Louisa Plummer

SUDDEN DEATH AT NEWBURY.

The inquest on the body of the woman who died suddenly at the Newbury Railway Station on Wednesday was held on Thursday evening at the Railway Hotel, before Dr. Watson, J.P., Borough Coroner. The case was briefly reported in our last week's issue, but the additional information elicited at the inquest makes the case peculiarly distressing.

The jury, of whom Mr. Charles Paris was foreman, having viewed the body, the following evidence was taken:-

Louisa Plummer, servant in the employ of Mr. Alphonse Cary, said that the deceased was her mother, and lived at Maidenhead. On Wednesday morning her mother came to see her, and after having had a hearty breakfast remained with her during the morning. At two o'clock she ate a hearty dinner, consisting of soup, cold beef, potatoes, and a glass of stout. They went for a walk in the afternoon, and returned about four and had tea. She then accompanied her mother to the Railway Station. After passing Mr. Giles' confectionery shop, she complained of a pain in the shoulder. She also complained when a little further down the Station-road. Witness took her to the waiting room, and then left to obtain her ticket. On coming back witness found her mother standing outside against the rails. She complained of being very ill, and asked her to send for a doctor. With assistance she got her mother into the waiting room, and sent for a doctor.

While waiting they moistened her lips with a little brandy. When Mr. Hickman arrived be gave her a little medicine, and having laid her across the setts, he said he thought she was dead The last words of the deceased were, "Good bye my poor child; God bless you." Her mother was in the house during the whole of the day. For two years her mother had suffered with these pains in the shoulders. They did not hurry to the station.

Mark Andrews, fisherman and pig butcher, living at Maidenhead, said that the deceased woman had been living with him for the last 18 or 19 years. They had lived as man and wife, but were not married. Her health was pretty good, and she had no medical advice for some months. She had complained lately of a pain in the back, and sometimes could not get her breath. Occasionally she had a bad cough. Deceased was a very sober woman. She left the house about a quarter to seven to come to Newbury to see her daughter. She had a very good breakfast before starting, and seemed in good spirits. Her age was 39 years. She had never had any fits.

Mr. Richard Hickman, surgeon, said that on Wednesday evening at half-past five he was sent for to see a woman who was ill at the Station. He went at once and found the deceased lying on the seat of the waiting-room. One of the porters was holding her head up. She was just alive,but quite unconscious,and almost pulseless. He gave here little sal volatile he had with him, but she died within two or three minutes of his seeing her. There ware no fits, nor convulsions. Directly she was dead, a large quantity of froth came from the nose and mouth. He could hardly say what was the cause for this. At the request of the Coroner he viewed the body just before giving this evidence, and found a large quantity of froth still coming from the nose and mouth. This was very unusual, and he had never (seen) such a thing before. It was a singular thing that he was at the station to see a friend leave by the 5-16 train, but he had got home before he was called. From the evidence of the preceding witness, and the absence of any suspicious circumstances, he was inclined to attribute death as due to heart disease, or to one of the larger blood vessels.

The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence,"Death from natural causes”.

P.C. Gamble asked the Coroner if he would make out an order for burial. The man Andrews was then called into the room, and in answer to questions put by the Coroner, said he had not a halfpenny in the world, and could not undertake to bury the deceased. If she had died in Maidenhead the parish would have had to bury her. He had four children of his own, but they were in service. The daughter of the deceased paid her mother's travelling expenses, and also sent him the money to enable him to come to Newbury. The Coroner remarked that it was a very unsatisfactory state of affairs, and made out an order for burial to the Relieving Officer of the district.

The deceased woman was buried in Newbury Cemetery on Monday.

Newbury Weekly News and General Advertiser - Thursday 07 January 1886