PATHETIC STORY.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 April 1926, Page 4

PATHETIC STORY.

MUSHROOM POISONING < SUGGESTED. ( WELLINGTON. April 7. ! The pathetic story of a former Christchurch girl's sudden death was related ' by two witnesses to .Air E. Page, S.M., ( in the Magistrate’s Court, when lie con. i ducted an inquest on the body of ( Ethel Pilkington .aged ‘Jo. ot Severn { Street. Island Bay, who died unexpect- f ediy. alter a few hours’ illness, on Mon- . day morning. . , < “AYe were engaged to he married and she was stooping at our plate with my people." said Arhtur Preston, t a young man. who was the first wit- i 11 ess to he called. “Deceased was in ( perfect, health, and to my knowledge . had never been ill. AYe went for a ( walk on Sunday night, and alter coming home had so]',per. 1 then went to fed and left Ethel downstairs with my ' sisters. About 8 a.ill. I was awakened I from itiv sleep by mv aunt calling out. ‘Come (town quickly, Arthur, and see . what’s happened to It-tliel. ’ , Preston went to on say that ’ ( rushed downstairs to find the girl lying on her hack near the pantry. She was unconscious and trying to speak. Dr Young was called, and the patient ur' put lo hod. AA'hen he arrived he s:iid she liv'd it be suffering from mushroom poisoning. The girl was immediately given an emetic, and though all tlm 7a mi I v fought hard to i rv and save her life, she died at 10.30 that morning. Air Page- When she went out with von for 'a walk did she leave you at all ? ~ AY it ness : No. sir. A\ e were togi'Lliei all Hie time. Had she been out on her own at ail that day? Did she make any purchases?—No. Witness also said he did not Know wire she had gone downstairs. I here was a medicine bottle nearby which mav have been poison. Airs Eleanor Pilkington. a widow, sat in Court weeping as site told her store. She said llvil Ethel was her "»*>' daughter, all that she had m the voi Id. On the night- of the Iragedy thay had been sharing » room, but she never noticed deceased go out once Hiev went to bed. The-v bad not. been in Wellington long. 1 hev had cot.io from Christchurch. Witness could give no explanation at all as to her daughter’s sudden death. Ethel was always a very healthy and very happy. Mr Page: Did you ever hear her at an -time express a desire, to take her own life or say that she was tired o. tilings? AYitness: No, never. AYitness then broke down and had to he assisted from Court-, i ‘-Deceased mav have died I rom ■ heart failure, hut in'the absence of any ■ organic disease I cannot account lor - her death.” said Dr Lynch, pathologist » a. AYollington Hospital, in giving eildeme as to a post-mortem examination f conducted bv him on the body. M lt- , , H , S s s ,iid the gill appeared to be quite l-ealtbv and normal. He could give no explanation for natural death._ amt t f.-,r that reason would like to nave t some foreign matter found m the body , examined hv the Government Analyst. The inquest was adjourned smo die pen dill" this being done. * 1 C I I .11 - ■