INQUEST.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2614, 23 August 1882, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquiry, touching tho sudden death of Margaret Howard, was held yesterday at the Garrick Hotil at 3 p.m., before Dr. Coward and a jury of whom Mr Robert Walker was chosen foreman. After viewing the body tho following evidence was adduced : Geo. Wm. Howard deposed that he was the father of deceased, who was nearly three years of age, and bad been healthy from her birth. The family dined at 1 p.m. on Sunday off the stewed heart of a bullock and bread. After eating she oomplained of feeling sick, and after getting rid of her dinner felt better for some time. Three others who partook of the food felt a siokly feeling, the eldest daughter being very sick during tho night. For supper they had SHSt dumplings, boiled in tho liquor in whioh the ox heart had been boiled. All exoept deoeased partook of the dumplingß. Several times the deceased ohild j had some tea to drinV, and also partook of some short'cake, which was made out of Bamo material as the dumplings. In the evening deceased oomplained of soreness in the baok of tho neck, and went to bed early, vomiting frequently during the night. A little before five on Monday morning she dozod off. The oldest girl called witness about half-past gix o'olook, and told him tho ohild Margaret was dead. Witness got up at onoe, and saw that she was dead. He wa3 not aware there was anything else in the house deoeaßed could have partaken of. By the foreman —The child was quite well till dinner time on Sunday. By a juror—The dinner was cooked in an iron saucepan that was quite clean. Had no poison of any description in the house exoopt some preoipitate ointment. That was plaoed out of the children's reach. By Sergeant Mason—Two children wore not affected by the meal at all. The bullock's heart was quite fresh, portions of which, as also the liquor in whioh it wai boiled, have been taken by the polioe. Dr. Irving deposed that he had made n post mortem examination of deoeased afe 8 a.m. on Tuesday evening. There were no external marks of violence, but the hands were tightly [olenohed, and tho toes bent, as in convulsive cases. The stomaoh contained about a large teaspoonful of milkish looking fluid, the muoous membranes being much inflamed, and ia the lowest part a patoh of extravasated blood was seen. All the other organß were healthy, but the brain was muoh congested. He was almost sure that tho ohild had swallowed some irritant poison that produced convulsions, of whioh the ohild died, but could not say what that poison was. Had not made an analysis, but had presorved the stomach and its contents. By a juror—" Taylor on Poisons " says that merourial poisons would produce convulsions. At this stage, the Coroner stated that he should adjourn the inquiry for a week, to allow of an analysis of the stomaoh being made. The enquiry was accordingly adjourned till Monday, August 28th, at 3 p.m.