YOUTH'S TRAGIC DEATH
Elements of Mystery Attend Student's Fatal End
(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Dunedin Representative.)
Peculiar circumstances surround the death of William Manderson Stothart, aged 20 years, who was employed as a cadet in the bacteriological and pathological department at the Medical School, and resided with his parents at 21, Marion Street, Caversham.
THE information so far available discloses that at about 9.30 on Wednesday evening of last week, young Stothart bade a cheerful goodnight to his parents and grandmother and retired to his room. The rest of the household partook of a light supper and then prepared for their night's rest. Half an hour after the lad had departed, the mother, Mrs. Annie May Stothart, while in her bedroom, heard moans from the direction of her son's room. With her husband, she went to investigate and found William clad m his pyjamas and in bed, moaning. At first the parents thought the youth was suffering from a nightmare, but efforts to rouse him proving futile, Dr. Williams was called in, and at 11.45 p.m. the sufferer was removed to the public hospital where, without regaining consciousness, he died at 2.30 a.m. Later, an inquest was opened and adjourned for the purpose of postmortem examination of the body. It is stated that in a locker in deceased's room the police found certain medical appliances which, together with the medical examination, will clear up the actual cause of death. Whether or not young Stothart intended to take his own life, nothing will be known until the inquest is reopened. -NZ Truth, 6/2/1930.
YOUNG MAN’S DEATH.
AN OVERDOSE OF MORPHINE, ACCIDENTALLY ADMINISTERED.
The adjourned inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of William Manderson Stodhart, a young man, who died suddenly in the Public Hospital on January 30, was continued yesterday, before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., as coroner.
Sergeant McCarthy represented the police.
Dr Duncan Cook, clinical pathologist at the Dunedin Hospital, said that the deceased had been employed by the Public Health Department as a cadet at the Medical School, and had been under his control. The duties of the deceased had been to manufacture bacteriological media. Witness stated that about 2 p.m. on January 29 the deceased asked him for a half-holiday, which, in view-of the fact that there was one owing to him, was granted. The deceased had left the Medical School between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. that day, and witness had been surprised to see him come back at about 4.45 p.m., when he stated that he had been to the pictures. Witness thought that the deceased had stayed at the Medical School about an hour on that occasion. He appeared to be in quite normal health and spirits. Witness left the school at about 5.40 p.m., the deceased being there when he left. The deceased had not given any reason for coming back after having been given a half-holiday. He had access to all the stores in the Medical School. On the afternoon of January 28, witness missed a syringe from his desk, and in consequence of what he had been told, he went to the home of the deceased the next afternoon, and found a syringe similar to the one which had been removed from his desk. He also found four tubes used for containing morphine tabloids, two of which were full, one half-full, and the other empty. He also found a small test-tube containing a small amount of water and an undissolved chemical. He assumed that the tube contained morphine in solution, and thought it probable that the deceased had filled the syringe from this tube. Morphia was used to produce sleep and banish pain, but an overdose of it would cause death from coma.
Dr Eric Frederick D’Ath, professor of pathology at the Otago University, stated that on January 30, at the order of the coroner, he had made a post-mortem examination of the body. There were marks on one arm which showed that recent injections had been made with a hypodermic needle. Witness stated that in his opinion the deceased had died from an over-dose of morphine injected hypodermically. The Coroner stated that from the nature of the deceased’s occupation, and the fact that he had access to all the stores at the Medical School, his verdict would be that death was due to an overdose of morphine, accidentally self-administered. -Otago Daily Times, 20/2/1930.
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