Old news from Armidale and New England

The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser, Tuesday 15 October 1872

NEW ENGLAND.

(From the Armidale Chronicle, Oct 10.)

Sudden Death – A shockingly sudden death occurred this week to a woman named Swift, the wife of a shepherd, residing on Gara Run. From what we been been able to learn, it seems that deceased’s husband had left the station to go lambing, and at that time his wife was apparently in good health. Swift was away from home several days, and on his return, last Tuesday, he was horrified to find his wife dead in bed, seemingly two or three days. The bed clothes were saturated with blood, and from the position of the body it was evident deceased had suffered much before death ensued, as her knees were almost doubled up to the chin. In the course of a magisterial inquiry, held at Gara, yesterday, before Mr. M. Marks, it came out that some three mouths ago Mrs. Swift received a fall from a horse, and had frequently since expectorated blood. Dr Spasshatt was in attendance, and having examined deceased, gave his opinion that she died from the bursting of a blood vessel. Mrs Swift, who will be better known as Mrs Faithers, was a very old resident in New England. Her funeral took place yesterday afternoon, and was largely attended.