INQUEST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue XXIV, 18 February 1902, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mrs Georigina Newell was held at the New Plymouth Hospital on Monday morning before Mr K. L. Stanford, S.M., Coroner for the district, and the following jury: Messrs J. D. Murray (foreman), John Irvin, W. J. Hohofield, G. H. McGahey, R. Nash, and Mich iel Nash, i Sergent Haddr.ill conducted the pro- > ceedings ou behalf of the police, and I called

Frank Ne*ell, machinest, residing! at New Plymouth. The deceased it my mother; I»it saw her on Wednesday, | she has b*en misting from her home since last Wednesday night, found h»r body about 11.30 en Sunday. We stared searching on Friday morning, and that day and Saturday we searched all along the btach, and en Sunday along th« Waiwftkaiko. Found the bedy at the bottom of a cliff 40 feet high. Identify the body as that of" my mother. She has been in the habit of wandering about amongtt her friends. She preferred saying in her own home and visiting amongtt her friends. Stii had friend* at Fitzroy, lira Shuttleworth, and ovidentaly was going there on Wednesday evening, ana instead of going in there, walked straight on over the e'iff. Shd was 65 years of *g». I Her general health was good. Her memory in eome respects was good, in others not, she had never before b ten away all night, They had always looked her up. , George Bertidge, joiner, residing in New Plymouth, was with last witness on Sunday, when we found the body of deceased, It was lying at the bottom of a cliff on the banks of the Waiwska'ho. I assisted te get the body rtp.

Sarah Yeo knew the deceased for seme time past. Met her last Wednesday at the Convent gate about 9 p.m. She was going towards the town. I was net speaking to her. She appeared all right. Saw nothing strange about her. i

Andrew Lind, police constable stationed at New Plymouth, was sent for on Sunday on the body of deceased being found. The body was lying at the bottom of a cliff on the bank of the river. The cliff was about 40 feet down. Wi»h assistance I removed the body to the morgue, Saw no marks on the top of the cliff. I fl. J. McOleland, a duly qualified medical practioneer, said he made an examination of the body of the deceased. It w«s that of a womtn between 60 and 70 yesrs of age. To. re wasja complete fracture ot the skull! over the right temple, and a large effusion of blood on the left bide of tirf brain, which wns otherwise normal. With the exception of the left kidney, all the organs weie healthy. The oauso of death in his opinion was toe fracture of the skull. The condition of the body was quite con<is6a»t with the supposition that she Ml over the cliff on Wednesday evening last. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased met her death in an accidental manner by falling over a cliff.