THE TERRARA POISONING CASE.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 274, 28 April 1875, Page 3

THE TERRARA POISONING CASE.

{Sydney Morning Herald .) A correspondent informs us that, so far, the following facts have been elicited in this case :—James Murphy, an old resident of about 30 years in the district, and a carpenter by trade, bought from McArthur and Co. 10 grains of strychnine, for which he paid 6d., stating that he wanted to kill rats with the poison. On his way home he got drunk, and remained all night at the Numba Hotel, making an early start on Sunday morning, with one round black bottle of overproof rum, and a square bottle of gin. He crossed the river at the Numba ferry, and on his way to his home in the Black Forest called at Mrs Bolin’s house, a neighbour on the roadside, a widow who rents a small farm in that locality, living with an only son. The rum bottle was produced, and they partook of its contents. Murphy preferring to drink gin. Murphy remained in Bolin’s house for some time, and Mrs Bolin, with a view to get him away, went for Mrs Murphy, who returned with her, and about four o’clock in the afternoon Murphy and wife left Bolin’s to go home. A short time previously, and when Mrs Bolin was away, Murphy was seen by James Bolin putting very cautiously into the fire a square piece of white paper, apparently with writing on it. Bolin told him to be careful what he was burning, as it might be of value, when he replied, “ Oh, never mind, it is nothing.” When Murphy left he took the remains of the gin with him, leaving the rum bottle on the table with about three finger’s depth of rum in it, saying it would be a drop for them in the morning. Next morning (Monday) Murphy sent his wife on a message, telling her to call in at Bolin’s, and get her shoes which she had left there the previous evening. Mrs Murphy went to Bolin’s, and opening the door of the house, found Mrs Bolin lying on the floor dead. She gave the alarm, and after the body of Mrs Bolin was taken to her room, and the offices of the dead performed, Mrs Murphy found the rum bottle of the previous night, and seeing there was some in the bottom of it, poured it out into a tea-cup, offering to share it with another woman, who refused. Mrs Murphy then drank the contents, when she immediately said to her companion, “What horrid rum that is; it tastes of tobacco,” and fell down in a fit. When she recovered from the fit she said, “That rum has killed me; send for James Murphy.” She continued in fearful convulsions and spasmodic agony until she died, within thirty minutes from drinkiner the rum. From the description given by the witnesses, the fits had all the appearance of being caused by strychnine poisoning, ending in rigidness of the limbs and tetanus. At the inquest which was held, it was proved that Murphy had denied to the police having bought poison at any time, and when pressed upon the matter he admitted that he had, and gave the police a white powder which he said was what he bought. Mr M'Arthur proved selling him the poison on Saturday, and also that the paper powder produced by him was not what he sold; and the facts of death having been detailed by the witnesses, and a post-mortem examination and medical testimony having made clear that strychnine must have been used, James Murphy was found guilty of causing his wife’s death, and committed to take his trial in Sydney on the 10th of May next. Murphy was taken in charge and sent to Sydney, with the jars containing the bowels and stomach of his wife and Mrs Bolin, and the black rum bottle containing about a spoonful of dregs of an appearance different from rum.