INQUESTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2343, 28 December 1914, Page 3

INQUESTS

DEATH FROM A FALL.

■ An inquest' was held by Mr.,,W. G. Riddell, S.M., at the. Magistrates Court on Saturday into the death of Margaret Whitman, a married woman, who was found dead in bed at her residence, 21 Frederick Street, on Christmas morning. y'- v . „'•,•'' Evidence' was given by Cornelius Ryan, a' lodger :in. deceased's ; '.house, that on Thursday evening she fell down in the' kitohen, ; receiving a' cut ,, , on the head.. . With the'help of her , son, witness washed deceased's head , and put her.to bed. At about 3.30 tihe follow-' ing ; morning • witness heard a noise which caused him- to, go. to deceased's room and he found her dead. . ■ Questioned as to , why he did-not send for a; doctor witness said he.,was confused and. went to bring a , woman, from across the v 'road. v . ■■'. ■ '..:.,;■: ..-.• PplicerSergeant. Trehey said he had known deceased for 18 months 1 as a woman of good repute and temperate habits. Witness, had visited;her house about an hour after she.was discovered dead. He had found on. examination , that she had a cut on the back of , her head about'an inch long and a quarter of an inch: deep. In the kitchen .witness had found a small pool of blood on the floor near the.table,'and was of the opinion that deceased, in falling, struck her head ngainst a, box protruding from the table.-. V : . \ . John Francis Whitman, son of deceased, said he was 21 yoars old, and an express driver by occupation. His evidence was corroborative of that ■'• of the other inmate of tlie house. . Questioned, witness said "it did not occur to him to get a doctor to see his mother, no'r did it strike him to bind up , the wound. He. admitted 1 (that : he should have got a doctor. .-, : .-■'.'•..;.'.." In r returnin!?. a verdict.that deceaße'd. met her death' through,injuriesycausedi by a fall, the Coroner remarked that seeing the effect of the injury the son should have- called in a doctor when his 'mother fell.. It might, not have altered the result, but it ,would have, been more satisfactory. \- : . ... ! .-"FOUND DROWNED.";- , - 'A second inquest was held by Mr. Riddell in the, afternoon on the body of Winifred ( Bailey, which , ;was found floating in the harbour on Christmas Eve. ' : •■ .-: -■•' '■ ■■ •■;•' '■■' '.-:,. - ■'■■ - :

John' Bailey, tolls clerk, employed by the' Wellington Harbour Board, said that deceased was his -wife'J.-. Hβ last saw her at a.m. on December 24 when he left for work. -Witness said •his wife was of sober "habits and the only worry she had had lately was the recent death of,her sister. Witness and his wife had always lived happily gether and he could think of no'reason why she should ; haye. committed any rash act. Witness'worked-at; tho Taranaki ; Street weighbridge, and /ho thought it possible that . in;;. walking along the wharf to meet.him,-his wife may have been blown over by the heavy gale .blowing"at'the time.' .' )' : r A v.erdiot of-found, drowned was returned by the Coroner... ' : '. '