Inquests.

Canterbury Police Gazette, Volume XIV, Issue 8, 15 April 1876, Page 60

Inquests.

An inquest was held at Kaiapoi on the 14th of March, 1876, before Chas. Dudley, Esq., J.P.,. coroner, on the body of Albert Harrison, aged two years and three months. Erom the evidence it appeared that deceased’s father placed him on a dray, half loaded with gravel, to have a ride. They proceeded along the road about a quarter* of a mile, ; the father of deceased driving the horses. They came to a slight rut, and on the father turning round to look he saw the dray passing over his son. Death was instantaneous. Deceased had frequently ridden in the dray. The jury exonerated the father from any culpability in the matter, and returned a verdict of “ Accidental death.”

An inquest was held at Christchurch on the 17th of March, 1876, before J. W. S. Coward, Esq., J.P., coroner, on the body of Emma Eorty, aged 23 years, a domestic servant. Erom the evidence given, it appears that deceased had been unwell from 8 a.m. till 4.30 p.m. on the 15th instant, when she gave birth to a male child, and died shortly afterwards. There was no medical or other attendant with deceased during the time she was in labour, with the exception of her mother. Dr. Patrick made a post-mortem examination of the body, and attributed death to excessive flooding after confinement. The jury returned a verdict of Died from natural causes,” with a rider that great blame was attached to the mother of deceased for not calling in medical or other aid during her daughter’s confinement.

An inquest was held at Ashburton on the 25th March, 1876, before Jas. E. Trevor, Esq., J.P., coroner, on the bodv of a male child, thirteen days old, the son of Dennis Murphy. The child was in pain after it was born, and died in convulsions. The jury returned a verdict of “ Died from natural causes.”

An inquest was held at Christchurch on' 29th March, 1876, before J. W. S. Coward, .P., coroner, on the body of William James Burke, six weeks old.. Erom the evidence it appears that deceased was a healthy child from his birth. On the night of the 27th ms ant, he was in bed with his father and mother, and awoke about 3 a.m. on the, morning of 28th crying, but soon went off asleep again apparently all right. At about

5 a.m. the father awoke and found him dead. The body was still warm, but life - was extinct. The father went immediately for Dr. Townend, who promised to go and see deceased, but never went. Dr. Powell made a post-mortem examination of the body, and found it clean, well nourished, and no mark on it, and gave it as his opinion that death was caused by suffocation. The jury returned a verdict of Accidental suffocation:” <1 —• .

An inquest was held atTimaru on 31st March, before B. Wbollcombe, Esq., J.P., coroner, on the body of James Bain, aged 29 years, boatman. It appears from the evidence that the deceased and another man named Daniel Anderson were bringing railway sleepers ashore from a vessel in a surf boat, belonging to the George’s Street Landing Service, when they got the boat within a few chains of the shore, near a reef, she began to labour ' heavily,' and * seas ' broke over' her. The men showed, signs of distress, and . a whale boat was put off from the; shore, but before reaching the surf boat she was swamped by a heavy sea and the two men left struggling in the water. They were seen struggling for about a minute, and then they sank before assistance could be rendered. .No blame, is attached to any one. The-jury returned a verdict to the effect that: the “ Deceased was accidentally drowned.”

Ax inquest was held at Selwyn on 4th April, 1876, before C. J. Bridge, Esq., J.P., coroner, on the body of Edith Withell, aged one. year and seven months. Erom the evidence it appeared that the child was playing with her brothers and sisters, when she went away in company of her brother, who is four years old, to the watering place at the creek, about thirty yards from the house, to get a drink of water. In about five minutes the boy returned, he cannot talk, but he made signs to the r creek. Deceased’s" mother and another woman, named Elizabeth Campbell, immediately rushed to the creek, but were unable to find the child. The stream of the creek runs very strong, and deceased, was carried about forty-six chains down, where she was found by Charles William Withell half an hour after, and about two feet under water. The., jury returned a verdict of “ Accidentally drowning in a creek.”

An inquest was held .'at'Kaiapoi on Bth April, 1876, before C. Dudley, Esq., J.P., coroner, on the body of Annie Norrie, aged 31 years. It appears deceased, who was subject to fits, went to the river to'draw some water, when, it is most probable, a fit came on, which caused her to fall into , the river and be drowned. No marks of violence appeared on the body when examined by the doctor and police. The jury returned a verdict of “Pound drowned,” with a rider that they were of opinion deceased fell into the river during a fit of epilepsy :'

An inquest was held at Waimate on. the 10th. instant, before B. Woollcombe, Esq. J.P., coroner, upon the body of Lucretia (, y <e aged 21 years, wife of William Voyce, black-

smith, who died from . the effects of poison on the Bth instant. Prom the evidence adduced at the ' coroner’s inquest, it j appeared that deceased was in good health at 2 p.m. on. Saturday, the 8th■ instant, she having crossed" over a small . paddock to Mrs. Hawkins, a distance of about four chains. I She gave Mrs. Hawkins some under clothes ' for'-, her child“ r at the Same time she told Mrs. Hawkins she was going to leave her husband and go back to her 'native country, Chili. She then returned to her own house, and at about' 2.30 p in. same .date she was. found by William;. Ashbolt, the" journeyman blacksmith who boards in Mr. Voyce’s. He found her lying on a' box in her own kitchen, frothing at the mouth. He ran and told her. husband, and then Mrs. Johanna Eraser, and• also Mrs. Mary Hawkins, all of whom came in a moment, and they carried her to bed, where she expired. Dr. Cole, from Timaru, made a post-mortem, and removed the stomach and liver, placed them ’ in ' earthenware jars, and sealed them for analysation. ‘ The doctor, is, of opinion she died from poison, most likely strychnine. The jury returned the following verdict, “ Died from poison, but there is no evidence to show by whom administered.” •