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BY THE WAY.

BOTULISM AT SHREWSBURY.

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BOTULISM AT SHREWSBURY. LADY'S STRANG^ END. I I Some curious circumstances attending the death of Nesta Gregory, aged 30, wife of Edward John Gregory, licensee of the Otd Lion Tap Inn, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury, were related before Mr. Coroner R. E. Clarke at an inquest at the Public Mortuary on Mon- day. Mr. William Lockley was foreman of the jury. Mrs. Gregory, early on Saturday morning, threw herself from an upstairs window on to the pavement below, and sustained such in- juries that she died the same afternoon. Dr. Godson, who had attended the woman before and during the time she was in Nurse Clay's Home, said she was suffering from the new disease of botulism, and that diagnosis was confirmed by Dr. Gardner. HUSBAND'S STORY. I The husband related how his wife had been unwell, and on Dr. Godson's advice he had her taken to Nurse Clay's Home. That was on May 27. On June 5, on her pleading, he brought her away. Witness admitted that just before he set off in a motor car to fetch her a note from Dr. Godson was brought to him saying "You are removing your wife at your own responsibility and entirel y against my advice. In my opinion, your wife ought never to be left alone." Witness admitted that he acted against the doctor's advice. Continuing, he said owing to his wife's state he had not for months slept.Att nights. They slept in separate beds in the same room and with their two childeEthe little one, 3) years, in a oot. On Friday night he was dis- turbed by the little boy coughing, and on his going to the cot he found his wife had the black silk scarf (produced) pulled round the boy's neck tightly, and was loving him. He released the scarf, took the boy away, -and sat up and watched her. Witness said that was about 2 a.m. he heard the clock strike six, and in a minute or two afterwards he heard a thud. He looked up, saw his -wife's bed was empty, and going to a window at the end of a passage looked through and saw bis wife lying on the ground, with her head in the gutter. Sh* was bleeding from the head. He carried her in and went for Dr. Matthews. -Rep,lyi.pg to the Coroner, witness said the window was 18 to 110 feet from the pavement. His wife had threatened to destroy herself. The Coroner: When?—Shortly alter our Last baby was born. He had heard that her father, who had lived in Ellesmere, was HentaUy affected. The Coroner remarked on a bl*«k ey« that the woman had, and, aaked. witness if he was in the habit of knocking his wife about.NLo, eir, said witness, never. Witness said the tragedy all happened in the two minutes that he dozed off, with his arm around his little hov. MEDICAL EVIDENCE. i Dr. Godson said he first attended Mrs. Gregory on May 8, when he thought she was suffering from influenza. -,s he thought she needed better nursing he advised her removal to the Nuroitig liome. Dr. Godson added that on May IS he changed his d agnosia, and decided that.be wos suffering from the new disease, botulism. Witness got Dr. Gardner to see her, and he confirmed his diagnosie that it was a case of botulism. On June 4, Nurse Clay reported to him that Mrs.Gregory had got out of bed and taken the whole bottle of medicine, and later the same day she tied her ""hair round her neck until she was blue in the face. Next day be saw her husband at the -Homo-lle (Gregory) staging be was going to take her away, Witness told him that his wife had more or fens attempted twice to take her life, and that if he moved her it was on his own responsibility and against his (the doctor's) wish Gregory told witness he did not know what waa the mat- ter with his wife, he did. I then told him," said Dr. Godson, "that I could not any further treat the case, and that he must get another doctor." Witness said he also told him that his wife must never be left alone, and confirmed those statement? in a written statement to him. The Coroner: In your opinion, if she had been properly looked after she would not have come to her death ?-—No, I think she would have recovered. That she would have recovered if properly looked after 1-1 do. Witness added that when she was in the Nursing Home she was twory ill, but she wae improving. There were the two attempts I 4Dn her ffie he had given—witness adding that the disease of botulism gfwe the patient a meaw condition. Pr. Matthews «»td whfta he waa called m at 6-20 r*jp. an Safeffirdty, Mrs. Gr,,4.4pr)r vm uaeonsqious and in §r»*« danger of destli; nothing could be done for her. The cause of death was fracture of the bof the kuli. The black eye he thought arose from the in- juries to the skt^il. The jury reteraed 4 verdict of suicide during temporary insanity, and expressed the opinion that thero was nothing against the hneband, who appeared to have done all he could after she came home from the Nursing Home. >

THE ROLL OF HONOUR. I

SARNAU,I

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