DEATH OF JESSIE HOULT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 33, 8 February 1913, Page 6

DEATH OF JESSIE HOULT.

The District Coroner (Dr. M'Arthur, S.M.) went to the Hospital yesterday afternoon for the purpose of holding 'ait .inquest concerning the death of the woman Jessie HouTt, also known as Mrs. Edith Richards, who was removed to the institution after having been found in a serious condition at a house in Lome-street, and who died last Wednesday. When ho went into the Morgue to view the body he found it was not there, and returning to the room where the enquiry was to be held, he asked the reason. Dr. "Woodhouse, house surgeon, said he had given, authority for. a certificate as to the cause of death to be issued. Dr. Fraser signed it, on his authority. Dr. M'Arthur said this was an extraordinary case. There was every reason why the body should not be taken away before he had given a burial certificate. Dr. Woodhousu said the body had been taken away fyom tho Hospital that morning, and buried in the afternoon. Senior-Sergeant Ruiledge said the^ woman's relations had buried her. The Coroner said there had been undue hurry over the matter, but ho did not nay it was on the doctor's part. Somebody had been in a hurry to get her out of tHe road. The Coroner then adjourned" tha enquiry until to-day. When' the' enquiry \va? ' fcuimed, 'Senior-Sergeant Rutledjrc, who appeared for the -police, informed tha Court that the deceased's proper name wa3 • Jessie Edith Hoult. ■ Dr. Woodhouse stated that deceased Was admitted at mid-day on 31st January. She waa suffering from burns in the lower portion of tho*body. There were some bruises on her back. She told him that three weeks previously she had a' miscarriage, and that- afterwards ' she had used Jysolas an injection! That would, said the witness, account for her condition. She died on * Wednesday night. It was not possible to make an absolutely complete examination, owing ,to her Condition,' without iin anaesthetic, and she might have died under it. He reported the death to the police about 12.30 on the afternoon of the 6th. At that' time he had not jjiven a certificate of death ; nor had he instructed anyone eke to give a certificate. He told the •police -that- lie knew the cauae of death, but that it was a matter for the Coroner,, and lie would not give a certificate until the Coroner ha,d been informed. On the Thursday evening he understood that tht'fe was not going to be any inquest. Ufilil then he did not give authority .'to bury the body. Sergeant Rutledge informed the Coroner that ho telephoned the Hospital that an inquest would be held. ' The Coroner : And yet the, body gets away. Dr. Woodhouse : You seem to blame me for something. The Coroner : You gave authority to bury 'a body in a case which you had already reported to the Coroner. And you got no authority back to bury the body. Dr. Woodhouse : Yee, wo ■ got the authority back, as I thought. We got a message from the police which I thought to mean there was not to be an inquest. Constable Whitehouse said .that at 4 o'clock on _ the afternoon of 6th February he delivered a messpge to the Coroner to the effect, that the woman was i dead, and that the doctors were prepared to give a certificate as •to the cause of death. The Coroner said that he would view, the body at 9.30 a.m. on the following day, and decide whether an inquest- should be held. To Sergeant Rutledge : Witness did not communicate s with the Hospital. On the applic3ti6n of Senior-Sergeant Rutledge the inquest was adjourned sine die for further investigation.