MYSTERIOUS DEATH

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 113, 5 February 1918, Page 3

MYSTERIOUS DEATH

« ONEPU ROAD FATALITY. Mr. W. G. Riddel!, S.M., held an inquest yesterday afternoon into the cir-, cumstances attending tho death of Dorothy Brett Haselden, aged nine years, who died in the Wellington Hospital on Thursday, January 31. Dr. A. T. Perkins stated that on January 31 He was called to 33 Onepu R.oad, Eilbirnie, and on arrival there about 1 p.m. he saw the child, who was then in a comatose condition. Her pupils were dilated, her skin was dry, and Bhe was in a dying condition. He was unable to form any opinion as to the cause of death. The child had evidently taken something internally, probably some poison. 'Charles Stanley Fraser, acting house surgeon at the Wellington Hospital, said the child was brought to the Hospital on Thursday, atid when ho saw her between 3 and 4 o'clock that day she was in a semi-comatose condition, and she had a severe convulsion while lie was present. The pupils of the eyes •were dilated, and would not react. She was vomiting continuously, and sho continued in this state unt'i her death, which occurred at about 7 p.m. On the following day a post-mortem examination was held, but nothing was discovered to indicate the cause of death. Certain exhibits were handed to the police for examination by the Government Analyst. On the child being admitted to the Hospital the stomach was washed out and the washing sent to the Analyst. He was unable to state the cause of death; probably the girl had taken some kind of poison, her condition prior to death being consistent with that opinion. George William Haselden, teller, Bank of New South Wales, said he resided at 33 Onepu Road, and he was the father of the deceased. His daughter had been in splendid health during the past two months. On the night of January 28 the child was. ill. She vomited a little, but nothing to cause alarm. On the following day she was a little bit listless and spent most of the day lying on the sofa. On Wednesday she appeared quite well, and played about until 3.30 p.m., when she came indoors and helped her mother with sewing. She went to bed soon after tea. About midnight en Wednesday, or very early on Thursday morning, witness heard her switch on her light, and he went into .her room and asked her if she was all right. ..lie replied that she was. She was asued if she had eaten anything to upset her! but she replied that she had not. She then looked as if she were suffering from a bilous attack. Witness saw her again after brealrfast. when she said she was all right and wmld * un. Dr. Perkins was sent for soon after 9 a.m. The next witness heard child was when his wife telephoned to him about 2.20 p.m. to J ay that she had been,*aken to the Hospital. Witness had the coprosma (taupata) growing near his place, and the seeds discovered about the cl "}., thought were coprosma seeds. Witness I so Ld the deadly nightshade grownig near his house but it was in flow just now and there were no beines on At'this stage the inquest wasjidjurned sine die for the Analyst s iep •.