LATE SUDDEN DEATH OF MRS. QUARRIE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 369, 29 June 1877, Page 2

LATE SUDDEN DEATH OF MRS. QUARRIE.

The following is the conclusion of our report of the inquest touching the death of Mrs. Sarah Eleanor Quarrie, which was brought to a close late last night:— Dr. De Lautour deposed : Shortly after 1 o'clock on Thursday 1 met George Quarrie in Thames-street, and from what he told me I went up to his mother's house in Reed-street. Miss Quarrie and Mrs. Dougherty were then in the house. Mrs. Quarrie was lying on her back in the dining-room quite dead. She could not have been dead many minutes. There was a slight abrasion on the bridge of her nose, and a lacerated wound on the chin, lon the left side of the lower jaw. There was also a lacerated wound, which was bleeding, at the back of her head, close to the junction of the head and neck. It was a little to the left side of the middle line. The clothes had been opened at the neck, and the hair and clothes were wet from water. I asked how the affair happened. Miss Quarrie said that her mother had had a fit in the yard, and had fallen with the back of her head against the fence. I examined Mrs. Quarrie care-

fully to see that she was dead, and having satisfied myself that she was, I left. I saw the body again the same evening, between 7 and 8. They sent for me again as they thought from the body being warm that there was life in the body. It was quite dead. On Friday I made a post-mortem examination of the body. I tirst examined the body for external marks of violence, and saw the wounds which I have mentioned. On the nose there was a fresh wound over an old scar. The wound on the lower jaw only extended through the skin, and was not in any particular form. The wound at the back of the head was about an incli and a half long, running in a horizontal direction, and was situated over the inferior curved line of the occipital bone. The wound extended through the skin down to the bone, and I could feel a depression in the bone in the external tablet. The skin of the scalp round the wound was a good deal bruised ,and infiltrated with blood. 1 could find no other marks of violence. I then proceeded to remove the scalp, but found no other bruises anywhere on it. On exposing the brain, the veins on the surface seemed somewhat congested. On removing the brain, I found on the inner

side of the occipital bone, at a point corresponding to the external wound, a depressed fracture of the internal tablet. The dura mater over the fracture was detached from the bone, and some blood effused between it and the fracture. There was a slight fissure running from the flesh fracture to the foranum magnum. I could find no other fractures in the skull. The brain seemed to be slightly congested, but in every other respect appeared to be quite healthy. On exposing the chest, I found the lungs quite healthy. The heart was rather small ; there was very little blood in the right ventricle. There was rather more fat than usual round the coronary arteries ; but in every other respect the heart seemed healthy. The liver was very much enlarged, and was suffering from fatty degeneration. Tiie stomach contained quantities of partly-digested food. It seemed quite healthy. The intestines j were quite healthy. The pancreas and spleen were healthy. The kidneys were fatty. There was no disease except of the kidneys and liver, but the fattiness of the liver was the result of drink. Hierapicra is not a poisonous drag to a great extent. The head all round was soft. The wound could not have been caused by a sharp instrument. I heard the evidence of Miss Quarrie. I could find 110 symptoms of a fit on the deceased. Ido not think Mrs Quarrie died from a lit. It would depend upon the weight, hardness, and density of a piece of wood a foot rv.id a half long, and as thick as Daniel Quarrie's wrist, whether it caused the wound described. It might have done so if used with sufficient force. Tne other two wounds had nothing to do with the woman's death; they were not fatal wounds. I cut some pieces of wood off the shed, and examined it by a microscope. I found what I believed to be human blood. I had no chemicals to enable me to swear positively that it was human blood, but I believe it was. I took some blood from my own linger, and examined in the same way. Either of the face wounds might have been caused by Mrs. Quarrie falling | against the shed, but not the lacerated wound on the back of the head, as she could not have struck that part very easily. I should conclude that death resulted from the shock to the nervous system caused by concussion of the brain produced by the blow or violence, whichever it might be, that caused the fracture of the skull. A fracture of the skull in itself would not be sufficient to cause death. To the Foreman: No hairs were scraped off the edge of the wound, If the woman had fallen down in a fit it would not have accounted for the smallncs? of the quantity of blood found. Lacerated or torn wounds always bleed less than a clean cut. Had she died in an apoplectic or other fit I would have found indications of it on the brain. I am quite convinced that death resulted from the shock caused by concussion of the brain. To Mr. O'Meagher : The first time I saw the horse-shoe produced it was near the gate. You drew my attention to it. You also drew my attention to the stains on the house, but I cannot say if it was blood stains or not. Giddiness may have been induced from various causes. If the deceased had died from apoplexy I should have found some indications of it. I did j not submit the brain to microscopical examination. It would have been impossible for Mrs. Quarrie to. have fallen with sufficient force to have caused the fracture. It would have been impossible for the wound at the back of the head to have been caused to such an extent by a fall. The part where the wound was—at the junction of the head and neck—is protected by the back of the head and the shoulders. If Mrs. Quarrie was very straight the wound might have been caused by her falling on 3. stone, The blood on the shed might have been caused by her falling against it. The blood stain extended about two inches along the timber. Deceased could not have fallen with sufficient force to have produced the fracture, as the skull is very thick there. The fracture is the result of direct violence, and not of indirect. A piece of manuka wood such as that mentioned might have produced the wound. A round piece of wood without any sharp ' edges could not have produced the wound. A depression of the skull would cause a fracture of the substance of the bones. There was no effusion of blood on the brain. To Sub-Inspector Smith : The wound could not have been caused by decea sd falling on the horse-shoe. She could not have caused the wound by falling oa a stone, if she fell forwards. Death° would be almost instantaneous in such cases; there would be no struggle.

g To Mr. O'Meagher: The fact ofß I left ventricle of the heart being a,\M ;, empty was quite natural. ■} e Witness : I omitted to state at the M g mencement of my evidence that, at I t post-mortem examination, I noticed M a mortis had cmnnenced slightly, if I To Mr. O'Meagher: If Mrs. QiiJj 1 liad fallen backwards on a log of woofl s do not think it would have caused aufl e fracture as that received by deceased,H . would have caused the wound, but m - the fracture. The fracture was caused} 1 direct violence. rj 3 Mr. O'Meagher said the reason fori! i puttinar these questions was that H - ground was not examined immediafl : after the oecurre/ice. rj 5 This concluded the evidence. J l At the request of Mr. O'Meagher, t jury proceeded to inspect the place wh s the deceased's deatli occurred. On i turning to the Court at G. 30 p.m., jury were re-sworn. The Coroner then addressed the jury ; great length, reviewing the evidence. said that the chief evidence, as tending i show how deceased came by her dua was that of Sergeant O'Connor, Thou ■ Richmond, and Dr. De Lautour, and jury accepted the evidence as concilia! as to the manner in which death \i caused, they would then have to inqui whether .any person was responsible ( that cause, and if so, whether that porg was guilty of murder or manslauglit He felt justified in referring to Dan Quarrie by name, after the evidet which had been taken, more especial taking his own admission into accent There was other evidence to show that, making that admission, lie was, in all pi bability, speaking the truth. If the ju found that Quarrie had really caused I mother's deatli, they would then have take into account what provocation, any, he had received, and whether then committed by him was committed in t! heat of blood, or otherwise. Tliotimoo cupied was short indeed. One witnc stated that it was only a minute and half from the time Daniel Quarrie left tl room until his brother George was sui moned out by the sister. The Coron then referred to the statement as to d ceased having struck Quarrie with a torn hawk, and pointed out that if this hi been done it had probably not been doi without some cause. He then proceed) to point out that if, as stated by Quarri Ire had thrown a piece of wood at li mother, he had evidently not done it i self-defence,- as they had it in eviden that the deceased left the kitchen ai went outside, but did not appear to haj done so precipitately, as if in any t'-»ngo and it would appear that Daniel toov i the piece of wood and threw it after he Having read over a number of authorise and cite.l cases defining the offences ( murder and manslaughter, he intimate that the jury would now have to conside their verdict, and that the deposition and works cited would remain for thoi reference. The Foreman inquired whether tin jnvy were to attach any weight to th evidence given by Daniel Quarrie. The Coroner said that if that evidonci had been obtained by any person in authority in consequence of any induce ment held out it would not be good evl dence ; but in this case no such iuduco ment had been held out, the statement being purely a voluntary admission on the recommendation of a friend.

Mr. O'Meagber asked that a discrepancy between the statement alloyed to have been made by Quarrio to Richmond and that afterwards made by him to Shaw might be pointed out to the jury. Sub-Inspector Smith also called attention to the evidence of Dr. De Lautour as to the cause of death.

After some further remarks, the Foreman said : Some of the jury wish to know if one medical man's evidence ia considered sufficient ?

The Coroner : In some cases it might not be—as for instance in a case involving a charge of neglect or fault on the part of a medical attendant, but in an ordinary surgical case I think it is. The Foreman said that some of the jurors seemed to think that they ought to have seen the wound at the back of deceased's head. The question had been put to the doctor, who had stated that there was no necessity for so doing, The Coroner said that lie had understood that the doctor would have shown the jury the injuries if desired.

The jury retired, and after deliberating for two hours and forty minutes, tho Coroner was sent for.

The Foreman then said, that after a great deal of consideration, the jury had unanimously agreed to a verdict of manslaughter against Daniel Quarrie. Quarrie having been charged in tho usual manner, said, "I reserve my defence."

He was then fully committed to tafco his trial at the next sitting yf the {Supremo Court at Dunedin.