EDITH BLANCHE MINALL

DOCTOR PRESCRIBED CAPSULES ANDPATIENT GAVE THEM AWAY

Newbury woman's death from sleep-drug

A verdict that she committed suicide by taking an overdose of barbiturate while the balance of her mind was disturbed was returned by a jury at a Newbury inquest on Monday on Mrs. Edith Blanche Minall (62), 125 Craven-road.

Dr James Pinkerton, associated with the Salisbury Pathological Services, read a report made by the Director of the Metropolitan Police Laboratory on certain organs which had been sent to him for examination.

He found that they contained the remains of not less than 15 capsules of nembutal, a barbiturate sedative consistent with a lethal dose.

Dr. Pinkerton said he found no evidence of abnormality in any of the organs and the brain was normal. Nembutal was usually prescribed in capsules, and one or two capsules were taken for inducing sleep. Anyone taking them in liquid would immediately detect their presence, as they were of exceptionally unpleasant taste.

Found wife in a coma

The husband, Mr. Jack Minall, a railway assistant linesman, said that on September 30^th the got up and took his wife a cup of tea. She came downstairs and made a second cup and he left for work at 7.40am. When he came home at about 12.20p.m. he found the house locked up. “I let myself in the front door” said Mr. Minall. “I shouted but got no reply, and went upstairs. My wife was in bed, partly clothed. She was in a coma. I tried to revive her by rubbing her chest, forehead and hands, but had no reply. I jumped on my bicycle and met my daughter in the City playground and told her what had happened. I then went to Newbury Hospital and phoned for her doctor.

Relapse

Mr. Minall said that in December, 1956, his wife took over 70 aspirins, but he managed to revive her. Afterwards she said “I have been a very wicked woman and God will punish me.” She admitted that she had tried to take her life. Her state of health since last December had improved and she looked quite well, but recently she had had a relapse and went back.

On Saturday, October 28^th, he saw Dr. Williams and arranged for him to visit her the following Monday, the day of her death. Mrs. Minall suffered from headaches and he thought she believed she had a tumour of the brain. After the incident last December she swore she would never try to take her life again.

Dr Peter Williams said Mrs. Minall's medical record showed that she had consulted his partner, Dr. Fletcher, on many occasions for attacks of depression. Dr. Fletcher's remarks on December last was that she took ten or 12 aspirin tablets and that there was some obsession about a woman neighbour.

“Nearly died”

On September 30^th he found Mrs. Minall in a coma, very nearly dead. He found no tablets or empty bottles by the bed. Later, as she seemed a little better, he arranged for her to be taken to hospital, and was actually at the hospital waiting for her when an ambulance driver phoned in to say she was dead.

Mrs. Sylvia Barnes, 77, Andover-road, Mrs. Minall's daughter, said her mother told her in December that she had taken an abnormal amount of aspirin. She said she would never do it gain. ON September 29^th she visited her mother and father, when Mrs. Minall said she wished she was staying with her. She also said she did not think she would live very long. She was always saying things like that.

Given capsules

Mrs. Barnes added that a Mrs. Turner had given her a half-full bottle of capsules for her mother. She had found the bottle which had contained the capsules. It was empty.

Mrs. Annie Turner, 31 Buckingham-road, a widow, said Dr. T.G. Scott had prescribed capsules for her, with instructions to take two a day, She had been taking them for seven or eight years. She gave some to Mrs. Barnes for Mrs. Minall, telling her that she must not take more than two.

Dr. T.G. Scott said the tablets he prescribed for Mrs. Turner were nembutal, a lethal dose of which would be ten or twelve.

Good neighbours

Dr. W. J. Burnett said he had inquired deeply into the matter and could offer the jury no further information. The sergeant said Mrs. Minall's neighbours were very good to her, and there seemed no reason for an obsession about them.

Newbury Weekly News 7 November 1957

Mrs P p.7 S. 13 Died 30 September 1957 aged 62 Wife of Jack.

Also William Minall died 25 May 1929 aged 75

Eliza wife of C.A. Minall died 21 January 1946

Charles Albert died 21 December 1950 aged 84

Mrs Minall was a relative of Rex Currey in NZ (Wife Glen Currey says First cousin once removed).

Edith B. Johnson married Jack Minall December Q 1923.

Contact with the Currey's via Julie Goddard