empanelled, of whom Mr l\ Leslie was cho&ea foreman, they proceeded to viaw the bodies. The following oYidcnre w»b giivn :— Jam ca Campbell Bald j I am {he husband nn«l father of <(cc4MC<i. OaThuradwy night I came home ; Uie two children were ill with tho whooping couuh t my wife and myielf tat up until 12 o'clock nuraing them. I then wont to bed, and loft her walking about with tho deceased child • I told her to wake me at three o'clock, when I would twrrt the child. Soon after, the baby went off to aletp, and ■he gave it to me. It woke up again in a few minute*, and began crying. Deceased took the child a Kcond time. I heard the dock strike 009. Deoeaied then went and

•At down by the flro to warm hornolf . I put Uio other an\h\'n arm round my ncok nnd foil Ailccp. I could not havo boon iihlcop moro 3 than a quarter of an hour, wlu;i» I heard • flouminomoihlng like a groan; , I jumped out of bed, and *aw the dcacasi'd child lying fn front nt the flro In a blazo, and my wlffi lying with hor bond nßiiliiHt tho coal-b'X, her legn ntrctohed out in front of tho flr<i, «nd all hor clothofl on flro, I toro tho oloiheji o/J thorn both an well m \ cou'd burning j myself very much, and culled for 1 help, II rushed out and got a bucket of water to put out the flumcfl. I then rained my wlfo Ip • my arms and tried to got hor on tho bed, an<jl aont for medical anslHtnnco, Dr House Hoon oomo, and aftorwards I>r Mottloy. [ By tho Corotwr s Thoro wan a small brlghp ooftl flro, My wlfo was not ablo to toll mo tho cniiflo. Hho wax Hiibjoct to flts about once a month i somotlmcH hlio hud two In ah hour. Tho last ono who a fortnight fllnco. ; ! ' By the foreman s I could not nay that • VH»*tt flho ouiigln flrn nho wan fn a (It. I WJHinm lloburtn ntiitod i My iioutie adjoinn Oampboll'fl, Thoro i« only a thin wooden partition bntweon v«, I saw tlw d<i<«'<wod «t unlf p»et 10 o'clock, <m Tlmwday nlglu. Hho wa« then in my twnu. At about half p;mk ) 1 vr«» ftwoke by domnrnii. I inntantly got nut of bed, nnd an hood nn I vrao In the kitchen, I flaw b , grout omnko. I cried flr(»," and ran hit^ Cwnpbßll'ji hoHSfl, Whciti I w>l in I «-iw bis wlfo on tho fl *O(*f her hack wan to tlio ooal« box, ftnd lioi* Iflgn stretching nonius tho flre« plaoo. Rha nocniod to bn In a fir, nnd could not npeak, Campbell had tho child in ono arm. with bin other hand bo w<h tearing the clothes off tho moMifl**, I t<\oU. tho child from him, Captain Himmonda uamo In, and fgavo tha child in him, and wont for Drltouno, who oamo nt onco, By tho dnronorj I have of(M «««« <ho de ofiaood In flloj mimeUuuiS flho bad throo or four In ft day. Hho often foil down whilnr «ho vtM in ll>om. Thn dcocnflcd, whon wo lifted her, Raid, « What havo i dono ? Lit mo go to bed." if, T. Honno stated j I am fl duly qiwllfled medical tinuitKlmiflC A* 2 am nn Friday , morning \ w«fl «h1I«<1 «p bjr tiio Innt witnosB f to «C OMm CAmpbull and her child, On wsflbing tbo hnui'o I found Mm <lampb«ll ■unpartod on tho bciit with tlio grorttof portion of hor olothcn burnt o(Ti Hut ohlld vr(W 111 tho oftmo condition, Imu tnv l)r Mottlay. I removal tho ronialnlng oloUiuh from Mr« CtLmphdlyHnil found tbo right .*Mo burnt from tlie foot to tho nrmplfc, tfitt right brcnfltwoii yory deoply tnivnt, tho rfKht "rat <jh«rrc<l «tul perfectly rigid \ tho loft «l<lo and leg woro burnt halfway up, Hlig wa« In great flgonyj and AflvorAl (Imon m\h<i\ what nho hnd dono; I droßocd tho bnrn» and attended bor tilt »ho j died thiH morning, Tho child died yenterday t both itn legn wcro severely bitrnod, the rl«lit ililo, client, face, and Ikuklh w<r«al«o flevoroly burnti I littvo ktiown Ui« tIMQUMiI for eigbi yoftrfl, and havo attended her for burns whioh «lio had received from hot irons whilst in fltfl. '■ Byfljuron I havo no reason to doubt tbo ■ itntcmontn of tho wltnconcH, and am of opinion thnt tbo \ktx>mA fell into tho are whilst in a fit, The Coroner riafd th» ovidonco glvon by tbo wltnennon wnn very conitlusivo, Tho jury, without rnilrlnsr, returned a V«rdlofcof "Accldcntul dtath,"