The Late Suicide at Greytown.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1856, 12 July 1886, Page 2

The Late Suicide at Greytown.

THE INQUEST.

The inquest on the poor yonng woman, Mary Anne Bronghan, who terminated her life in such a sad manner on Thursday evening last, took place at the Courthouse, Greytown, on Friday afternoon at 1.20 p.m., before Dr Spratt, Coroner, and a jury of six, empannelled 'as follows H. Udy, sen., (foreman), H. W. Kemp ton, C. Higgins, T. A. Cox, G. Haigh, and J. Barnard. The Coroner explained the circumstances which had caused the inquiry, and recommended the jury to carefully weigh the evidence. He also pointed ont that if a person committed an act of self-destruction deliberately, and while in soand mind the law considered it a felony, but many oases of suicide resulted from an aberration ol mind by the person who committed the act. After the jury had viewed the body Mr W. Hammerich was sworn, and deposed that he was landlord of the Greytown hotel in the Main Street, Greytown, He said that deceased was, np to the time of her death, his honsekeeper, and had filled that position for ten months. Saw her yesterday afternoon about three o’clock ; we were talking in the dining room.

To the Coroner he said—She told me she wanted to go by the afternoon train to Wellington ; she asked me to settle with her. She told me that she wanted to go at once, as she wished to change her place. She said she was not well, and wanted to go to WeN liogton, as a change would do her good. I reasoned with her, and told hsr she bad better consider, as 1 did not want her to go ; she asked me to give her a reference and get it ready. I made ont a reference so as to satisfy her. I then asked her to reconsider her decision, and go to her room and have a rest. She generally took a little rest at that time of the day. I thought she had merely taken a freak in her head, as she seemed despondent. She never drank any strong liquor of any kind. By the time I bad spoken the last words the bus had left lor the station ; this was about 3.10 p.m. As she then could not go that day, 1 thought she would probably change her mind. When I asked her to retire and consider; she said, “ all right.” I then left her in the dining room and went into the kitchen where other female servants were. I then heard for the first time that she had taken laudanum, and had sent to Mr St George for more. And that she had sent in Miss Tioehurst to the chemist to get it, and Mr St George had refused to supply it. ' I then went back, and questioned her, when she said " It is nothing to do with you.” I questioned her for some time. After coming in the night before she immediately sat down, and wrote a letter to some person, and asked me for 2s. She then went straight to the post, and sent one shilling and enclosed stamps. She would not tell me where she sent the stamps; she posted the letter to Wellington. Alter speaking to her in the dining room yesterday 1 went into the garden, and about 1.30 the cook came to me and asked me what she should cook for tea—the cook told me she could not find Mary ; Mary always gave orders to the cook—we went upstairs to see if we could find her in her room, her hat and gloves were on the bed ; I nest went into the bar and asked Miss Smith if she had seen Mary go out, she said “No ” The cook by accident then tried the door of the dairy and it was locked, which is an unusual thing in the day time, the door was looked on the inside; I went round to the garden and tried to look through the window. The window was screened by a newspaper; I quickly ran round to the door, called Mr Lesser, my cousin, and also the groom, then smashed the door with an axe, we all three went in to gether, got a knife quickly and cut her down, she then fell lifeless to the floor, we picked her up and carried her to a bed where we laid her. I then sent a messenger for the two doctors ; then both came within a few minutes. They tried the usual restoratives but pronounced life to be extinct; 1 also sent for the police, and Constable Eccleton then arrived. 1 had no knowledge of any previous attempt at self-destruction on her part and had no previous reason to think that she was insane, She did her work as usual up to the last, she also eat her meals regular, and on the morniog prior to the act seemed quite cheerful at breakfast; she asked me if she could go to the usual weekly dance in the evening. I think she committed the aot while in a fit of despondency, I never had any altercations with her, never had occasion to speak a cross word with her. She knew her work and did it well. After hearing the night before from other servants that she had taken laudanum 1 had a ccitain suspicion tu-t her actions were peculiar, bat 1 know of no cause for her despondency. I received a small parcel per train for her this morning—that is the contents and parcel in the possession of Constable Eccleton, the parcel envelopcd a small medicine bottle from 0, Mee, chemist, Wellington, and it is labelled

" Laudanum, Poison.” The poison must have been purchased from the chemist by some plrsou she knew in Wellington, by the appearance of the label. Dr Smith deposed, I am a surgeon, practising at Greytown, I examined the deceased at abofit 6 o'clock laet evening, she was lying on a bed fully dressed on her back ; her fea> tures were calm and eompoaed, tbe pnpi's were fully dilated and immovable ; there was no pulse and with the stethesoope I found that the heart’s action had ceased, 1 abo found marks of constnctfui from a cord round the throat. I was afterwards informed that deceased had hanged herself. I examined the rope and the place where the act was corn* mitted. J. assisted Ifeis morning at a ppst

mortem examination of deceased, the body waethat of a s°ung wumai, a''ml 24, and well nourished. I examined the mark of the cord, it weut obliquely backwards, there was congestion of the brain ventricles; the longs were hardly congested and the heart was filled with dark blood. The liver, kidneys and spleen were highly congested, the windpipe parts were natural. We opened the uterus, she had recently menstrated, the womb seemed in a normal state, she was not pregnant. I did not observe any other symptoms. Asphyxia was the immediate cause, by hanging. I knew nothing of her previous to the examination. Dr Bey—l am a physician & surgeon residing at Oreytown. Was called last evening to Uammerich’s Hotel to see deceased. I had just returned from a case of sickness ; I went immediately. I fouud Mr Hammerioh at the door of the hotel; be said Mary had hang herself. I found the body lying on a bed ; the body was quite warm. 1 used artificial respiration to see if it was possible to restore her. On examiuation I oonld not detect any beating of the heart nor oonld I detect any life in the body ; the features were placid. I applied a looking glass, and there were no marks of breathing, so I concluded that she was dead. There was a mark of constriction round the upper part of the neck such as would be caused by being suspended by the neck. I next proceeded to the place where she was found. I took a measurement from end of ooid to ground ; it was a distance of sft. She was exactly sft in length herself; toes ja it touched the ground and nothing more. I observed marks on the floor. I have to-day assisted Dr Smith in making • post mortem examination, the only external mark of violence was the livid mark round the neck, the upper part; on opening the brain we found it congested, and the different organs of the body similar ; on dissecting the neck there was no fracture or dislocation or laceration of the mnselee of the neok ; the only diseased part was the atoms, their was a cartilaginous deposit; all the symptoms showed death caused by asphyxia, such as might be caused by hanging. 1 bad treated her before tor internal affection of the aterae. A cartilaginous ting was discovered near the neok of the womb, the ma n feature was pallor of ths whole body. She was a subject of anaemia. I have seen her frequently ; I did not consider her a person insane bat the acuteness of the disease might develop mania at the time; she suffered a good deal. I think from the nature of Ac disease, it might have caused a sudden insane action on bar part. I oonld imagine that some great depression might rssalt, a notioeable feature was the extreme pallor of the body induced doubtless through insufficiency of blood.. I have attended her sister for a similar itissasn It appears to ran in (hs family, a tendency to nervousness. I recognise the bottle prodnoed ; it was opened by Mr Hammerioh in my presence; I observed the addreee; the bottle produced contains tincture of opium or laudanum, a deadly poison, quite enough there to kill more than one person. 1 have heard of suicides clasping their legs and banging in that position. L. St George, chemist, Greytown—Hava known the deceased for the last 18 months; she was a frequent customer of mine, not being in good health. She was an annmio subject and of a nervous disposition, She was in the habit of taking ohemioal food. She sent for landanntn on the 20th of April tor tooth ache and face ache. Having known her as respectable had no hesitation in supplying her with two drams. I thought her trustworthy. According to the poison* act the purchaser must procure a witness unless well known. I jmt got ner to sign the book as prodooed. A few mornings subsequently Mrs Snowsheli came to me and cautioned me not to supply Mr Hammtrieh’s housekeeper, as she had a bottle of poison locked up in her box, and threatened to take it. She told me her reasons, end I advised her what to do if there was any symptoms ol poison. On sth inst;, little Miss Xioebnrst came to my shop and enquired for 6d laudanum. I enquired who it was for ; she would not at first answer me. She admitted nltimately it was for the honsekeeper. 1 rsfnsed on the ground that she was under 17 years of age. I beard nothing farther antil last night. Dr Bey informed me of the act of suicide. Mrs Eliza Snowsheli gave evidence to the effect that she had known the deoeaeed well, having to go to the hotel frequently to get clothes to wash she being a laundress. Knew deceased to take landannm bad noticed the fumes of it in her room, had onoe found hor ill in bed abont 9 a.m., aha looked white and clammy, and deponent asked her what she bad been taking, she said that she got laudanum from Mr St George ; she said she was restless and eouid not sleep, 1 aaked her what she got (he staff (or ; she said toothache, she said she took it in the dark and threw the empty bottle out ol the window ; I told her I would speak to Mr St George as she was not to be trusted with snob drags. She promised me she would not take it again ; she was frequently depressed and said many times that she wished she was dead, she was tired of her life ; I have known her 18 months ah* seemed worse the last six months.

The Coroner, after bearing some evidence from Miss Smith, the barmaid, who »u not sworn, asked the jury if they thought it necessary to hear further evidence. The jury were of opinion that sufficient evidence had been adduced. After retiring for a few minutes, the jury returned a verdict of temporary insanity and the Coroner concurred in the decision.