A TRAGIC SEQUEL

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1837, 25 August 1913, Page 7

A TRAGIC SEQUEL

TO WARKWORTH CASE.

MRS. HALL HANGS HERSELF* 1 IN THE ASYLUM. (B*. T«lecr«>li.-PrMj AosoolUlon.l Auoltland, August 24. \ A' 6equol to the rooont tragedy at Warkworth occurred on Saturday, when Mary Winchester Hall, who stood her trial at tho Supremo Court on Wednesday on a charge of murdering tor daughter Isa.bel May Ilall, hanged Jicav' self at tho Auckland Mental Hospital. ' At tlio trial, tlio jury found Mrs. Hall 1 not guilty on tlio ground that sho was l insano at tho timo of the commission of j tlio offence, and (tlio judgo thoroforo ■ ordored lior to.be committed to a won-' to! hospital ufitil tho pleasure ol; tlio l Minister for Justico was known. ' Ibt appears that Mm Hall was orderod byt Dr. Beattio to bo kept under constant*', observation, but that, owing to tlio overcrowded state of tho place, this was not altogether possiblo. About three o'o'ock' on Saturday afternoon sho was vlsitod 1 ' hy a nurso, who returned about tenj minutos later, and tlio unfortunate woman was then found hanging by a sheet] scoured to tho catcli on tho window,i sash. Life was then extinct. . / An inquest was held at tho to-day by Mr. E. C. Outten, S.Mi

Doctor's Admonition to Nurso. Dr. R. M. Beattio, medical Buporin* 1 tenddnt' of tlio Mental Hospital, suitedthat Mrs. Hall had been admitted on an' order from tfy), Supromo Court on. Thursday. Ho had soon'tho patient onj' the day that sho was admitted,, w'hci] sho was apparently sano, but emotional! and distressed. She had., complamodf. about being sent to a mental. lioiijitaJJ' and had said that slio was not anal, that sho could not possibly stay amongst tho people there. On Friday moraugj Miss Wood had drawn his attention to tho fact that Mrs. Hall had a nw-h onj hor body. Ho had soon lier immediate*' ly, and had told Miss Wood tliat lig thought that tlio patient was of o day tendency, and that ho wished bet to bo transferred to No. 2 hospital wirdJ . Sho still scorned sano and waß vory much! less .distressed at: this. timo'.; .Abdat' 41 p.ui. on Saturday tho matron had como: to him, and had taken him to tho ward where ho had seen Mrs. Hall's body oiy tho floor. It was n, general rulo that pationts disclosing a suicidal' tendpnotf were not allowed sheets>owing( to thq fact that'they were easily torn.; H&aU tributed the fact that tho patient Bad*, been able to hang liersolf to tho oVer-j crowding of tho institution, which had resulted in tho matron _ being worked and had mado it impossible' her to oxerciso proper supervision, Asylum Matron's Evldenoo. Tho matron, Sophia Campbell, pavof similar ovidonoo, and stated'that she had often wondorcd that accidents had not occurred before on account of t!ho overcrowding of tho institution. Error ol Allowing Sheets. Tho jury found that Mrs. Hall c&fflQj by hor death by hanging horsolf with & sheet, and added that she waa enabled to do this by an orror of judgment in allow* ing hor to liavo sheets, * ;