A SHOCKING CASE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2189, 13 May 1908, Page 3

A SHOCKING CASE.

A MOTHER NEGLECTED BY HER CHILDREN. DIES UNATTENDED ANil) ALONE STRONG COMMENTS BY TILE CORONER, Pross Association. CHRISTCHURCH. -May 12. Olio of the most, painful cases that have hoon investigated for some years in Christchurch occupied tho attention of the coroner (Mr 11. W r . Bishop) and,a jury this afternoon. It appears that- on Monday tho sudden death of tin elderly woman, Mrs Margaret Robinsoii, a widow, residing at Brougham street, Sydenham, was reported to tho -police. Sorgeant Bonier and Constable Baird proceeded to the cottage -to remove tho body to 'the nioi'guo and discovered a condition of -affairs that for filth and squalor could, hardly bo imagined. The body lay in bed -in an indescribable condition, while tlie bed clothes were simply awful with filth. 'Both of the officers were literally overcome 'with the stench and wero "attacked by violent sickness when performing their unpleasant duty. •At the inquest, tlie deceased s son, W'm. Robinson, aged 26, unmarried, gave evidence. He said -that bis mother was a -widow, 61 years of age. She lived with- him and lie found everything. 'Ho paid ;6s a week rent. His mother was -addicted- to drink, but sho -was quite well up to throe weeks ago. As a result of a full about that time, sho injured her hack and- she had -been in bed over sinco. His sister (Mrs Savaro) and he used to attend to her. She could not- walk or movo. Ho did not call iu a doctor. His wages amounted to £2 2s per week. On Monday morning he gave hie mother some gruel which sho drank at 6 n.m. and he left 'for work at 7.30 a.m. Ho returned at 9.15 -a.m. and found her dead in- bod-. 'She had been very weak and lie had to feed hor with a spoon. iPeoplo had offered to como in and help him. 'Margaret Savaro, a young woman, said that her husband was a 'bootmaker, Sho was deceased’s only daughter and lived some distance from her mother’s house. 'She used to call -every day at 10 a.m. to see her mother and since she had been ill, witness wentfrequently. Witness used to* wash, dress and -feed her. At 10 a.m. on Monday witness went to the house and found her mother dead. “I ought to have dono more than I did to koep her clean,” tlio witness tearfully admitted to the coroner. “Wo gave lier no stimulants. Slid told mo she had had a fall, -but I did not take much notfeo of what she said.” Dr. Irving, who had made a postmortem examination of the body, said that death was duo to pneumonia and advanced pleurisy. Tlie deceased must have suffered great pain. On tlie. left side there was a large bruise and- a graze evidently of long standing. He described) tho terrible state of the -body. The Coroner: Was there anything to lead you reasonably to believe that her life -would have been saved with care and'attention? .

Dr. Irving: I certainly think it could have been saved. There were somo large -bed- sores on the body and tlie woman evidently ■ could not have -been moved- for some time.

The Coroner: Apparently they let her wallow an hor own filth. Dr Irving: The body was in a disgusting -state of filth. The Coroner: There is no reason why her life should not have been saved by proper attention ? Dr. Irving: Her life could certainly have -been saved- by proper attention.

The Coroner: If neither the son nor the daughter took the trouble to clean lier that would be detrimental to her health ?

Dr. -Irving: Yes. Addressing the jury, the Coroner said- that this was one of that class of cases which unfortunately were occasionally met -with in cities. The evidence showed that there had been absolutely no excusable neglect on the part of those responsible for looking after this old- woman. -The son had been earning good wages -and was a single man, bu.t he allowed; his mother to remain in a condition that must have accelerated her death. She was suffering from pneumonia and pleurisy but there was no reason why, if -proper attention had been -given, she should not have recovered as those -were not very -serious complaints 'nowadays. Ins-toad of that, for three weeks, they allowed her to live like a log uncared for and unattended lying in her own filth. One morning she .was -found dead. It was a horrible story telling of abominable neglect on the -part of the only son and daughter towards their mother, -who at least had some claims on them. The daughter at least had the decency to attend and acknowledge that she had not -done all that she should. Tho question was whether by their gross, abominable and inexcusable neglect the son and daughter had contributed towards the decease of their mother and if the jury accepted the evidence o-f the doctor, the -answer must- be clear. It was extraordinary that these young people, who -professed affection for their mother, should allow such a state of things to obtain. It was horrible to think of the woman lying there neglected and unattended. If the jury consklered that death was hastened by neglect they should not hesitate to say so. Neighbors had offered assistance, but apparently the offer had not been well received by tlie people wlio -should have jumped at it.After a short retirement, the jury returned a verdict that deceased had died from pneumonia and that death was accelerated by gross neglect on the paid of her son and daughter. -Sergeant Rom or: That is tantamount to manslaughter, Your Worship.