WAIMATE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, 15 May 1925, Page 11

WAIMATE.

(From Our Own Correspondent). AGED WOMAN’S DEATH. INQUEST HELD. All inquest concerning the death of Elizabeth Gertrude Owen, a widow, agocl 79, who died at Sister Godfrey s private hospital yesterday morning, was held before the Coroner (Mr E. JJ. Mosley) vesterday afternoon Mr A. C. Middleton appeared on behalf of Sister Godfrey, and Mr B- I- bitch watched the proceedings on behalt or the relatives of deceased. Frank Bonifant, a nephew of deceased, stated that lie last saw lnaunt alive in January. Irene Alice Booth, a qualified taistei at the hospital, said that she had been employed '.-here for the past eleven months, and during that time deceased had been a- patient. On Tuesday mornabout 10..'30 deceased, who was unable to walk, was lifted out of bed and placed m a chair alongside the fireplace in her bedroom. She had a blanket and an eider-down over her. Witless saw deceased about midday, and wa-s told that a spark from the 1 fire had come on to the eider-down and she (deceased) had put it out. Witness tucked the oklcr-down round deceased s legs and did not see her again until 130 p.m. Deceased said she would like to go back to bed, and witness went to the kitchen for a few minutes. Thinking the old lady would be getting impatient she ran back to the room, which she found to be full_ of smoke. Slip heard’deceased say, “Nurse, Ini frightened.”. Witness took the eiderdown and blankets to the back yard. She came back, pub deceased to bed, and : rang Dr. Pitts. To Mr Middleton witness said she followed the usual routine. The firejplace was quite safe. Deceased always uked to be near, the. fire, , . Dr. A. G. Pitts stated that he had known deceased for a number of years, and had attended her off and on. She ivas an old woman, very thin, and somewhat helpless. .- During the' last month Vhe had become much more childish. He received a message about two o’clock last Tuesday afternoon, and went straight to the hospital, where he found deceased in bed with burns, varying in degree, on both legs. Ho dressed the wounds and wanned her up-in an endeavour to. prevent shock •as far as-possible. Partly from her ,age 1 and general -condition - the' shock deepened. untimately ■ causing her. death. The burns would have been aserious danger to anyone, but not necessarily fatal.. Deceased might not have-been conscious when. the burning took place. 'He stirred the fire but no sparks came out. Death was due to old ago, shock due to burns forming a considerable factor. The hospital had always -been conducted very .well. Dr. Pitts added that he had Quite a number of patients in the hospital, and the .results had certainly been good: The place was also well equipped. - Mr Fitch-stated that deceased was the-owner of the hospital, and made it her home. When not well enough, she was, of course, a patient._ A verdict was returned in accordance' with the medical evidence,, the Coroner remarking that deceased apparently Teccjved every attention from the hospital staff.