THE EXHUMED BODY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6161, 14 February 1888, Page 3

THE EXHUMED BODY.

•r 1 An Adjourned Inquest. An inquest on tne death of Annie Watson was held at tlje Soyal Hotel yesterday, at 5 p.m., before E. Beethamj Esq., Coroner. Mr Arthur was chosen foreman of the jury. < The Coroner said th^t the jury had been called together to enquire into the cause of the death of the woman Annie Watson* and that Dr Guthriehad made a preliminary report as follows : — On Monday last he went to Watson's house in Falgrave street, Sydenham, and found deceased suffering from British cholera. Saw her again nest morning, and again on the evening of the same day, when she appeared to be much worse, and had the appearance of suffering from an overdose of opium. Next day, on calling at the house, he found that the woman was dead. He (the doctor) had ordered the woman small doses of opium, in such quantities as could not have done her any harm. Such was the purport of the information given by Dr Guthrie. Since then considerable evidence as to cruelty to the deceased by the husband had been collected. But Dr Guthrie, who had attended the woman at confinement and st other times, knew nothing about this, and always looked on Watson as a. kind husband, and solicitous for his wife's welfare and health. In his certificate Dr Guthrie said the woman died of English cholera, which was afterwards followed by congestion of the brain. It had been found necessary to order a post mortem examination to be made. It would be necessary for the jury to view the body in the ordinary course of inquest form, and it would follow for them to state if they thought a necessity existed for the Government analyst to make an analysis of the contents of the woman's stomach to see if there were any traces of poison therein. A post mortem examination of the body had already been made by Dr Symes, the Government medical officer, and at the adjourned inquest he would be prepared to make - a statement as to the conclusion arrived at by him as to the state of the body, and cause of death. At the adjourned inquest which, if held, would ba held in about eight days, the analyst's report on the contents of the stomach would also be read, and the evidence in connection with the case gone into. The jury, on returning from viewing the [body, entered into recognisances to appear at Warner's Hotel, on Tuesday, Feb. 21,at> 3 p.m., to continue the inquest.