Sudden Death at Waimate.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 144, 2 May 1901, Page 3

Sudden Death at Waimate.

There was a good deal of pained surprise in Wahnate on Wednesday morning when it was heard that Mrs VV. E. Evans, wife of a wellknown tradesman, had died suddenly the previous, night. Mrs E vims was the fourth daughter ■of Mr R. Dailey, who for a number of yeara lived on his farm at Swonnauoa, near Cbristchuroli, and. who has now retired and is living in Chiistchurch. Sua was the sister of Mr W. J. Dailey and of Mrs (George Manchester, jun., and has also a number, of other relatives in Waimate. For these and for the husband and family (two) the greatest of sympathy is felt. Mrs Evans was popular and respeGted by all who knew her, and her early and sudden death is much deplored.

INQUEbT.

An inquest was held in the Courthouse yesterday, before Mr W. Coltman, Acting-coroner, and a jury consisting of Messrs-R. Brain, Jfl. George, J. Williams, W. Free- ; man, R. Inkster and G. Pearce. After the jury had been sworn and had viewed the body, the following evidence was taken : Annie Evans, sister-in.law of the. deceased, had visited her sister-in-' , law on the previous evening, staying ' till 10 o'clock. She was quite well, in fact, better than usual, and had not been ailing lately. Witness ; did not wait for supper. j William Edgar Evans, husband of deceased, stated that his wife was, on Tuesday evening, in her usual state of health, and was out: in the aEtemoon. His mother and sister were at the house till about •10 o'clock. They prepared supper afterwards, and went to b«d about 11.30. They talked for a few' minutes, and then Mr 3 Evans, looking at a clock.on the nUntelS aid, '" Is' it twenty minutes i to twtj^ e? " Eeplied, *'Yes, it : seem 3 likVu." She said she would try and get <ion*y s i 66 p before''.the baby woke. m [^ ; : ;« Q oo t night," and turnedN& V9r , on -her side. Witness said he c^a< j for a few minutes. Al^o^-vui-•: mediately his . wife . commencod> coughing. He'asked her what was making her cough—had she something tickling her throat? . She said it was ;more like a burning feeling. She sat up and commenced coughing again. Told her not to strain so much, as she might break a blood-vessel. She said, " Will, look how palel am getting," and snowed her .hands. Thought she was going to faint and supported her, placed her back on the pillow. Jumped out of bed and called the girl and told her to run to the doctor's as quick x as she could. Went back to Mrssvans, and she, was lying very stiff, frothing at the mouth a little. Eaieed her in his arms and she gave a sigh and her muscles relaxed.- Was then almost certain she was dead,. Rubbed round her heart and poured some whisky down her throat, but she toever moved. Dr. Crnickshank cam>'fn shortly alter and pronounced her dead. She bad never ailed since she was married. / - Dr, Margaret 8./fmickshaxi]s; : Was called oni, urgently shortly after midnight to . atad . ijfoe

Evans- -Found her lying .dead. Breathing and circulation had entirely ceased." The surface lof the body was still, warm, though pale,'and the limbs relaxed. Death . have taken, .place shortly before. There was a \littie froth coming from the mouth. The lips were slightly livid. Found no marks, and the" body was' well nourished and there was -no trace of corrosive poison on the mouth. Deceased w.as pregnant. The symptoms pointed to syncope, or failure of the heart's action, but was not prepared to say how caused. The blood during pregnancy was very liable to clot, and some particle might ha/e reached the heart or one of the lungvessels and so caused .death. A blood-vessel internally might have been ruptured and shown no signs of bleeding. The heart, also, was enlarged during pregnancy, and; there had been cases of sudden death quoted where a post mortem showed that the cause of doath was simple failure of the heart's action. Had attended the late. Mrs Evans during confinements and knew that, at these times she was particularly liable to shock from heart failure. It would, be impossible to ahsq,lutely say "for certain the cause of the failure without a post mortem. Deceased was quite happy in her married life .and attacked to her family. The jury, without retiring, returned a verdict in accordance with the doctor's evidence.