WELLINGTON WOMAN'S DEATH

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 10 February 1913, Page 5

WELLINGTON WOMAN'S DEATH

INQUEST CONTINUED. DOCTOR AND CORONER. (By Telegraph. — Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Last Night" The inquest on the woman Jessie Edith Hoult, or Mrs Richards, was continued on Saturday. Dr Woodhouse, acting medical superintendent of the hospital, said the deceased was admitted at midday on January 31st, suffering from "burns in the lower portion of the body. There were also some bruises on her back. She told .him that three weeks previously she had a miscarriage- and that afterwards she had used lysol as an injection. That would, said the witness, account for her condition. She died on Wednesday night. It was not possible to make an absolute complete examination, owing to her condition with an anaesthetic, and she might have died under it. ' He reported the death to the police about 12.30 oh. the afternoon of the 6th. At that time he .had not given a certificate of death, nor. had he instructed anyone else to give a certificate. He told the police he knew the cause of death., but that, it was a. matter for the Coroner, and he would not give a certificate until -the Coroner had been informed. On the Thursday evening lie understood, that there was not going to be any inquest, and until then he did not give authority to bury the body. Sergeant Rurb'dge said he had informed the hospital authorities that an inquest would be held. The Coroner : And yet the body gets away. Dr Woodhouse: You seem to blame me for something. The Coroner: You gave authority to bury a. body in a case which von had already reported to the coroner, and von got no authority bar!; to bury the body. Dr Woodhons'" l : Yes. v.:' got iV authority back, as T thought. Yv'e got a. message from the police which T thought to moan there was not to be an inquest, so T gave the certificate. After some further evidence had been taken, the Coroner said it seamed there had boon some misunderstanding. The. inquest was adjourned lo allow of investigation beine made, r.s'to where certain medicine; in possession of the deceased came from .