The Napier Sensation.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 61, 6 September 1894, Page 3

The Napier Sensation.

ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO POISON TEN FARM HANDS. (Per Press Association.) Napier, September 5. Detective Kirby yesterday afternodft proceeded to Pataka in consequence cf information received, and arrested a man named John Restal (as published in yesterday's Star) on the charge of attempting to murder by means of arsenical poisoning ten employes on the Rhodes estate, at Pataka, situated about thirty miles inland, their names being Abraham Linton, William Buck, Thomas Whittle, John Egan, John Preston, James Montgomery, Wm. Jones, Michael O'Connor, John Lydon, and Alfred Hughes. On Monday morning last all the employes sat down to breakfast and partook of some stew which had been prepared for the meal. All at the table, with the exception of the accused, ate heartily of the stew. A few hours afterwards all who had eaten of the stew were seized with pains in the stomach, accompanied by fits of purging. Information was sent to Napier and Dr De Lisle proceeded to the scene of the trouble. He fonnd the men suffering from arsenical poisoning. Emetics were applied and the patients began to show signs of recovery, Circumstances . pointed to Restall as the culprit, the fact of his <not partaking of the stew being considered suspicious. It is understood same misunderstanding bad arisen between the men, causing a bitterness and ill-fealing to exist, and it is suspected that Restall perpetrated this crime out of revenge. Detective Kirby arrested the accused on the charge above stated. A quantity of the stew was taken charge of by Detective Kirby, who handed a - portion of it to Dr De Lssle for analysis, but the result of the test has not yet been made known. Restall was employed as gardener on the estate, and was discharged for supplying the men with drink against orders.