NEW ZEALAND.
[Per Press Association.] DUNEDIN, June 21.
A young woman died to-night in childbirth at the house of a nurse, who states that the girl was left by her mother, who called her Mrs Robertson. The police believe that this is not her real name. Lyttelton Times, 22/6/1892.
THE DUNEDIN MYSTERY.
[By Telegraph. United press association.] Dunedin, This Day. . The body of the woman who died in childbed has been identified as that of Mary Eccles, the daughter of a publican in Russell street. -Evening Post, 23/6/1892.
THE SUDDEN DEATH AT FREDERICK STREET.
An inquest was held thin afternoon, at the Hospital, commencing at two o'clock, by Mr Coroner Carew and a jury of six, of whom Mr John Duthie was chosen foreman, touching the death of a young woman reported In yesterday's issue.
Joshua Eccles, hotel-keeper, residing in Dunedin, said that he identified the body shown to him in the morgue as that of his late daughter Mary Eccles. She was born in Dunedin in 1872, and was unmarried so far as witness knew. He last saw her alive four weeks ago last Saturday. She was then living with him, and always had been. He spoke to his wife about the girl, and said he thought there was something wrong with her, and Mrs Eccles spoke to the girl. The girl then left the house. He did not know where she went to when she left his home. He made inquiries about her for about ten days before his wife found her. Her sisters then took her to her married sister's place. Witness never heard of her going to Mrs McDonald's. He asked his wife where the girl had gone to, and Mrs Eccles gave him to understand that she had got a billet as a nurse or with a nurse. He told his wife to send her some clothes and money. He did not think she was near confinement. Witness had no quarrel with her before she left the house. She had been a good, hard-working girl, and his wife was very strict with her.
Mary Ann McDonald was cautioned that she need not answer any questions that she thought might incriminate her. She replied that she would answer any questions she was asked. She was a married woman, a midwife, living In Frederick street. She was in the habit of receiving women at her house in midwifery cases. Had had forty-seven years' experience. Had 104 such cases in Dunedin in one year without the attendance of any person but herself. Believed she had had a thousand cases. Did parish work at Home for eleven years in Duckenfield, Stalybridge, and all round there. Dr Evans and Dr Turner were two of the doctors there. They took the contracts, and passed the work over to witness. She went to Macclesfield afterwards to similar work. This was the first accident she had ever had. First saw Mary Eccles about three weeks ago, when her friends brought her. She came with two women whom witness understood were sisters. They said they were. They asked whether witness could take a young girl in, and it was arranged that she was to come. She was to pay 12s a week as long as she remained, and L5 as fee. Her sisters called her Mrs Robertson. She came that night as far as witness could remember. Her sister came from time to time and brought her things, and gave witness money. It was about the 28th of May that the deceased came to the house. Her mother came to see her twice, witness thought, before her death. Witness was away from home on Tuesday morning last till half past twelve. On returning, deceased asked for port wine and brandy, and witness fetched a little for her. The child was born at 5 p.m. Mrs McConnell was with witness at the time, and witness thought Mrs Burke was there also. There were no unusual difficulties at the time, but afterwards there appeared to be something wrong. Witness had made no mistake, deceased took hysterics, and wanted to get up. Mrs McConnell could not stop her, but in two or three minutes they laid her on the floor, and Mrs McConnell said she thought she was dying. Witness went as hard as she could for Dr Coughtrey. He was at home, and returned with witness. When witness left the house she thought the girl was alive. When the doctor arrived he pronounced her to be dead. [Witness was here examined minutely, His Worship putting a series of questions at Dr Coughtrey's suggestion.) Continuing, witness said it was understood when the arrangement was first made that deceased was not to have a doctor; but witness said some days beforehand that if she (witness) could not manage she would fetch a doctor. Deceased said she would die first. Her mother had been in before that and had spoken vary angrily about her. That was the reason. Witness did not, as a matter of fact, offer to fetch a doctor. When Dr Coughtrey was called it was only ten or fifteen minutes before he arrived. To Sergeant O'Neill: Witness was sixty-seven years of age. To the Coroner: In addition to her otter experience witness was over five years nursing in Dublin Hospital. She held a certificate from there as a midwife hospital nurse, she had shown it to the doctors here, when she first came here. She had looked for it and had been unable to find it, but she would find it.
Dr Coughtrey said that at ten minutes past seven on Tuesday evening he proceeded to Mrs McDonald's house, and found the body of deceased lying on the floor. Death had recently taken place, say from a few minutes to half an hour. The first thing he did was to send for the police, and he then proceeded to take notes of what he saw. Death was due to what was called inversion in the first place, and it might have been secondarily due to loss of blood, and to the profound nervous shock which always accompanies that accident. Inversion was the most formidable accident in midwifery. Statistics showed that it happened once in about 150,000 cases. It might occur without being caused by the person in charge. Witness saw nothing to enable him to say that too much force bad been used. Witness knew Mrs McDonald, and remembered her on one occasion showing him a certificate of being qualified to act as a midwife nurse. So far as he could remember it was from a Dublin school. Listening to her description, she appeared to have shown such ordinary skill as might have been expected from a midwife. The only point was that when she saw what was wrong she would have been wiser to have obtained the services of a medical man. When witness asked her why the had not sent for a doctor she replied: "I wanted to, but the girl would not let me." It was a very dangerous case even with skilled treatment. Few medical practitioners could be got to honestly say that they had met with such a case. Having given his evidence, Dr Coughtrey said that he desired through the coroner to call public attention to the fact there was considerable difficulty, and he had to trespass upon the good nature of the hospital authorities to get the body into the morgue. There might have been a ticklish post mortem examination, and the absence of a public morgue was most seriously felt in the interests of justice.
The Coroner remarked that this had been already spoken of.
Dr Coughtrey said that they would have to keep hammering away till they got it.
Martha McConnell, the next witness, was under examination at 4.30 p.m.
A verdict was returned of death from natural cases, the jury adding a rider calling attention to the want of a public morgue. -Evening Star, 23/6/1892.
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