A Girl Died in a Magnetic Healer’s Home. Her Father Was Kept Outside.

The peculiar death of Vina Kelly, a prepossessing girl aged 14 years, at the house of her brother-in-law, G. E. Chesbrough, a magnetic healer, in the rear of a West Street address, Tuesday afternoon at 3 o’clock, will be the subject of a coroner’s inquest this afternoon unless something unexpected happens. Miss Kelly’s father lives at Green Lake and he did not know of her death until Tuesday night about 11 o’clock.

Various reports were received at Coroner Askam’s office yesterday afternoon which attributed death to pneumonia, scarlet fever and typhoid fever. From a superficial examination of the body, which is that of an apparently healthy girl, made late yesterday afternoon at the Seattle Undertaking Company’s rooms, the coroner is satisfied that neither scarlet fever nor typhoid had anything to do with the case and there is no indication that the lungs are diseased.

Coroner Askam learned that about two weeks ago Miss Kelly, who had been living at her father’s home at Green Lake, came to visit her sister, Mrs. Chesbrough. She had not been well but apparently not in a serious condition.

Mr. Chesbrough told the coroner that Tuesday afternoon she was seized with a coughing spell and she died a short time later, apparently choking from the phlegm that collected in her throat. The sad news was taken to the father at Green Lake late at night and when he saw the remains of his child at the morgue yesterday afternoon there was a very pathetic scene. It was intended to have the funeral services at the Market Street Baptist church this afternoon at 1 o’clock, but as the case came into the coroner’s hands for investigation they had to be postponed.

O. E. M. Pratt, who represents D. S. Kelly, father of the dead girl, said that he did not know anything about the death but that when the father called at Chesbrough’s house to see his daughter he was denied admission on the ground that she did not want to see him.

A Post-Intelligencer reporter called at Mr. Chesbrough’s house last evening but that gentleman said he did not want to say anything about the case, as his statement was in the hands of the coroner.

“I intend to hold an inquest this afternoon,” said Coroner Askam, “to get at the real cause of death, and if anyone is to blame let the public know it. I am not able to come to any conclusion from the facts at hand and do not intend to jump at conclusions. There is not the kindliest feeling between the father and Mr. Chesbrough, I understand. The case did not come properly into my hands until this afternoon and I cannot hold an inquest immediately. Mr. Chesbrough is not a regular practicing physician, so he could not legally sign a death certificate.”