FATAL DRINKING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 327, 20 January 1909, Page 4

FATAL DRINKING.

A.N AAIAZI.SU iiTOKY. Kevelutious of secret drinking deseribwl by the City Coroner as amongst the Horst he lias ever known were matte in die Coroner's Court, Loudon, rcccntlv, at an inquiry iuto tile death of Airs Louisa Maria Wilson, wife of a Dirmhgiiam doctor. Mrs Wilson died in "a fleet street temperance hotel of heart failure consequent oji alcoholism, with only her uepuew to attend on her, and lie, it was stated, supplied her with the fatal liquor. Lai'klniul -Maclean, tile aephew, was called. He said he Had been adopted by Airs Wilson us her son, and was leading for the medical profession. He came up from Birmingham to London with her and having put up at the hotel, he went out and bought a bottle of brandy' because she had been upset by the motion of the traia. He drank a quarter of the bottle himself and she had the rest. Later she died after she had sent for a doctor. The hotel housekeeper said she was called in and fo.und Mrs .Maclean leaning over his aunt's bed in an agitated loudition, and was told by him that -his mother'' suffered from peritonitis and required morphia. The signs were not peritonitis, however, but acute alcoholism. After administering morphia, he took Mr. Maclean aside, having been informed by him that lie was a doctor, and said, "You know very well you aiv not in a condition to look after your mother," and suggested a nurse. Mr 1 Maclean replied that he would "pull him;elf together." In the morning lie received another telephone message, but on attending refused to administer any more morphia, c-pccially in the absence of a nurse. Air Maclean's condition was worse and lie :'cll down twice during the conversation. Eventually, on seeing her twice again, witness sent for another doctor, intending to administer strychnine. Hut her 'icart suddenly failed owing to acute ili'oholism. I'uither evidence was given by the police, who wen' informed of the death under these circumstances. They stilted tlify found four brandy bottles in the nephew's room, three empty, and the fourth a quarter full. He was not sober. He brought the empty bottles with him from liirmingham, he said, to dispose of them. Airs Wilson, he remarked, was a secret drinker. Dr. Wilson, her husband, attended the court, and said be knew nothing of this. He knew his wife had a weak heart,but had no idea that she took to alcohol. During this evidence the nephew sobbed bitterly, crying. "Oh. mother, come back to me!" He exclaimed that he had done all in His power for her. and only gave her brandy when she cried tor it. The jurv returned a verdict in accordance with* the medical evidence, adding a rider'censuring the nephew. "You have only just escaped going to the Old Wiley for manslaughter," said tiie Coroner'to the weeping nephew.