SUDDEN DEATH

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10157, 6 February 1911, Page 6

SUDDEN DEATH

- INQUEST ON %®JM OF MISS ;■'"' -r. .. '■■.■■ v'/ : THE CORONER'S REMARKS. ~ _. An inquest into the circumstances attending the death-of Mary Ann Clearer at the Masterton railway Station on Friday was held on Saturday- morning,. before Mr J. T.'M. Hornsby (Cdrpner) arid the following jury :—Messrs. Eli Smith (foreman),.>: G. L. Joy, CD. Gillespie A. P. Fielding and G. Phillips, x " ' Dr Cowie was the first witness. He" stated that he had been called tothe railway station yesterday, between eleven and twelve o'clock, to see deceased. He found, her held up ■lira chair, and she appeared to be dead.. As lie placed her on:the table ' in the 'waiting;room she;gave one gasp. efforts-to restore animation: failed. ( She was pregnant. Tins morning lie made a post inortem examination, and found all the organs in a healthy condition except the- heart,- the . communication'.- between the tiro cluimbers of the organ on the left side being very much narrowed by disease, while the. left side of the hqart was thickened. This condition would seriously interfere with the heart's action, especially after exertion,' and the fact of -deceased being pregnant would also throw more work on the heart. Hje considered that death was due' to sudden.'.failure of the heart's action owing to its diseased nature, and that the effort of going to the station, together with pregnancy," was liable'to cause sudden failure of the heait.

•Luey .Elizabeth. Bentley, mother of deceased, stated her daughter was 29 "years of age, and -had lived with her all her life. She (the daughter) was not married. Her health was not- good, but she was sensible enough. Witness, her husband, her.

brother-in-law and deceased went to I livo with Mr N. Mead in Cole Street [ about a fortnight ago. They then j decided to go and Jive at Napier, and had their furniture packed and j at the railway station. Prior to j going to live at Cole Street they | lived in cnapel Street, where Charlie J Bentley (brother-in-law) came to live I Avith them about Christmas. He had lived with them previously to that at Walton's Avenue for a few months. Before leaving the house yesterday morning they had two i meals, and a.i left at about 11 a.m. to walk to the railway station. When they neared the gasworks paddock witness noticed that deceased wanted to vomit. She was sick and they | assisted her to the railway station I and took her to the waiting-room. There she became worse, and Dr '" Cowic was telephoned for. Deceased told witness about, a fortnight ago that "she was in trouble," and alleged that Charles Bentley was the cause of it. Ro'bert Henry Bentley, husband of the previous witness, stated that deceased had lived with them for about eight months. He corroborated the evidence of the former witness, ana stated that he had not heard deceased complain as to her ' health. When he saw that she was I ill he got the stationmaster : to ring ] up for Dr Cowie. He could not say | anything as to deceased's mental | | condition. ' % Charles Bentley, labourer, stated he had known deceased for about three years. He had been living with his brother at the house in Walton's Avenue, and later in Chapel Street and finally in Cole Street. It was his intention to go, to Napier with.the family. He had not at any time denied that he was the cause of the deceased's trouble. He had been intimate with the girl for about twelve months. He had told deceased that he would marry her. Nathaniel Mead, residing at Cole Street, said deceased was his sister-in-law, and gave corroborative evidence. Deceased was mentally weak, , and was only about fourteen or fifteen years of ago when she/got into trouble p. jvicu .y. Since then she, appeared weak at times and strong ac others. The Coroner stated that this was oile of those painful cases that happened in communities, and he was 'so;ry that it had happened in a comp..ralively small pir.?e like i»as-er-ton. , Those who had viewed rei mains ccitld. not help being struck '. th th.> fact that deceased was menially, weak—a; poor, unfortunate woman He liad no words to characterise the conduct of the person, Charles Bentley, who was without doubt cruel, inconsiderate and unmanly "It is v a dreadful. thing," he continued, "that ai man, in', possession of all his faculties and able to: work, should take advantage of a poor, unfortunate girl whom ,he jjuiew, I suppose, had been in trouble Of course the law Has 'no hold on a thing of this kind, so far as I am aware, but socie.ty : has/ Society is able to protect itself.',, It 13 one of those painful cases which .shows that some men . who . walk ' about are not far removed from < ,bfrites.V . .:.'" ' ',"■

:The jury returned a-verdict in ,acoordanae: with the medical evidence, adding.as a rider that the-evidence of the witness, Charles Bentley, -was not to ..be believed when he said he would marry deceased.