Annie J McEWAN [5939]

  General Notes:

Wellington Coroner's Report - May 11, 1875
(Words in italic were hand written, those underlined were inserted in place into a preprinted form. Words followed by a "?" were difficult to decipher, and may have an alternate meaning.)
"Colony of NEW ZEALAND, to wit: Information of witnesses severally taken and acknowledged on behalf of our Sovereign Lady the Queen, touching the death of Annie Atkins at the dwelling-house of/known by the name of The Albion Hotel in the Province of Wellington in the Colony of above mentioned, on Monday the tenth day of May one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five before Alexander Johnston, ME one of the Coroners for the said Colony, on an Inquisition then and there taken on view of the body of Annie Atkins then and there lying dead, as follows to wit: -
Bernard Doyle being sworn saith that 'I am a legally qualified and duly registered medical practitioner residing in Byrdon House (?). On Saturday last, I made a post-mortem examination of the body of Annie Atkins, the subject of this inquest. I had no knowledge of the deceased before my examination. On opening the head, I found congestion of the venous system of the Brain. The ventricles of the Brain were filled with bloody serum, [and] the Brain itself rather indurated. On opening the Chest, I found the Lung greatly compacted (?) especially the left. There were no adhesions or signs of chronic inflammation. The Heart was normal in structure and size, the Right Auricle and Ventricle being filled with fluid blood. The vessels generally were natural. The organs of the abdomen were all natural, the stomach inordinately distended with gas, but quite empty with regards food and drink. The Liver was natural. My opinion of the cause of death was suffocation in this instance as I found the body embedded in the clothes, her apron especially covering completely the nose and mouth. I think the deceased had laid down to sleep, her position was perfectly natural. I do not know anything of her habits of life.'
[Signed] B. Doyle MD
Samuel Atkins being sworn saith 'I am a Night Watchman at the Public Works Office, the deceased Annie Atkins was my wife, we lived in Austin Street about two miles from the Public Works Office. On Friday night last at 7-25 oClock, I left home to go to my duty. My wife was then home, and in bed. I [had] come home Friday morning from my duty between eight-nine oClock. I found my wife preparing the children breakfast. I went in and had breakfast with them, after that my wife prepared the dinner and having done so, she laid down on her bed, about 12 oClock (noon). She laid down with her clothes on. About 2 oClock, two hours after she lay down, I noticed that she was snoring heavily. She was (indecipherable) in the position she had taken upon laying down. I did not disturb her, but went outside to work about the house. Between six and seven oClock as my wife did not get up, I prepared the tea. I took a cup of tea and placed it on the chair close to her bedside. I then locked the room door and went out to my duty for the night at 20 minutes past 7 oClock without speaking to her. I thought she was still asleep. I was not surprised at the long sleep, as I was used to it. The deceased was in the habit of drinking excessively periodically, but of late she has been more moderate, at least I thought it moderate because she could go about her household duties. I noticed on Friday morning that she had been drinking and I knew that that was the cause of her going to lie down in the middle of the day. But she was quite able to know what she was doing. I [remonstrated ?] with her about her conduct on Friday morning, and about 11 oClock I had taken her into her room, but instead of remaining there she went out, but did not go out of the house, and I cannot tell if she got any more to drink. I believe she was drinking brandy, because I found occasionally empty brandy bottles lying about. The decease always drank the liquor at home, and I have never heard of her being intoxicated outside. On Saturday morning I arrived at home about ten minutes past eight oClock. On entering the house all was quiet, the children all appearing asleep. I called up my son [this would have been James Alexander] at once, as he was late for his work, and he left the house at once without breakfast. I then called my second boy [this would have been William] and gave him his breakfast and sent him to his work at the paper office. I then prepared the breakfast for the rest of the family. I then took a cup of tea with my wife's room, and there I discovered that she was lying dead in the clothes and in the position that I had left her as I thought asleep on the previous day when I went to my work. The two front rooms of my house are occupied by Mrs. Stanly and she was at home when I left the house on Friday, and also when I returned on Saturday morning. Upon finding my wife dead in her bed I immediately called Mrs. Stanly but she would not come in to see the body.'
[Signed] S. Atkins
Marie Stanly being sworn saith 'I am a boarder at the house of Mr. Atkins the last witness. I knew Annie Atkins the subject of this inquest. I saw her alive last on Friday morning about half past ten oClock. She came into my bedroom to see me. She was not quite sober, but she appeared to be ill as complained of her back [thigh ?] aching. I have known her for three months. Sometimes she used to drink too much, but was not what I should call an habitual drunkard. She had certainly been drinking to excess for two or three days before her death. She used to drink brandy and stout, and on Friday morning had port wine in my bedroom. She asked me for some, and I gave it to her. She was the worse for drink when she came to my rooms, and in my rooms she first had one tumbler full, then went out and in about twenty minutes returned and took another tumbler full. The bottle was full when Mrs. Atkins began it, and she finished if herself - I had none of it, that is to say she drank one complete bottle of port wine. I found an empty bottle which had contained brandy in her room on Saturday morning after the deceased was found to be dead. I had not taken or placed it there, and I believe that the deceased had concealed it there to enable her to drink it privately. She has done this before as I have on a previous occasion found brandy in my room which she has claimed. When the deceased had finished the port wine she appeared to be heavy and [indecipherable], but not noisy or excited, and I did not see or hear anything of her until Saturday morning when her husband came in from his duty, came to my door and told me that he had found her dead upon her bed.'
Signed Marie Stanly

Colony of NEW ZEALAND, to wit: The above-named Depositions of Bernard Doyle, Samuel Atkins, and Marie Stanly written on six pages of paper, numbered consecutively from one to six and by me affixed together, were taken and sworn before me, at Wellington in the said Colony on the tenth day of May 1875.
Signed Alexander Johnston ME, Coroner

Colony of NEW ZEALAND, to wit: An inquisition indented taken for our Sovereign Lady the Queen, at the house of Raymond Collins known as the Albion Hotel situated in Courtenay Place at Wellington in the said Colony, on the tenth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy five, before Alexander Johnston MD one of the coroners of our Sovereign Lady the Queen, on view of the body of Annie Atkins, then and there lying dead, upon the oath of Thomas Ritson - Foreman, William Bennett, Edward Muncaster, Charles Payton, William Emery, James Pettitt, John Barnes, Henry Walker, Charles Mondy, Joseph Wibb, Arthur Brown, and Joseph Thompson good and lawful men of the neighborhood duly chosen, and who being there and then duly sworn and charged to inquire for our Lady the Queen, who, how, and by what means the said Annie Atkins came to her death, do upon their oaths say - That the said Annie Atkins, on the eighth day of May in the year foresaid in consequence of lying on her face, while in heavy sleep, was found suffocated on her bed, and so the jurors aforesaid, do say that the said Annie Atkins in the manner aforesaid, accidentally and by misfortune came to her death.
In witness whereof, as well the Coroner as the said Jurors aforesaid have hereunto have set and subscribed their hands and seals the day and year first above written.
[signed] Alexander Johnston, MD - Coroner seal, Thomas Ritson - Foreman seal, C Mondy seal, J Thompson seal, James Pettitt seal, J Barnes seal, Charles Payton seal, Thos Bennett seal, Henry Walker seal, Arthur Brown seal, Joseph Wibb seal,
William Emery seal.

Colony of NEW ZEALAND, to wit: To Frederick Atcheson, Inspector of Police, Wellington
By virtue of my office as Coroner, these are, in her Majesty's name, to require and command you, immediately upon sight hereof, to summon and warn twenty-four good and lawful men to be and appear before me Alexander Johnston, ME Esquire, one of the Coroners for the Colony aforesaid, at the Albion Hotel situated at the corner Tory Street on Wellington in Wellington aforesaid, in the said Colony, on Monday the tenth day of May one thousand eight hundred and seventy five at two o'clock in the afternoon of the same day, then and there to inquire of, do, and execute all such things as, on Her Majesty's behalf, shall be lawfully given them in charge touching the death of Annie Atkins And be you or one of you then and there to certify what you shall have done in the premises, and further to do and execute what, in behalf of our said Lady the Queen, shall be then and there enjoined you.
Given under my and seal, at Wellington aforesaid, the eighth day of May 1875.
[signed] Alexander Johnston ME, Coroner

[A hand written page follows listing the jurors noted above, plus one alternate, John Leone, followed by the handwritten statement below.]
I John Price Sergt of Police do swear that I served a Summons upon the above named persons to attend an inquest this 10th day of May 1875.
[signed] John Price, Sergt of Police

Sworn to at Wellington this 10th day of May 1875 before me [indecipherable]
Ref: Jim Atkins 2012

Annie married Samuel ATKINS [5938] [MRIN: 1975], son of Robert ATKINS [6326] and Jane HAYES [14006], about 1845 in Gillingham KEN. (Samuel ATKINS [5938] was born on 23 Jul 1824 in Arnold NTT, died on 3 Apr 1917 in Wellington NZ and was buried in Karori Cemetery Wellington.)