RICH, BUT STARVED.

Shannon News, 18 July 1924, Page 4

RICH, BUT STARVED.

OLiD WOMAN’S DEATH. ONLY DIRTY CRUST IN HOUSE. Although the death, in Christchurch, of a 70-years’-old woman was, according’ to the coroner, Ml* H. Y. Widdowson, S.M., accelerated by starvation, evidence was given that she was worth about £4OOO. In her house was over £9 in uioney, but ah the food that the sei’geant of police, who made a search, could find, was a -dirty old crust, discovered in a drawer, and some butter. At an inquest held in Christchurch on Friday (says the “Sun”) into the cause of the death of Mrs .Elizabeth Hunsley, of 33 Montreal Street, whose body was found on Thursday, evidence was given to the effect that the woman had £I2UO in the bank and about £lO in the house, but all the food that Could be found when a search was made by Sergeant McKenzie was a dirty old crust of bread discovered in a drawer, and some . un-healthi-looking butter. Her estate Wfis of a total valuer of about £4OOO. The inquest was conducted by the Coroner, Mr H. Y. Widdowson. The body was identified by ' William, S. Hunsley, who said that the deceased was his step-mother, He had accompanied Police-Sergeant McKenzie yesterday afternoon, and found his step-mother lying on the floor of the front bedroom.

Dr. T. L. Croolte, who had been sent for when the body had been found, said that it was ill-nourished. He did not think that the woman had .been dead for more than a week. There were no marks' of violence on the body. He considered that death was due to natural causes. Signs of starvation 1 were discernible.

. The uiscoverer of the body, Henry Hammond; storekeeper, said that the deecased had been a customer of his. He had been asked by a neighbour if he had seen Mrs Hunbley reecntly. The inquirer said that she had not been seed in the neighbourhood for about a fortnight, and people were curious. Witness went to the house and found that all the doors were locked. As he reecived no reply to his knocks, he forced a back window and gained entrance. He found the deceased lying dead on the floor in the front bedroom.

Sergeant McKenzie, of Sydenham police, said that at about 11 o’clock he had been summoned to Mrs Hunsley’s house. There he saw her dead body. The house was in an untidy and filthy state, and - the bed-clothea were awful. The body was starved and emaciated, and the only food that he could Arid in the house was a dirty old crust of bread and a little butter. On the dressing-table in the room he found £4 Os 2di and later in a safe discovered almost £7 more. A Post Office Savings Bank book showed that she had £I2OO in the bank. A verdict was returned that the deceased had. been found dead, the cause of death being e l, due to exhaustion and accelerated by starvation. The Coroner said that it was strange that while possessed of so much money the woman should have been found in such a starved condition.