SUDDEN DEATH.—CORONER'S INQUEST.

Kumara Times, Issue 2881, 22 January 1886, Page 2

SUDDEN DEATH.—CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquest was held at the Court House, at three o’clock yesterday afternoon, before J. Giles, Esq., District Coroner, and a jury of six, touching the death of Eliza Jane Macarthy, aged 13 (the adopted daughter of Augustine Sellars, miner, of Kumara), who died suddenly on Tuesday morning last. The following jurymen were sworn in :—John Mulvihill (foreman), James Vance Hellier, William Killeen, John Louis Ziegler, Bazile Bremond, and Thomas Green.

After proceeding to view the body at the late home of the deceased, the following evidence was taken : Thomas George Davy, sworn, said : I am a registered medical practitioner, residing in Kumara. On Tuesday, the 19th instant, at about 5 a.m., I was called to Mr Sellars’ house, to see Eliza Jane Sellars, or Macarthy, now deceased. I found her dying. She had difficulty of breathing, and I instantly opened the windpipe. She died almost immediately. I knew nothing of the case, or of the cause of

death, and I therefore made a post mortem examination before I got the Coroner’s order to do so. I found ample cause of death in the condition of the throat, larynx, trachea, and tonsils. They presented the charcteriatic appearances of diphtheria, inflammation, and the usual oedema of the glottis. Decomposition set in very early. There were no marks on the body except a small scar on the inner side of the right thigh, which might have been a post mortem appearance. The body was fairly well nourished. Deceased must have been ill four or five days at least, I should think. I consider the cause of death to have been diphtheria. I should suppose deceased to have been about the a<*e of 13. . °

Augustine Sellars, sworn, said: I am a miner, residing in Kumara. The deceased Eliza Jane Maearthy has been an inmate of my house ever since she was six years old. She has lived with us as one of my family, and she has always taken the name of Sellars. She has at limes had a cold, with difficulty of breathing. On Saturday evening last she appeared to have a cold, but nothing out of the common; we thought nothing of it. On Sunday she seemed not very well; but she went out without any difficulty. She took food up to Monday evening. On Monday morning I told my wife, if the child was not better, to call in Dr. Davy, When I came home she said she was better, and would go to school the next day. She was taken ill suddenly about three o’clock in the morning; and I went for the doctor. The doctor came with me, and on arrival the doctor sent me back for a director; On my return, the child was dead. Richard John O’Donnell, sworn, said : I live at Larrikins. The deceased was my sister. I have frequently seen her whilst she lived at Mr Sellars’. I never heard her complain of being ill-treated. I have always believed her to be well treated, and to be happy. Eliza Skipper, sworn, said: I live almost opposite Mr Sellars’. I have known deceased all her lifetime. On Tuesday morning I was called in a little after 4 a.m. I found her in a dying state. I was there a few minutes before the doctor. I stayed until he came, and helped him in performing an operation. I had not seen deceased, except at a distance, for a week previous to her death. I haveseen a good deal of deceased, she seemed a healthy child, and perfectly contented with her position. The jury returned the following verdict That Eliza Jane Maearthy came to her death at Knmara, on the 19th day of January, 1886, of and from the effects of a certain disease from which she did die, of natural causes, and not otherwise.”