Taunton Courier 16 Dec 1931 Girl's Sudden Death Sad Bridgwater Inquest Story Gladys Maud ROWE daughter of Mr George and Matilda ROWE of No 1 Polden Street

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Taunton Courier. Bristol and Exeter Courier and Western Advertiser Wednesday 16 Dec 1931
Page 7 Column 6 and 7


GIRL'S SUDDEN DEATH

DISCOVERED UNCONSCIOUS BY FATHER

SAD BRIDGWATER INQUEST STORY

WHAT THE AUTOPSY REVEALED.

RARE CONDITION.

The tragically sudden death of an 18-year-old girl, named Gladys Maud ROWE, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George ROWE, of No. 1, Polden-street, shortly after saying “Good-night” to her young man friend, was the subject of an enquiry by the Borough Coroner (Mr. Arthur KING) at the Court House on Monday afternoon. Deceased, who was a machinist in the employ of the Tone Vale Manufacturing Company, spent Thursday evening at the home of her friend, who later accompanied her to her home, and shortly after his departure her father found her lying unconscious just inside the front door.

A doctor was sent for, and she was taken to bed, but a few hours later she passed away without regaining consciousness.

FRIEND'S STORY

Herbert Francis CLEVERLY, general labourer, aged 24, of 187, Taunton-road, stated on Thursday evening he saw the deceased, with whom he had been keeping company about nine months, at his house about 7.30. Deceased came there alone, and she remained there with him until 10.15 or 10.20 p.m. His mother and father were there with them in the same room. They had nothing to eat, but his mother made tea, and they all had some. Deceased appeared to be quite cheerful and bright, and did not complain of being unwell. At about 10.15 p.m. he left the house to accompany her to her home. When they reached her home in Polden-street they stood inside the street door, but outside the glass door, which was shut. They were there about ten minutes, and then said “Good night,” and he jumped on his bicycle. He looked back, and deceased was just shutting the door as he rode away.

The Coroner: That is all you can tell us about it? - Yes.

You had no quarrel that night? - No.

I think, as a matter of fact, you have been discussing the question of going to the pictures on the following night? - Yes.

Had she got a key of the house? - No, the front door was open.

Did she generally come to your house? - Yes.

What time do you take her home? - About the same time.

You were not late? - We might have been a bit later than we generally were.

You have been as late as this before? - Yes.

In reply to other questions, witness said there was no mat inside the front door at deceased's home. The floor was of stone, and was not slippery or highly polished.

FATHER'S EVIDENCE.

George ROWE, bricklayer, unemployed, of 1, Polden-street, identified deceased as his daughter, and stated she was 18 years of age, and was a machinist at a collar factory. On Thursday night he knew where she had gone. She did not take a key with her as someone always waited up for her. Between 10.30 p.m. and 10.45 p.m. he was indoors expecting his daughter to return with the last witness, with whom she had been keeping company for some months. He heard them talking in the lobby, and then the conversation ceased. Shortly afterwards he heard the glass door rattle. He got up, and went to the kitchen door, but could see no-one, so he opened the glass door. There was no light, and on bending down he felt someone lying on the floor. He fetched a match and struck it, and then he saw the deceased lying on the floor of the lobby between the outer and inner doors. She was lying on her back with her feet close to the glass door and her head close to or touching the street door. The street door was shut. Witness spoke to her and tried to move her, but she made no reply. He could not lift her himself as he had hurt his back, so he called for assistance, and his son and daughter assisted to take deceased into the kitchen, where she was placed in a chair. She could not sit in the chair without being held up, so she was supported. Deceased had been sick. They stayed with her for some little time, but she did not appear to get better so they sent for Dr. MARTIN, who came almost directly, at about 1.30 p.m. Dr. MARTIN said she had been drinking or had been drugged. He tried to bring her round, but was unable to do so. The doctor advised them to put her to bed, and said she would be quite all right. Deceased was taken upstairs, and placed on a bed, but she was not undressed. Witness and his wife and a neighbour stayed with deceased, but she did not improve or speak. About 3.40 a.m. they noticed a change, and he went for Dr. MARTIN as he considered deceased had passed away. The doctor came, and went upstairs with witnesses' wife. Deceased was practically a teetotaler, and was a strong and healthy girl. She had influenza about six weeks ago, and had complained of headaches occasionally since then.

Mrs. Matilda ROWE, wife of the last witness and mother of the deceased stated that during the last three months deceased had complained more of headaches than before. Just before 11 p.m. on Thursday she was in bed when her husband called her. She went downstairs, where she saw deceased lying on her back in the lobby. She agreed with what her husband said. When the doctor arrived he said she had either been drinking or had been drugged. She could not throw any further light on the matter. She knew deceased was going out with a young man, and approved of it.

DOCTOR AND ALCOHOL.

Dr. Brendon MARTIN stated at 11.45 p.m. on Thursday, he was asked to go to No. 1, Polden-street, and went at once. He found the deceased sitting in a chair in the kitchen, she was unconscious. He asked the members of the family if they could give him any history of her case, and as to what had happened. They said they did not know except that they picked her up from the floor in the hall. He also asked the time she came in, and who brought her home, and could they tell him if she had had a knock on the head. They said they did not know. He then examined the girl, which consisted of looking into the ears and nose for blood, her eyes for the recaction of her pupils, and looking for any superficial mark on her head or any injury. There were no marks of violence or blood. He then examined her pulse and heart, the latter with the stethoscope. Excluding any injuries to the head, he had to think of something she had taken, such as opium or alcohol. He came to the conclusion that she had probably taking alcholic <sic> drink. He partly revived the girl by flicking her face with a wet towel, and she opened her eyes and rubbed the left hand side of her face where the cold water was applied. He told the mother what he honestly thought was the matter with deceased, and advised her to put deceased to bed. He then left, leaving a message to let him know early if they wanted him again. At about 4 a.m. he was sent for again, and, on going to the house he found the deceased lying in bed dead. He had attended her previously, and generally speaking she was a strong, healthy girl.

RESULT OF AUTOPSY.

Dr. G. W. HARVEY BIRD gave evidence that he made a post-mortem examination of the body the previous day, and found it was that of a fully nourished girl. He found no disease in any organ. There were no signs of any violence, either on the head or elsewhere. He found a large hemorrhage, or fusion of blood, in the left hand side of the brain, which he considered was the cause of death. It was not on the surface of the brain, but in a cavity of the brain. Such a condition as that was extremely rare in a person of the age of the deceased, unless caused by violence?? but there might not be external evidence of the violence. The rupture of the blood vessel in that case would be caused by concussion??. In old people they got a hemorrhage? of that kind from a rupture of a diseased vessel without injury of any kind. That would be extremely uncommon in a person of the age of the deceased.

The Coroner: You have heard her father say she was lying on her back in this lobby. Supposing she slipped when closing the door, any blow she might have received then might have caused this rupture? - Yes.

By the Coroner: He found no signs of her having taken alcohol. The only disease at her age which he thought might possibly have caused a rupture of that blood vessel either without accident at all or only a slight accident, would be kidney disease or nephritis, and although he found no evidence of that by the naked eye, it struck him as just possible that she might have had an early degree of kidney disease. If that was possible a slight degree of violence would have caused the rupture of the blood vessel.

The Coroner: Supposing Dr. MARTIN had known that she was suffering from this hemorrhage when he came there, was there anything he could have done? - Nothing at all.

There would have been no object in having her removed to hospital? - No, the condition was necessarily fatal.

Supposing he had been correct in diagnosing it as alcoholic poisoning, was there anything he could have done in that case? - If it had been alcoholic poisoning she would have recovered.

At the request of Dr. MARTIN the Coroner asked the witness if the condition he found at the post-mortem examination would simulate alcoholism in a girl in that state. - Dr. BIRD: The conditions would be very similar.

THE VERDICT.

The Coroner said it was a particularly sad case, and he did not think they could investigate it any further. There was no doubt as to the cause of death; it was hemorrhage of the brain, as Dr. BIRD discovered at the post-mortem examination, and the only question was what brought that on. It might have been one of two things. One was violence due to a fall, and there was no question of her having received a blow. There was also the possibility that it might have arisen as a result of very early kidney disease, but Dr. BIRD said there was no evidence for that so far as he could ascertain by examination with the naked eye. He thought the proper verdict to record would be that deceased died of hemorrhage of the brain, but that there was not sufficient evidence to show how it was caused.


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<NOTES: Gladys Maud ROWE daughter of George ROWE and Matilda FEAR>