INQUEST.

Waikato Times, Volume VIII, Issue 456, 20 April 1875, Page 2

INQUEST.

A n inquest was held on Friday last, by Dr Waddhitfton, at Mr Kirkwoods Hotel, Alexandra, on the body of Maria Pohlen, who died from the effects of child-birth under peculiar circumstances, the husband having attempted the part of doctor aud midwife. The evidence and verdict was as follows :—: — Henry Pohlen being sworn desposed that : — I am a fanner living at Harapipi. The person lying dead at my house was my wife, she died at halfpast nine o'clock yesterday morning, the 15th of the pivsent month, from loss of blood. She was taken ill about live o'clock the same afternoon — that is, on Wednesday, she was better again, and I applied to Mr McGuirk for some brandy. Igaveher a few drops of pain-killer. About half'past three o'clock in the morning she became worse, I did not apply for any assistance from my neighbours. About half-past seven she got up and prepared for breakfast- she was worse after, but she would not let me go for any one. My wife died at half-past nine by my clock. By the Court : — About six or seven weeks since she had a similar attack, but only alight. I did not apply to any one, because she was not ill. I did not give my wife more than three or four drops of pain-killer. James McGuirk being sworn deposed : — I am a farmer living at Harepipi. I was at home on the morning of Thursday, the 15th instant, when Pohlen's daughter came to my house ; but I cannot state the time with any certainty. She stated that my wife was to go down iit once, and see her mama, as she was very bad. My wife had not left the house at the time Pohlen himself came to say she (his wife) was dying, aud he was afraid he could not reach the doctor's, or Dr Waddington's place, before she died. I told him, if that was the case, to go home, and 1 would go for Dr Waddington, which I did. My wife, told me that when she went in, after the lapse of half-an-hour, she found Mrs Pohlen dead and cold. By the Court : — The distance from my house to Pohlen's is about a mile. It would take about fifteen minutes to walk the distance. William Pohlen being sworn deposed : — I am a baker, living at Alexandra. The deceased was my step-mother. Upon the 15th of April, I was first told of my mother's illness by Mr McGuirk. He was riding over when he told me to take his horse and ride for the doctor, which I did. I 'think it was about 1 1 o'clock when I reached Dr Waddington's. William James Mooney being sworn deposed : — I am in the Government Insurance Department. 1 am for the present residing in Alexandra. I rode over to Harapipi with some of the jury, and saw the woman lying dead, the subject of the present enquiry. After viewing the body, in the company of Sergeant Green, our attention was directed to the contents of a tub lying a few yards from tha door of Mr Mtlen's house, where the body was lying. There were several lumps or pieces of fleshy matter, with a quanity of rags, clothing, and congealed blood. The tub had just been turned over by two women who told us that Mr Pohlen had previously informed them that there was nothing, in the tub but a little blood, the ordinary result of flooding in females. ' They expressed their astonishment, and wished to draw our attention 1o .it .in oiriler ijt^ktVe might mention i$ ty> {fee P^roaet'-ton^ pi-W' was

Un account of the followihg witness being unable from illness to attend, her deposition w»s read ns follows :— I, Emily Mc(Juirk, last saiv lVtrs Pohlen alive oil Sunday, the 4th inst. She told me she had an attack of flooding on the Thursday before. Hoard nothing more of it till the niglit of the i4th, about 8 o'clock, when Pohlen tome -to my house, to say Isira Pohlen had been very bad on that evening, afftifcted as she had been on the nigtyt of the Ist inst. He said she was very weak — as *ed for some brandy, or camphor. He sent his daughter in the morning for me to go up, that she was very bad. I had not left the house when Pohlen himself Came to say she was dying ; i that he feared she would not live for him to get Dr Wuddington. My husl and told him to return to his wife, and that he would go for Dr Waddington himself. Half-an-hoiw after I got word she was dead. I went to her place at once and saw her dead. — (Signed) Emily McGuirk. — Harapipi, April 16th, 1875. In his address to the jury, the Coroner said, he could not resist the impression that there were grave suspicions of more than neglect attached to the death of this poor woman. It w.-\s a most important circumstance that not one of the witnesses could give the exact time of a single occurrence. The husband swore that the death took place at half-past nine o'clock in the morning ; but how weie they to reconcile this with the statement of Mrs McGuirk, that when she saw the deceased, certainly an hour after the deceased was said to have died, " she was dead and cold." When he, the Coroner, saw and examined the deceased, about half-past twelve, within three hours after the time stated by the husband, she was not only cold, but the limbs had become perfectly rigid. There was no si^n ot warmth in those parts of the body — the arm-pits and rectum, which would require, in this weather, many hours to disappear, and the rigidity of the limbs could not have been so perfect in twice those hours. The evidence of Mr Mooney, too, was calculated to create suspicion, as to the true origin sf the hemorrhage, which had unquestionably caused death. Should the slightest doubt exist in the minds of the jury, the wisest course to adopt would be to request him to adjourn the inquest until Monday ; and, in the meantime, he, in his capacity o Coroner, would at once telegraph to a surgeon in Hamilton, to make a post mortem examination. In this way only could the mystery be cleared up. It was his duty as Coroner to lay before them all the evidence obtainable, and that was meagre enough ; but upon that evidence, and their knowledge of the antecedents of the husband, they must base their verdict. The jury, after a long deliberation, returned the following verdict, to the astonished Coroner : — "That the deceased, Maria Pohlen, died from natural causes, her death being accelerated for the want of medical aid."