FROM THE ECHUCA NEWSPAPER
MANSLAUGHTER AT ECHUCA. Mr. Strickland, coroner, yesterday held an inquest at the Union Hotel, Echuca, on the body of Mary Belle Seymour, who died under suspicious circumstances on Saturday. Mr. Conant watched the proceedings on behalf of Mrs. Elliott, the nurse who attended deceased. Edward Crowther Seymour, farmer of Torrumbarry, deposed that deceased was his wife. She was 35 years of age, and the mother of six children. His wife expected to be confined, and on Monday last, the 29th ult., witness brought her into Echuca from Torrumbarry, and placed her in the care of Mrs. Elliott. He remained at Mrs. Elliott's until Wednesday morning, the 1st inst., when he left for home, but returned again on Saturday, the 4th inst. At five minutes after two o'clock in the morning he was told by Mrs. Elliott that his wife had been delivered of a female child, and that a doctor had been sent for, he did not then enter the house. Doctor Murdoch arrived, and shortly afterwards informed him that his wife was dead. About two hours afterwards he entered the bedroom and found such to be the case. (To the Coroner: He had known Mrs. Elliott for about two years, and she attended his wife successfully in a previous confinement. He engaged her beforehand as a professional midwife. He had, and still had, the greatest confidence in her as a midwife and nurse. To the Jury: He instructed Mrs. Elliott to do the best she could for his wife. He did not in express terms tell her to call in a doctor. He was in no way prevented from entering the house when Mrs. Elliott told him that his wife was very bad. He did not go in as his heart failed him. It was easy to communicate with him at Torrumbarry. It was about 15 miles from Echuca and there was a post-office there. Eliza Elliott, having been duly cautioned by the coroner, deposed that she was a practical midwife, residing at Echuca. She had known the deceased Mary Belle Seymour, for about two years and a half. She was engaged by Mr. Seymour to attend his wife professionally, as she expected to be confined. Both husband and wife came into Echuca on Monday, the 29th ult., and Mrs. Seymour was left behind at her house as a lodger. Mr. Seymour remained until Wednesday. About 3 or 4 o'clock on Saturday morning, the deceased took ill and at about a quarter to nine o'clock she was delivered of a female child. No one but herself was present at the time. After birth had been given deceased suffered from severe flooding. Seeing that she was seriously ill she sent for a doctor, and Dr. Graham attended. To the Jury: She had been practising as a midwife in Echuca for nine years. This was her first mishap. It was three quarters of an hour after confinement that the doctor arrived, but she did not think his earlier attendance would have saved deceased's life. She had never passed an examination for midwifery. In her opinion had a doctor been present from the first, deceased's life could not have been saved. To the Coroner: Deceased was a very delicate woman. Dr. Crossen deposed that on the morning of the 4th inst, at about eleven o'clock, he was called by Dr. Murdoch to see a case at Mrs. Elliott's house. On arrival he found the deceased in bed, having recently expired. Dr. Murdoch represented what had taken place, and he on examination found that the woman had recently been delivered of a child, and that a very unusual complication had occurred, inasmuch as the uterus had not only been displaced, but was outside the body of the patient. He had made a post-mortem examination of the body. There were no external marks of violence. The appearance of the body and the viscera clearly indicated excessive hemorrhage. He inferred that this was the cause of death, accelerated by the improper interference on the part of the nurse attempting what she did not understand. To the Jury: He never before saw a case of inverted and expelled gravid uterus under similar circumstances. He had before been called to attend cases where Mrs. Elliott was engaged as nurse. He had no hesitation in saying that had a medical man been called in before the flooding took place the woman would have been alive. Mrs. Elliott was in no way responsible for the hemorrhage occurring. There appeared to have been no unnecessary delay in sending for a doctor. When Mrs. Elliott realised the state of affairs she acted with great promptitude. He had known patients to die from flooding alone, although under medical treatment. To the jury: I consider that undue violence was used in the removal of the placenta. To the coroner: From post mortem appearances and the evidence given he was of opinion that there was a want of competent knowledge and display of skill on the part of the nurse, and her undue interference accelerated the death of deceased. Dr. J. Murdoch and Dr. G. R. M. Graham, who also were called to see deceased a short time before death, gave evidence, and stated that had a medical man been employed from the first,deceased would have got through safely. Mr. Strickland summed up favorably to the accused, but after about half-an-hour's consultation the jury found that deceased died from haemorrhage from the womb, accelerated by the undue interference of the nurse or midwife, Eliza Elliott, and therefore the jury find her guilty of manslaughter, with a recommendation to mercy. She was then committed by Mr. Strickland to take her trial at the Echuca Court of Assize, on the 15th July. Accused was admitted to bail in two sureties of £25 and herself in one of £50, which were forthcoming.
