WOMAN'S DEATH

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 45, 9 March 1937, Page 14

WOMAN'S DEATH

Shock FoIIawing Taking of Poison MENTALLY DEPRESSED That death was due to shock jO ollow* ing a dose of poison, self-administered| at a time of severe mental depressioo was the verdict returned by the district coroner, Mr. A. E. Bedford, J.P., at the inquest at Napier yesterday into the death of Cecelia May JefEares, Qf Taradale. The proceedings were conM , ducted by Sergeant G. E. Bonisch. Dr. D. A. Ballantyne, house surgeoa at the Napier Public Hospital, said that at 12.20 on Sunday morning, the aca* bulance brought a woman to the hospi* taL Witness made the first medical examination. The patient was uncon* scious, blue in the face, and hei breathing was rapid and shallow. A distinct smeE of a poison came frocn the breath. Despite treatment the. patient rapidly sank, and death resulted at 1 a.m The woman was middle-aged. No other complaint was disclosed by the exaaiinatioh. The ao*» tuai cause of death was shock foUow* ing poisoning. The husband of the deceased, Bichard Jeffares, said that he was a grocer in business at Taradale. On Saturday, wit-» ness and his wife went to the racea at Napier Park. They arrived home at about 6 p.m., and Mrs. Jeffares wai very tired, and for some time past had believed that she was sufirering from a certain complaint. This worried her, and at times she becacne very depress^ ed, although she had previously bees medically examined and was assured that there was no necessity for her toi worry about the complaint. Witness Ieft home soon after 6 o'clock to g q to his shop, leaving his wife resting^ She came to the shop at about 9.30, and assisted her husband during the rush at the picture interval. It was her custom to xecnain until ihe shop was closed, but on this night witness advised her to go home, as she looked very tired. When witness went intof the house he smelled disinfectant. Ha saw a bottle and cup in the pantry,i His wife was on the bed and appeared to be peac.efully asleep. He did noK suspect then that she had taken poison, but was unable to arouse her, so ha communicated with a doctor. During her lifetime she had been often ilL She had not, however, expressed any inten* tion of taking her life. Constable J. Gartly, of Taradale, d*t scribed a visit to the house. He had known the deceased and her husband for 16 or 17 years. She had been ia bad health for some years, and was at ticnes excitable and worried. "The evidence is perfectly dea| that this nnfortunate woman has auffered from ill-health, and in a weak moment did something that she would not have done at an ordinary time, Death was due to shock following a dose of poison, self-administered, in a time of severe mental depression.