INQUEST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4538, 9 November 1882, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest was held this rooming, at the Clarendon Hotel, before Dr J. W. 8. Coward, Coroner, and a jury of thirteen, who chose Mr David M'Lean as their foreman, touching the death of Ellen Bennett. The following evidenoe was taken :—

Dr Symes : I have made a post-mortem examination of the body of deceased. I found she had suffered from recent pleurisy. There was a large quantity of fluid in the pleural cavity, on both sides; with much recent lymph binding the lungo to the wall of the chest in many places. The lungs were edematous ; the air passages were filled with a frothy fluid; the right side of the heart was diseased ; the liver was muoh enlarged and fatty. There wore no external marks of violence. A mustard poultice was on the chest, leaving marks there. The cause of death was acute pleurisy and edema of the lungs. William Stanliok, farm labourer: I live in the Caledonian road. I have known deceased about two months. She lived near tho Normal school. Bho was a widow. Bho came to my place on Saturday morning at 6 o'clock, nnd aiked to ba allowed to stay a few days as she had been turned out of his house by the man sho lived with. She had a very bad cold and oough, as she had been out all night. On Monday B he went to see Mr March, who gave her an order for admission to the Hospital. Bhe was to go on Tuesday morning, but she then felt too ill to go. She died tho same evening, In answer to tho jury, the witness oaid that deceased had complained of being «' mauled about the stomach. Samuol Fluellen, police conatftble : I heard that deoeased had complained of being turned out, and made to Bleep in tho closet by the ™ n Bennett, whom *he was living with. A made enquiring from the man living next door, Alfred Charles Goodger, vrho told me th a ' Bennett and deceased had given tip poßsession of tho house to the landlady on Friday nitjht, and had pone down the town. He said that deceased returned to the house some time about ono or two o'clock en Saturday morning. Sho had rapced at his door and asked to be let in. Ho told her ha would not let her in. He found in the morning that she had slept in the closet all night. He oaid that eho had told him that Bennett had ai»ked hor to sloop at an hotel that night, but that she had declined. I asked him if sho had complained of Benae't assaulting hor. He snid she never said anjtlrng of I.ho kind. He said that she told him the witness Stinlick had askod hor to go and take charge of his children. Goodyer advised her to do so, and gave her threopenoo to got somothing to drink. Ho noticod that she had a shortnefs of breath, and was not well. The Coroner offered to adjourn tho inquest for the ovidencD of rho man Bennett, if the jury thought it desirablo. The jury wero oatiefiod with the radical evidence, and ret'.rnod a vordict of "Death from natural causes."