INQUEST.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1318, 24 March 1885, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest was held at Waitin', Geraldine, on Saturday, before H. 0. 8. Baddeley, Esq., Coroner, touching the death of Lydia Beckett, who died on Thursday last. The following jury was empanelled ;—Thos. Hardcastle (fore* man), S. Baxter, R. Berry, E. Butler, A. Fisher, E. Hardcastle, A. Owlcs, J. Mundell, J. M. Wagstaff, G. Milne, Jas. Turner, G. Carter, 0. E. Sherratt, and A, D. Macdonald,

The following evidence was taken Catherine Macdonald, wife of Mr Angus Macdonald, sworn, deposed : I knew the deceased ; she has been my servant since August, 1877. Her name was Lydia Beckett, and she was 46 years of age. On the afternoon of Thursday the 19tb.March she was very ill, and I went for Dr Fish about halfpast two. When I returned with the doctor she was dead. I was not an hour away.

Robert Fish ; I am a duly qualified medical practitioner, residing at Geraldine. I remember the 19th inst. Mrs Macdonald asked me to come up and see a servant named Lydia Beckett, who was ill, X returned at once with her at 3 o’clock, When I arrived the woman was dead. I made a post mortem examination yesterday, I found nothing specially worthy of note in the abdominal organs. The stomach contained brown fluid. I understood she had taken cocoa. On opening the chest I found the remains of old disease, viz., pleurisy. Ido not consider that was the cause of death. There was fatty degeneration of the heart, which I con* eider was quite sufficient to cause death. Sometimes death from this cause is quite sudden, and sometimes it is preceded by sickness, as in the deceased case, I have no doubt this was the cause of her death.

The jury without retiring brought in a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence, “ That the deceased died from natural causes,”