WILL HER SECRET BE DISCLOSED?
MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF YOUNG WOMAN BEARS SINISTER ASPECT
STARTLING ADMISSION TO MALE RELATIVE?
(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Dunedin Representative)
The sudden death of Miss Jennie Edwards, a young woman who, until her fatal illness, was employed as a pianiste at Everybody's Theatre, Dunedin, has created a mild sensation among her many friends and acquaintances.
An alleged admission made to her cousin, Norman Flavell Hayward, theatre manager, now of Wanganui, indicated that the dead girl was the victim of an illegal act which caused her death.
|The inquest was opened and adjourned sine die.
MISS EDWARDS died a few days after her admission to the Dunedin Public Hospital.
The vague details disclosed when the inquest was opened at the Dunedin public Hospital have left the young woman's somewhat sudden demise enshrouded with mystery and conjecture.
After hearing the evidence of one witness, the coroner, Mr. J. B. Bartholomew, S.M., ordered a post-mortem examination and adjourned the inquest sine die.
Although the result of the postmortem examination will not be officially stated until the reopening of the inquest there is every reason to believe that the medical investigations will have a confirmatory bearing on evidence already given to the effect that a few hours prior to her death, the young woman, without divulging the names of persons or places involved, admitted having been the subject of an illegal act.
Detective-sergeant H. Nuttall conducted the inquiry, which was more in the nature of formal proceedings for identification. Mr. L. R. Simpson, instructed by Mr. A. C. Hanlon, appeared for the relatives of the girl, whose home was in Auckland.
Stating that he was a first cousin of Miss Edwards, Norman Flavell Hayward, theatre manager, late of Dunedin and now residing in Wanganui, said he had identified the body. Hayward said that prior to going to Wanganui last September he was engaged as manager of Everybody's Theatre, Dunedin. For the past 12 months Miss Edwards had been .employed as pianiste at the same theatre.
Detective Nuttall: When did you last see her alive? — At the hospital last Tuesday evening.
Did she tell you anything? — She told me she had had an illegal act performed upon her.
Did she tell you who performed the act? — No.
Or where It was performed? — No.
Before last Tuesday when had you last seen Miss Edwards? — I had not seen her between September and that time, but towards the beginning of last week I received a telegram stating that she was seriously ill.
Where was Miss Edwards living when you left Dunedin? — In a flat in Russell Street with another girl.
Was she keeping company with any man? — No one in particular, so far as I know.
Did you know that she was in a certain condition? — Not definitely, but I suspected it because she told me she had reason to believe she might be.
To further questions, Hayward replied that he was on very friendly terms with his dead cousin, and had regarded her quite as a sister. He thought it was because of this close relationship that she had confided in him, together with the fact that he was going away from Dunedin. Hayward said he had advised her to see a doctor in order to ascertain exactly what was the matter with her.
Detective 'Nuttall: -id she ever tell you who was responsible? — No.
Did she ever accuse you of being responsible? — No.
Hayward denied any suggestion of impropriety with Miss Edwards.
Mr. Simpson: Deceased and you were like sister and brother? — Yes.
And as a relative she confided in you before you went away to Wanganui? — Yes, that is so.
The proceedings were then adjourned sine die.
Miss Edwards's death came as a shock to the group of select friends she had acquired during her sojourn of a little over a year in the southern city. She was an accomplished, well-educated and attractive young woman, with a likeable personality which was enhanced by world travel. It is understood that even her most intimate girl friends were ignorant of Miss Edwards's secret prior to her admission to hospital. Peculiar circumstances appear to surround the dead girl's history from the time she entered the hospital to the sad event of her death, but official sources of information are at present closely guarded until the resumption of the inquest.
Since the inquest was adjourned, Dunedin detectives have been strenuously engaged probing into the mysterious circumstances of the young woman's death. -NZ Truth, 5/12/1929.
Should Doctor Inform Police of Confidence Regarding Illegality?
CORONER RAISES BIG ISSUE,
PRIVATE PRACTITIONER AND PUBLIC OFFICIAL
Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, Last Night. The inquest was concluded to-day on the death of Jennie Edwards, who died three days after her admission to Dunedin hospital from septicaemia.
Evidence showed the girl, who was a pianist at Everybody’s theatre, was admitted to hospital on November 16, and died on November 19, the police not being informed till after her death.
Dr. Searle, house surgeon, stated that the girl admitted that an illegal operation had been performed. The girl’s admission was made in confidence, so witness did not feel called on to notify the police immediately.
In answer to the Coroner, Mr. J. R. Bartholomew, witness said he did not think the fact that he was an officer in a public institution made any difference as regards informing the police.
The Coroner, in returning a verdict of death from infection following an illegal operation by persons unknown, stated a serious question arose and it seemed to him that the case of public institutions and that of a private practitioner were not analogous. In a case of this sort, public medical officers were not justified in dealing with a patient as would a private practitioner. Had the police had a chance to interview the patient, valuable evidence might have been given, whereas the matter had come to a dead end, because the case was quite stale when the police were informed.
He thought the authorities should give serious consideration to the position, for he thought the opinion he expressed was perfectly sound from the public and also from the public hospital aspect. -Manawatu Times, 17/12/1929.
YOUNG GIRL'S TRAGIC DEATH
Why Were Police Not Told of Her Vital Admission?
CORONER CENSURES A DOCTOR
(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Dunedin Representative)
What amounted to a strong censure of the Dunedin Public Hospital medical authorities was uttered by Mr. J. R. Bartholomew, the Coroner, at the inquest, into the tragic death of Jennie Edwards, a young pianiste, who had been employed at Everybody's Picture Theatre.
His remarks were based on evidence that though the girl had admitted to the hospital doctors that she had undergone an illegal operation, and that this knowledge was given to them three days before her death, the police were not informed until twelve hours after she succumbed.
In earlier proceedings Norman Flavell Hayward, the dead girl's cousin, said that owing to Jennie's illness he had been called from Wanganui where he was living. He admitted that previously he had suspected his cousin's condition and that a little time before her death she had confided to him that she had had an illegal operation.
At the resumed inquest, Detective sergeant Nuttall conducted the police case and Mr. L. R. Simpson appeared for the girl's relatives. Dr. Dath, public hospital pathologist, described the result of a post-mortem examination which revealed death as being due to peritonitis.
Replying to the coroner the doctor said the girl's condition was consistent with interference.
Dr. Riley stated that on November 16 he was called to a house in Allandale Road, St. Clair, between 7 and 8 p.m., where he saw Miss Edwards. She appeared to be seriously ill with a temperature of 104 and a rapid pulse and complained of pain.
She had told him certain things and asked him not to say anything about it. Her symptoms were so acute that he suspected interference. "In fact," said Dr. Riley, "she admitted there had been."
The doctor said he removed the girl to hospital, where he visited her next day and she was operated on. Her condition became worse and she died at midnight on November 19.
"As I thought death would probably result I asked her would she care to give particulars as to what had been done," added Dr. Riley, "and she said she had been taken away in a car, when they met another car.
"I got the impression she had been operated on in a car." The girl had said they had taken certain things with them and that she did not know where she wataken, but thought; the place was named Bellemont.
Detective Nuttall: Could she give any idea as to who was in the car? — No, she declined to say who did it and stated that there were too many involved.
Replying to a further question by the detective, Dr. Riley said the girl declined to give particulars when again pressed for information.
Detective Nuttall: Sunday morning November 17 was the first you knew about the illegal operation? — Yes.
Were the police informed? — No, she declined to say who did it What she told me was in confidence.
Was it not possible that the police might get information where you would fail? — I could not say.
Had she told you who the person was would you have divulged the information then? — I might have — probably at the inquest.
In answer to Mr. Simpson, Dr. Riley said the girl did not say if a second person accompanied her in the car.
Did she say what day the operation was performed? — No, so far as my memory goes she said something had happened on Friday or Saturday, so probably the operation took place between 24 and 48 hours before.
Dr. Searle, hospital house surgeon, stated that Jennie Edwards was admitted to the hospital on November 16 suffering from acute septicaemia. At the time she admitted that an illegal operation had been performed.
Detective Nuttall: How many times did she make an admission that an illegal operation had been performed? — I am afraid my memory cannot give much assistance. She told me when I was getting her history, but I cannot remember it being alluded to again.
It was midnight on November 19 that Miss Edwards died? — Yes.
And the first intimation the police got was at midday on the following day? — Yes.
Can you say why the police were not notified by the hospital authorities? — No, I cannot say.
When Edwards made the admission to you, did you draw the superintendent's attention to the act? — Not immediately.
Frequent Visitor Can you give any idea of when you did? — No.
At the conclusion of the cross-examination Dr. Searle stated that the girl's admission was given to him in confidence and he did not feel called upon to notify the police immediately.
Coroner: You are an officer of a public institution. Do you not throw any distinction between a public institution and private practice? — It has not occurred to me before.
Mrs. Elizabeth Montgomery Crofts, of Russell Street, said she had known Jennie Edwards to be a good living and respectable girl.
Mrs. Crofts said she knew Norman Hayward, who had been a frequent visitor to the flat occupied by the girls.
The evidence of Jennie's closest girlfriend, Miss Adeline Mary McNay, was that until November 11 they had shared a flat and then Jennie moved in with Mrs Cleavin.
"I knew Mr Hayward, he visited the flat a few times but not frequently. On November 11 Miss Edwards moved to Cleavin's, and her belongings were transferred there by Mr. Jack Donnelly, traveller for the Colonial Ammunition Company, Auckland.
Detective Nuttall: While Miss Edwards was m hospital you sent a wire to Mr. Donnelly? — Yes.
Who asked you to send it? — Miss Edwards.
What did you say m the wire? — Just that she was seriously ill.
Did she ask you to wire anyone else? — No.
Did you wire Hayward at Wanganui? —Yes.
Why? — Because I thought it best that some relations should know.
This man Donnelly, when did he leave Dunedin? — The following Tuesday, I think.
Miss McNay told Mr. Simpson that Hayward often visited the flat for meals.
Had you ever noticed anything unduly suspicious about his conduct with Edwards? — No.
The evidence of several other witnesses was taken to show the girl's movements just prior to her illness, but nothing was gleaned to throw any light on the circumstances of the illegal operation.
Detective Nuttall said that the police inquiries had failed to obtain evidence which might establish the identity of the person responsible. Further, Donnelly had been interviewed by the Christchurch police, but denied all knowledge of the illegal operation.
In giving a verdict that death was due to the spread of infection following an illegal operation performed by some person or persons unknown, the Coroner said: — "A doctor is not privileged when he is called to give evidence in a case such as this. He must disclose everything that has been told to him and anything he has observed himself.
"The position of a private practitioner is a different matter," he continued. "He should preserve a patient's confidence and not volunteer information when it is given to him confidentially.
"The matter is, of course, quite different once information has been obtained and the doctor is called as a witness. It seems to me that the case of a public institution such as a hospital and that of a private practitioner are by no means analogous.
"A hospital is a public institution, and I think, that being so, in a matter of this sort medical officers are not justified in dealing with patients as a private practitioner would.
"In this case the only chance the police had of following up the matter was to get information from the principals.
"The matter has come to a bad end, because it is quite stale and no light has been thrown on it. The position must have cropped up before, and it is a matter that hospital authorities will have to give serious consideration to. I think the opinions I have expressed are perfectly sound from the point of view of the public and also the hospital authorities." -NZ Truth, 19/12/1929.
No comments:
Post a Comment