THE INQUEST.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12883, 17 June 1913, Page 8

THE INQUEST.

. &RISTCHURCH, June 16. An inquest was held this afternoon on the body of Jane Veitch* an elderly woman' who died at the hospital on feunday .as the result of injuries arising from burns. Francis L. Scott, medical superintendent of the hospital, said that doce^ed uas admitted to the institution suffering from burns on her head, chest, and arms. She was alsq suffering from severe shock, from which bhe did not rally. Thorna.<? Veitch said ho lived with his wife at 24 Manchester St. On Suiklht he arose and got hi* breakfast. The de-oased- was sitting by the fire and witness, after giving her her breakfast v jvomc Iwiek to bed. After a short timo hr> v\oko up to find smoko coming into the bedroom. H<> rushed into the kit-chi-n and found his wife enveloped in flames. Iving on thp floor close to where ho had left her. She sang out. "Torn, give me a drink of cold water." Witness could not aeeount'forr&eriroatchiTig on fire. She-wo* not subject to fite. 'i'be-Coroner r I don't understand this at all. You.sve.nt to»l«<d-nand had n si«?ej». and 'then found h^r in ftames oa .'the flo6r/ 'Why did she not call out t-o you? Witness: I neve1 * heard a sound. ( ,T''n C"M-oiv*r: Did jou havo any drink in H'3'jooin? , 1 Witness • Sho had a bottle of whisky that morning;. The Coroner: I thought so. -In reply to further questions by t!i^ CV>r?ner. witness Raid that he had had i*.-* whisky. Tll^ rler>ori<:';rl ap^^arrel -snbiiv when he went to bed*.' TJnere was1 ■ni>out lialf a jug of wlrskv in the place fU«i" mornintr Th<» dereascd was not ni the4ialr.t of dn'nkiag, but took a little now and again. The Cbronor recorded a verdict t^nt deceased died from burns widentallv w-tMved, but in what way thcr© was no evidence to show.