WOMAN’S SUDDEN DEATH.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3388, 1 December 1911, Page 4

WOMAN’S SUDDEN DEATH.

PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES IN NAPIER CASE. SUGGESTION OF POISON CAUSE" INQUEST TO BE AD-JO I’ll NED. [Special to Tiiles.J NAPIER, Nov. 30. An inquest touching the death of Mrs Fanny Georgina Tonkin, found dead in bed yesterday, was held tigs morning by the Coroner (Mr S. E. McCarthy, S.fM.j at the residence o: the deceased. cSergt. Cummings inducted the case on behalf of tin* police. Captain Tonkin, husband of deceased, and manager of the Wairoa and Mohaka ."tea mship Company dc-pose-d that his wife was between 40 and 50 years of age. They retired on Tuesday evening about eight o'clock, it being their custom to go to bed c-arlv. Deceased had been in usual health .or some_time, but had complained reeemly of sudden rushes of blood to the i head. He woke up about or i four vesterdav morniim and d V--I dead/ _ ' j To the Coroner: He did not kmv tliat she had a black eve. and did not I know how it occurred. He could not I account for any bruise.- on the U-dv. | Deceased did not complain at all dur- | ing tlie night to witness' knowledge . ! and he could not sav if she g*. t out o: j bed. t Dr. Edgar said he was called to se~ j deceased yesterday morning at 6.4*. I Do found her dead in bod. and s.tw thr j husband, who appeared as if he had ! been drinking for days. He examined j the Ihxlv and noticed that there was a di-‘.olora.tion o: the left evelid. Tic- ! jaw was set. and tlie leg- 'were stiffeni ed. and post mortem rigidity had >■ ' i in. There was also shglit rost morten: discolorations on the Hick < f the nock. Ho- made no further examination then.. At three o'clock vesterdav afternoon he held a post mortem oxamiraFon. On taking off the clothing'lie found on tlie right arm four bruises, and ante mortem. One on the arm. a'-.,’ throe on the forearm. There was also a small bruise on. the left forearm, a bruise on tlie left thigh, and tiroe I rinses on the right thigh. There was a large bruise on the right leg. win co’.i'o be accounted for if deceits-!..’ 1 knocked her leg. She had " var: '•<>' veins and would bruise oa silv \ 1 ’ l i. bruises were ante mortem. The ’ rn.-'- - oilier than, tlie large one vane 1 :G a shilling to a sixpence in sG.» 'j ’ . | only way that ho could account : | oeath was t-liat deceased erf ir> m •' nifrht ill. and fell and bruised‘ hers Vt I 7° questioned members of the familv. j tne husband included am; t’-ov i'-Vd'U I knowledge of any bruises, or of'tie ! black eye. He examined tbe rro ! " | ciothing. Deceased luul ovhbmtlv i,~-' - j vomiting, there being bile stam< 0 examination of the sheets in which ■ • - ceased had slept witness found" G**-iU' i ’ontamed bile stains. He mV.de V iV-r mortem examination and found mitral valves of the heart- somewhat shrunken and slightlv leakiim- T-e -V ore healthy, ns was the" bram. I-ie Kidneys wore noinial. He found on opening the stomach that the mimous membrane was very red and congested 1 lie stomach was empty, exeepr tor a small quantitv of bloodstained huid. The appearance of the stomach was not normal and the redness and congestion could not in his opinion be explained bv post mortem staining. He showed tlie stomach to J? rs ; J-eahy and Bonuiu, who agreed if .-aat t.ie condition was not normal, and might have been caused bv an irritant poison, and they thought that the stomoeh should he submitted to the public analyst. To the Sergeant: There was no trace <u odour of alcohol about- the stomach. I lie inquest was adjourned till Mon- < a\ at ~MO to allow the public analvst to examine the stomach.