INQUEST.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 660, 1 August 1876, Page 4

INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesterday at 2 p.m., at the Hospital, on the body of Frederick B. Fuller, late taxidermist at the Canterbury Museum, whose death we recorded in our last issue. Mr John Walker was chosen foreman of the jury, and after the jurors had viewed tbe body the following evidence was taken : Frederick Fuller, son of the deceased, deposed that on Wednesday last, about i p.m , deceased was taken ill. At this time he had been home three-quarters of an hour. He just laid his head on the bed, when he jumped up in a very excited manner. Previous to this he had been calm. He said the back part of his head was bad. The deceased was a very little intoxicated on the previous day—Tuesday ; only a very little. On Wednesday he appeared quite sober, Deceased walked out into his workshop, only remaining a minute or so. He came to the door and walked back to the workshop again, returning almost immediately. He came to witness and said ; " Oh, Fred, I'm poisoned," and he spat out something. He did not say how it was he had taken the poison. He ■pit out a mouthful. No more was said, and deceased fell over in the yard. Witness's mother came out at the time, and he said to her, "Oh, mother, father has got poison." Witness went for Mr Moule, one of the bonrs, but he was not at home, and Mrs Moule came. When she came witness ran for a doctor. He first went for Dr Deamer, who was nearest, but he was not at home. He then went for Dr Guthrie, who came at once. Witness went for Dr Powell, but he was not at home, and Dr Guthrie then sent him for Dr Campbell, who came. Witness did not Bee his father again until Thursday. He did not know how he had taken the poison. He used poisons in his work-shop, but never let them into the house, as he was very careful.

By the Jury—Deceased did not tell witness how be took the poison, but he told Dr Guthrie. Deceased was in a very low state of mind from having been dismissed from the Museum, and not being able to get any one to hear him. He said that if any one would have heard him it would have been all right. He tried to get a letter about his dismissal into the papers, but they refused to put it in. Deceased was very despondent about the papers refusing to do this. He tried twice ; the last time was on the Tuesday. Witness saw him write the letter which he now produced. The Coroner read the letter as follows : " To the public of Christchurch —I, the late taxidermist and articulator at the Canterbury Museum, kindly appeal to the public of Christchurch to have a public investigation into the causes of my dismissal. I am, Sa, F. B. Fulleb."

John Guthrie, a duly qualified medical practitioner, deposed that at a quarter to five on tbe evening of Wednesday, 26th inst, he was hastily summoned to attend deceased. On arrival at his residence in Avonville he found deceased much excited. He had been vomiting, and told me that he had taken arsenic. Witness gave directions for his instant removal to bed,and proceeded to use the stomach pump, which however he was ultimately obliged to abandon, owing to the violence of the patient. Witness then sent for assistance and administered emetics. Deceased promised not to thwart witness in his efforts, but told him that he could not save him. Witness administered the antidote for arsenic, having well cleansed the stomach with emetic. Dr Campbell arrived and consulted with witnees as to further treatment. Deceased got better the next day, but sank on Friday and died in a comatose state. Witness examined the bottle pro duced, from which deceased confessed to have taken a draught. It contained a large quantity of arsenic ; he' had also examined some of the vomited matter, and was satisfied that it also contained arsenic. He made a postmortem, examination of the body on Sunday. There were no external marks of violence; on opening the chest the lungs were found to be deeply congested, as was the case also with the entire venous system. The right cavity of the heart contained a large quantity of clotted blood. Several deeply congested patches were also found in the gullet and intestines. Death resulted from arsenical poisoning.

The Coroner said that the facts were clearly proved by Dr Guthrie's evidence that deceased had died from arsenic taken by himself, and under these circumstances he did not think it worth while to submit the widow to the pain of giving evidence. The jury decided that it was not necessary to call the widow, A juryman said he would like to ask Dr Guthrie if the deceased told him whether he had taken the poison accidentally or on purpose? Dr Guthrie on being recalled said that his belief was that the deceased told him that he had taken it intentionally, and not accidentally. Of course he would not like to say positively, but the impression left on his mind was as he had stated. The jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict—" That the deceased died by poisoning from arsenic, administered by himself whilst in a fit of temporary insanity."