STIRLING HOTEL FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 116, 7 May 1908, Page 2

STIRLING HOTEL FATALITY.

THE JURY'S VIiItDICT. DEATH FROM A FALL, l'er Press Association.

Dunedin, Last Night. , The inquest on the body of Mrs. Cornish, wile of the licensee of the Stirling Hotel, was continued last night after the telegraph office closed. Jt was commenced at, 1 p.m. oil Tuesday, and concluded at ;1.4j morning. /J-'he following additional evidence n'as given.

Lucy Knox, aged 10, employed .is housemaid at. tile Slirling ihitel fur nearly live months', last saw deceased alive at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the p-i"-sage. She rose at 5.45 a.m. on Friday, hut saw nothing of Mr or Mrs Cornish lilt between 2 and 3 p.m., when she saw

lh e former in the bathroom, getting washed. Slle had never known .Mr. and Mrs. Cornish. to quarrel, and they used to get on pretty well. Mr. Cornish always seemed sober, but deceased seemed always under the iulluence of

liquor . William Taylor, barman, employed for seven months at the hotel, said that during that time Mrs. Cornish had seldom been sober in the evening, and was mien drunk in the morning as well. Un the afternoon of Thursday last, deceased was very drunk. Witness last saw her that day at about 10 p.m. To the Inspector: lie had killed a nig, he believed, on the Wednesday pre- j ceding Mrs. Cornish's death. Mr. Cornish sat on the pig, holding its fore-legs, while witness killed it. Blood spouted out, and Ml'. Cornish got most of it. Mrs. Cornish was present during the process. She seemed middling drunk, and fell on entering the doorway. Witness was unaware that Xo. 4 bedroom had been occupied on Thursday night. Evidence was also given by Constable Marshall and Detective Hunt.

Inspector O'Brien referred to the statement by Cornish that there was a strange man in the house on Thursday night, and said he did not propose to ask for an adjournment to enable the police to get this man, il there was a knan, but would leave it entirely to the coroner and the jury.

The jury retired at 27 minutes to 'S, and returned at a quarter to four with the following verdict: —"We lind that ideceased came by her death by a fall, and in our opinion the fall would not

have proved fatal had it not been for the congested state of her brain brought, on by excessive -use of alcohol." The foreman added that they could not nay how or whore the woman fell, but she was in a state on the night in question to fall anywhere. They had examined the door of the bedroom, and came to the conclusion thill it was just as likely as not that death resulted ei ( thcv from a fall against the door or against : the architrave of the door.