MARY ANN SNOOK

SUDDEN DEATH IN WASH ROAD

INQUEST AND VERDICT

An inquest was held on Tuesday evening by Dr. Watson, J.P., Borough Coroner, concerning the death of a woman named Mary Ann Snook, aged 48, the wife of a country postman, living in Oriental-terrace, Wash-road, who died quietly in her sleep on Tuesday morning. The facts were simple enough. The poor woman had been ailing for a day or two, but on Monday night appeared to be better than usual. Her husband, who had been out on his duties since the early morn, came home at half past ten and finding his wife better and asleep, thought it well not to disturb her, so he sat down by the fireside and fell asleep. He did not awake until half-past one, and, on going upstairs to bed , thought his wife asleep but closer scrutiny convinced him that she was dead. She had evidently passed away quietly in her sleep.

A post-mortem examination showed that her death was the result of a diseased heart. So far the evidence was satisfactorily clear, but it was elicited that the woman was a member of the Reading and District Medical Aid Society, had paid up her subscriptions to date, and applications had been made as many as six times to the local medical officer, who had declined to attend. The jury wisely considered it a case for investigation and the Coroner acquiescing, a message was despatched for the attention of *Mr. Buzzard, a medical man who has been living in Newbury some time, and for the last few months has been lodging in Bartholomew-street. *Mr. Buzzard attended, but he appeared in a somewhat confused state, and his explanations being unsatisfactory, the jury felt justified in adding a rider to their verdict. It was satisfactory to find that poor woman did not lose her life due to lack of medical aid, as the evidence of the post-mortem clearly showed that even with a doctor in attendance death would have taken place. Still the jury thought it was their duty to take cognisance of the surgeon’s failure to attend, and the Coroner endorsed their ruling.

THE INQUEST

The inquest was held at the “London Apprentice” and Mr. Walter Church was chosen foreman of the jury, who had to sally forth in the darkness to Oriental-terrace to view the body. On their return the following evidence was taken:

Frederick Snook, country postman, living in Oriental-terrace, Wash-road said the deceased was his wife. He was sitting asleep in a chair by the fireside and waking up shortly after half-past one, he went upstairs to bed. He first thought she was asleep but then found out she was dead. The body was warm but not stiff. The deceased had been in bed since Friday, only getting up a few hours on Saturday. She had been ailing for some time but the last few days her cough came on worse. She had medicine from a doctor about Christmas, since when she had received no medical assistance. She had paid into an assurance and medical club, of which *Mr. Buzzard was the attendant. The card was paid up to date.

She applied for medical assistance five or six times but he did not come. Two messages were sent to him on Monday and he promised to be there in an hour, but he did not come. There was every appearance of deceased having died quietly in her sleep. Mr. Hickman had attended her in connection with the club some time ago.

The Foreman – has *Dr. Buzzard given any reason why he did not attend her? – I haven’t spoken to the gentleman, myself.

Has he ever attended her? O yes and done her a lot of good

Is he appointed by the insurance company? – Yes. One excuse he made was because he had not seen the card but it was sent to him yesterday.

The Coroner – I suppose unless the card is paid up, it is not reasonable to expect him to attend.

Snook – The agent told me today that she had paid up.

The Foreman – What time did you see her last?

[Snook] - Not since I left in the morning. I did not come home until 10:30 and the boys telling me she was better and asleep I did not go up. I sat down and went to sleep, not waking up until half-past one. When I left her in the morning I took her a cup of tea, she said she was better than usual.

A Juror – Will *Dr. Buzzard be called?

The Coroner – If you wish me to summon him I will do so.

The Foreman – Well, I think the matter ought to be cleared up.

The Coroner then issued a notice requesting the attendance of *Mr. Buzzard.

Mary Jane Taylor, wife of James Taylor, living next door to the deceased, said she last saw her at half-past ten. She was in bed, and then seemed rather better than usual. She had been in and out of the house since she had been poorly, and attended to her. Witness was called by Mr. Snook about half –past one and when she went in , he said his wife was dead. *Dr. Buzzard had been sent for six times but did not come. He did not give any reason why he did not come and promised to be there in an hour, but did not. She complained of pains in her side, but on Monday she seemed much better. She had not taken anything except a little magnesis; being a weakly person she could not take any strong medicine. The little boys saw her at eleven o’clock when she said she thought she was going to have a good night.

Mr. Richard Hickman, registered medical practitioner, said he attended the deceased a year or 18 months ago for a sore throat, but had not seen anything of her since. That afternoon, by order of the Coroner, he had made a post-mortem examination. She was lying in bed quite natural as though asleep. There were no marks of violence on the body, and nothing from external appearances to indicate the cause of death. He found the body fairly well nourished, both lungs were naturally distended by disease, which had probably been of long duration. The heart had undergone fatty degeneration and he concluded that the cause of death was failure of the heart’s action from fatty disease.

The Coroner – You have heard the evidence as to the difficulty in obtaining medical assistance, if it had been obtained would it have made any difference?

[Hickman] -  No Mr. Coroner she would have died all the same.

The Foreman – it is satisfactory to know that.

*Mr Buzzard was then called in, and before being sworn asked to have the evidence read over. This being done, The Foreman said there was a feeling among the jury that they wanted to be satisfied why Dr. Buzzard did not attend when applied to.

Thomas Hardy Buzzard, sworn said – I am a registered medical practitioner, and a medical officer to the Reading and District medical Aid Society in this district. The members are supposed to pay up, and, if not they could not demand medical aid. When I was applied to attend the diseased, I found from the district manager at Reading that they had not paid up their subscriptions. Having ear-ache on the Sunday and Monday I declined to go.

The Coroner – Then the evidence of the witness, Frederick Snook, that the card was paid up is not correct?

[*Dr. Buzzard] – I have not seen it.

A Juror – But he said the card was shown to you?

[*Dr. Buzzard] - Well who was to sign that card?

[A Juror] – Did you promise to attend in an hour?

[*Dr. Buzzard] – I looked at the list and found they had had not paid, therefore I did not attend. Even if I had gone it would not have made any difference.

The Coroner – how much in arrears was she?

[*Dr. Buzzard] – I really cannot tell.

A Juror – perhaps *Dr. Buzzard will produce the card?

*Mr. Buzzard, after some searching in his pockets, said he had not got it with him.

Sergt Berlase said he warned *Mr. Buzzard to bring the card, and he took it out and put it into his pocket, and he believed he put it in an inside pocket.

*Mr. Buzzard – the card is filled up but by whom I do not know.

The Coroner – The Jury will not be satisfied until they see the card. We must have the card.

*Mr. Buzzard – Well I can show you the card, but I cannot tell who filled it in. The Coroner said according to the card the subscriptions were paid up to the 7^th March.

Snook, recalled said he had never seen the card, but the collecting agent told him it was paid up to date. Mrs Taylor said the card was filled up in the writing of the collector, Mr. Barnes of Reading.

The Coroner, reading the instructions, said the card of membership must show that the payment should be made clear to date when applying for medical aid.

*Mr. Buzzard said he did not believe the card was correctly filled in. he had not received any payment from the Society for a long time.

Snook said the collector called that day, and he would have paid the subscription but he had not the card; the collector then told him that the subscriptions were paid up to date.

*Mr. Buzzard then signed his depositions and the Coroner handed the card over to Snook, although Mr. Buzzard claimed the same as his property.

The Coroner summed up, asking the jury to consider their verdict, and they retired for consultation. Returning after an absence of five or six minutes.

The Foreman read the following verdict: - “The jury are of the opinion that Mrs Snook died from fatty degeneration of the heart, in accordance with medical testimony. They would add as a rider that *Dr. Buzzard, as medical attendant for the Society to which deceased belonged, is open for censure for not having attended to Mrs. Snook when requested, the subscription card being fully paid up.”

Mr. Buzzard then withdrew, and the Coroner said he thought the jury had brought in a very proper verdict, although in his (*Mr. Buzzard’s present condition perhaps the less said the better.

A juror – I suppose the Society will only hear of this through the papers?

The Coroner – Well you have done your duty in forming this verdict, There no doubt has been a dereliction of duty, but this is a matter for the Society to deal with.

The jurymen then signed the inquisition, and the proceedings which had lasted over two hours, terminated.

*The title of Mr. and Dr. Buzzard were used interchangeably throughout the report