Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 22 May 1931
Lundhill Woman’s Death.
Boy Witness Complimented
An Unusual Disease.
At an inquest at Wombwell yesterday Mr. H. S. Gill inquired into the death of Edith Ogden (32) 7, Lundhill Row, Wombwell. Mrs. Ogden was taken ill on Monday morning, and died while her husband, Harry Ogden, miner, was at work. The husband said his wife had enjoyed good health, though ten years ago she had an operation for appendicitis. Eight or nine months ago she had a septic condition of the mouth, and was treated by Dr. Mosbery.
About half-past ten on Sunday night he and his wife went to bed, and on Monday morning he went to work shortly after five, leaving his wife in bed. She had apparently slept well and had made no complaint. While he was downstairs she called “Good morning, lad,” and appeared to be all right. At 11-30 the same morning he was called out of the pit, and went home to find her dead.
His wife ate a hearty supper on Sunday night. They had had five children, the youngest aged six.
Ada Auckland, married, 8, Lundhill Row, said she had lived at Lundhill 23 years and knew Mrs. Ogden all that time. Mrs. Ogden was in witness’s house on Sunday night, and seemed very happy. On Monday Roy Ogden came into the house and said “Mrs. Auckland, my mother wants you.” Witness did not then suspect that Mrs. Ogden was ill, or she would have gone straight away. Going into the house later she found Mrs. Ogden in bed. She complained of being poorly and said she had a pain in her breast and back. Witness left Mrs. Watkin, a sister-in-law of deceased, in the house, and went home, but a little Inter Roy ran into the house and said his mother was in a fit. Witness returned and shortly afterwards Mrs. Ogden died, before the arrival of a doctor.
Roy Ogden (12) said that on Monday he stayed at home to look after his mother, who was poorly. He was lighting the fire about 7-45 a.m., when his mother said she had a backache, and went back to bed.
The Coroner: Did she have any breakfast? —No, I took her a cup of tea to bed.
Did you make it?—Yes, sir.
Roy said his mother told him to “tidy up,” and he did en. His mother seemed restless and he fetched Mrs. Auckland.
The Coroner complimented the witness on the clearness of his evidence, saying “You have done very well.”
Dr. W. C. Jardine, who performed a postmortem examination, said the cause of death was acute pancreatitis accompanied by heart disease. A victim of the disease usually lived twelve hours, but the weak condition of the heart in this case caused earlier death.
Returning a verdict of “natural causes,” the Coroner remarked that the disease was an unusual one.