BURIED IN HASTE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 223, 8 February 1913, Page 5

BURIED IN HASTE.

* AX EXTRAORDINARY CASE NO BODY FOR THE JURY. A WELLINGTON SENSATION. (Per Press Association). Wellington, Last Night. A strange discovery was made at th« Wellington Hospital this afternoon, when the Coroner, Mr. McArtlmr, S.M., was to have held an inquest touching the death of the woman Jessie Holt, also known as Mrs. Edith Richards, who was removed to the institution after being found in a serious condition at a house, in Lome street. She died on Wednesday night. This afternoon the Coroner went into the morgue to view the body, but it was not there. Ho then proceeded to the room where the police and witnesses were waiting, and announced that the body could not be found. Dr. Woodhouse, senior house surgeon, was summoned, and on the Coroner enquiring what, had become of the body, said that he had given authority for a certificate as to the cause of death to be signed. Dr. MeArthur: Who signed it? Dr. Woodhouse: Dr. Eraser, but I am to blame because. T told him he could give a. certificate to the effect that death was due to accident. Dr. MeArthur: Well this is an extraordinary ease. This woman has been put, down as being married in my report, and in the newspapers she is said to be single. The woman is said to have died as the result of a certain happening, and is-said to have taken lysol. There was every reason why the body should not have been taken away before I gave a burial certificate. Dr. Woodhouse said that the body was taken away from the hospital this morning, and buried in the afternoon. Sergeant Rutledge said that the deceased had been living with a .man named Richards, and was going under the name of Mrs. Edith Richards. She also had gone under other name's. Dr. Me Arthur: Who was so anxious to burv her? Dr. Woodhouse gave the. name of the undertaker who furnished the funeral. Dr. McArthur: Of course. But who gave instructions to bury her? Dr. Woodhouse: The relatives buried h°r. He added that the hospital authorities received a message that the noliee could not find anything to lead them to suspect that the deceased made away with herself, and therefore he gave authority for the signing of the certificate that death was due to accident. Dr. McArtlmr: Well. we.have nothin" to do with the question of criminality. Y\ e want to ascertain the circumstances which brought about the death. YYui can't say that because a person dies of so and so. you can give a certificate of death. Dr. Woodhouse: Not at all. We have never done. so. But when T got this message T thou ah t the police Would have nothing further to do with her . Dr. MeWhur asked why he had not been consulted. Dr. Woodhouse: T told them distinctly that there must be an inouiry into this. Dr. Mc Arthur: There has been some undue hurry over this, but T don't snv on tlu> doctor's part. Somebody has been fixing this up. Somebodv lias been in n hurry to get her out of the road. The inquest will be gone on with tomorrow morning.