SUICIDE IN ALBANY STEEET.
A married woman named Emily Cook Patch died at half-past 9 yesterday morning from the effects of taking poison some days ago. Her husband, John Cook Patch, who is a labourer, states that on Monday night last about 9 o'clock he left their house, which is in lower Albany street, for a walk, and returned in an hour's time, when, however, he found his wife absent. She returned about midnight with a fishmonger named Meinung, who has a place of business in George street, and the latter, with whom she had become acquainted through doing work for his wife, informed Patch that she had told him she had eaten three boxes of matches. Her answer to her husband, when he asked her whether she had really so acted, was a request that he would mind his own business. The subject seems to have then been dropped — at any rate, the authorities were not communicated with, or else the woman would have been taken to the hospital, and the fatal result might have been prevented. On the Tuesday morning, however, the deceased performed her domestic duties as usual, but on the next day she complained of feeling ill and of vomiting, and on the Thursday she took to her bed. Medical assistance wag not obtained until the following day, but the woman not only did not tell the doctor what she had taken, but said that she could not account for the vomiting. Naturally enough the treatment which was prescribed for her did not prove efficacious, and, as above stated, she died yesterday morning, The deceased is alleged to have told a neighbour that she had taken matches because her husband had annoyed her. She was a native of London, and was about 30 years of age. During several years she has lived in various parts of the city. She was married about six months ago, but had lived with Patch for two years. The occurrence was reported to the police after death had ensued, and an inquest will be held in due course. -Otago Daily Times, 29/1/1894.
INQUEST.
DEATH FROM PHOSPHORUS POISONING.
An inquest was held at the Pelichet Bay Hotel yesterday afternoon before the district coroner (Mr E. H. Carew) and a jury of six (Mr F. W. Eggers, foreman), on the body of Emily Cook Patch, whose death occurred at her residence in Albany street on Sunday morning.
John Cook Patch, a labourer, stated that his late wife seemed perfectly right on the 22nd inst. He had no quarrel whatever with her. She seemed to him, when he came home in the evening, to have had a glass, but she was not the worse for liquor. He went out about half-past 8 for a walk, leaving his wife at home, but when he returned about 10 o'clock, or shortly after, she was out. She came home about midnight with Mr Meinung, who asked him if he was aware that the wife had been eating matches. Witness replied "No." Meinung then said that she had told him she had done so, and that he had got her to take something to make her vomit, which she did. Meinung made her take another dose at home, giving her mustard and water, and this caused her to vomit a good deal. There was a pretty strong smell as of phosphorus from the vomit. Meinung advised witness to procure a doctor in the event of her getting worse during the night, and he said he would do so. After Meinung had left, witness asked the deceased why she had taken the matches, and she told him to mind his own business. That was all that passed between them on the subject that night. She went off to sleep at once, and got up at half-past 5, the usual time, on Tuesday morning to get him his breakfast. She appeared to be all right; and the matter was not mentioned by either of them. He returned from his work at 5.45 p.m., and found his wife at home and the tea ready. After tea she said she was very sorry for what she had done; but she thought she was all right, as she felt no pain. He asked her what caused her to take the matches, and she said it was her temper, and it was a rash act. She kept well until the Thursday afternoon. When he came home that evening she was lying down on the bed, and she said she did not feel very well. Witness asked if she would have the doctor, and she said they would wait till the morning and see, as she was not so bad. She slept very well that night, but on the Friday morning she said she would send for Dr Martin, as she felt no better.. On his returning home in the evening from his work the deceased told him that Dr Martin had been. He asked her if she told the doctor she had taken matches, and she said "Yes." On Saturday afternoon, when he came home, she told him that the doctor had said she was a little better. She vomited frequently at night. He asked her if she felt much pain and if he should fetch the doctor, but she said "No." He did not ask her if she had taken matches again, nor did he suspect her of having taken any. She was easier, as he thought, about 6 o'clock on Sunday morning. About 9 o'clock he went in to give her the medicine prescribed by Dr Martin, but found she was in a dying state. That was the first time he had noticed that she was seriously bad. He sent for Dr Martin, and brought his sister, Mrs Blandon, but she died about 10 minutes after the latter arrived, and before Dr Martin came. He found some remains of matches, with the heads off, on Tuesday last. She had bought 12 penny boxes of matches on the previous Friday. He found that five of them had gone, irrespective of those he had used. He thought that one would have been sufficient for ordinary use during the time.
Halvor Meinung, fishmonger, residing in George street, deposed that the deceased came to his house about 10.30 p.m. on the 22nd, when she seemed very much agitated. His wife asked her what was the matter, and she said that she had taken matches. Witness told her it was his duty to give her in charge, but she begged and prayed him not to do so, and he then said if she would take an emetic he would sea how she got, on. He gave her two or three cups of mustard and water. After the first cup she vomited what seemed to be a stream of liquid fire, which smelt very strongly of phosphorus. She retched a good deal after the second and third cups; and when she had rested he took her home to her husband. She came to his place next morning and said she felt all right, but she looked pale. On the Wednesday she sent a note to his wife stating that she did not feel very well, and that if she (Mrs Meinung) would put off her washing for a week she would come up and help her. She also said that "Jack" (her husband) and she were quite friends again. On the Monday night witness asked her why she had taken the matches, and she replied that it was only her temper — that she was afraid that her husband by his kindness might take the love of her child away from her. She said she had picked the heads of the matches off and eaten them one by one. He understood her to say that she had eaten the-contents of a big box and two small ones, and that she had taken them about an hour-and a-half before.
Dr Martin, who was the next witness, said in the course of his evidence that when he saw the deceased on the Friday morning she complained of sickness, and he asked her if she knew of any cause, but she said "No." There was no evidence of anything beyond simple gastric disturbance, with a slightly elevated temperature, and he prescribed for her. On the next morning her temperature was normal, and her own statement was that the sickness had abated. She was not communicative, and told him nothing at all about matches. He had no information about them until after death. A person might die suddenly from phosphorus poisoning, but as a rule death would not ensue for five or six days. There was often, as in this case, an abatement of sickness for two or three days. Mr Meinung acted rightly, but witness thought deceased should have been put in a doctor's hands immediately. In his opinion phosphorus poisoning was the cause of death.
Harriet Madams (who stated that on the morning of the 23rd the deceased told her she had eaten the heads of three boxes of matches on the previous night in order to vex her husband, because he had annoyed her, and that the deceased said on the Friday that she did not like to tell the doctor what she had done) and Elizabeth Blandon also gave evidence.
The Coroner, in leaving the case to the jury, said it seemed the husband had made a very great mistake in not doing more than he did. He should certainly have told the police or got a doctor to attend her at once, and if he had done so probably his wife's life would have been saved.
The Jury found that death resulted from the deceased taking matches while in a state of temporary insanity, and added that the husband erred in not calling in a doctor at once. -Otago Daily Times, 30/1/1894.
Emily Patch lies in Dunedin's Northern Cemetery.
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