INQUEST AT ASHBURTON.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1550, 6 February 1879, Page 3

INQUEST AT ASHBURTON.

An inquest was held yesterday in the Ashburton Hotel on the body of Oliver Goldsmith Colville Armstrong, found dead on Tuesday in the hotel. Dr. Trevor was coroner and Mr Ben. Williamson foreman. The following evidence was given : Duncan McKenzie, landlord of the Ashburton Hotel, said the deceased came to his house early in the forenoon ef Monday, the 3rd instant. He bought a flask of brandy. Saw him in the afternoon again about four o’clock. Did not see anything the matter with him when he came at four o’clock. He was not under the influence of drink. Ho had been about the house on other occasions, but never exhibited any peculiarity of conduct or appearance. He had a glass of beer on Monday morning. He did not ask for a bed on Monday evening, and the next time witness saw him was on the following morning, lying on the bed in No. 11 room, quite d ad, and completely dressed. Nothing about the body or the room had been touched when the police came, and the phials produced were lying—the chloral phial under the bed, and the chlorodyne phial on a chair by the bed. The unopened bottle of nitrate of magnesia was also on the looking-glass, and the unopened flask of brandy was in his pocket. His attention was called to deceased by Mary Riley, the housemaid. Deceased showed no appearance of depression of spirits. He did not engage a room, and witness wont straight up to No. 11 room without the knowledge of any one in the house. Things were very quiet, and the rooms were not in spected at night. Had no knowledge that deceased was in the house at all.

Charles J. H. Neate, chemist and druggist —The deceased came to my shop on Monday morning, the 3rd instant, at half past nine, and asked for some hydrate of chloral, which I refused, as it was a poison coming under the Sale of Poisons Act. I told him I could give him Hunter’s solution of chloral, which is a patent medicine. He said he had been drinking, and was returning to camp, and wanted something to take with him to make him sleep. Ho was perfectly sober, and told me ho understood the nature of chloral, and was in the habit of taking it. I gave him full instructions as to how ho was to take the Hunter’s solution.

By the Coroner Patent medicines do not come under the Sale of Poisons Act. Just before he left I asked deceased if he knew the nature of the drug he was taking. Did not know the strength of the solution sold, but should say it contained fully thirty per cent, of chloral. It would have a soporific efiect upon any one taking it, and was usually given by medical men in cases of delirium tremens. I also sold him an ounce bottle of Oollis Browne’s chlorodyne. The chlorodyne is given more especially for allaying pain. Chlorodyne taken in large doses would be poisonous. There are sixteen doses in a loz. bottle. Deceased said he was making preparations to go out to camp. Ho was perfectly sober and sane, and rather cheerful than otherwise. Chlorodyne is sold by all storekeepers, but Hunter’s solution of chloral is not so sold.

A Juryman said that he had known cases in Africa of people, under the impression that it was harmless, taking largo doses of chlorodyne to produce sleep, but never wakening. Benjamin Sillanca, an agriculturist, saw the deceased on Monday, about 5 p.m. Ho appeared dull, and compdained of being ccdd. He seemed to be down on hia luck, but he drank boer with witness. He had more than one glass of beer, but not enough to produce intoxication. Monday was a cold evening, and there was nothing extraordinary in his hands being cold. Sometimes he talked incoherently. He would commence a subject and suddenly leave it without finishing a sentence.

If. S. Bullen, police, constable, corroborated the landlord’s evidence as to the body’s position in bed when found. It was lying with the right hand under the head, and the left over the breast, the knees slightly bent. The bod hud evidently not been

iislurbed beyond what would occur P t by a man lying down upon it, and re m lining perfectly still. Witness corroborated he evidence already given as to the bottleuid other articles found in the room, and on his person. No letters of any kind were found on deceased’s person—only some surveying calculations written in pencil; nothing hat would lead to his identification.

T)r. Stewart knew deceased, and had attended him about three weeks ago for a BHn disei se. He complained of a severe itching that prevented him from sleeping. Prescribed chloral and opium on different occasions for him both by prescript ions and from the chemist. Flo was a man of education, and seemed to be acquainted with tho properties of chloral. Hade a post mortem examination of deceased to-day. There was considerable 'post mortem lividity over the face, chest, and bowels, bn' there was no m rks of violence of any kind On opening the thorax and abdomen there was a strong smell of chloral. The right lung was gorged with blood, the left was healthy, but also slighly gorged. The heart was full in all its cavities of blood, partly fluid and partly clotted. Otherwise tho heart was strong and healthy, The liver was of normal size, but brittle and inclined to be fatty, and tho spleen was smaller than is ordinarily found. In the stomach there was some partly digested food, but the organ smelt strongly of chloral; the intestines did not and were healthy, as were also tho kidneys though congested. Did not open the skull. The Coroner was of opinion that tho skull should be opened, and Dr. Stewart left to do so. Charles J. Truckle, of the A 1 Restaurant, knew deceased, who came to his place about a fortnight before Christmas, where he had been staying off and on for the last five weeks. He had been drinking heavily all the time. He had got the itch or some such disease, and was taking medicine for it. He was careful with his medicine. He seemed latterly to be low spirited. He slept in the A lon Saturday and Sunday, and went away early on Monday morning. Witness got a cheque on Saturday from deceased, which on being presented on Monday was dishonored. Saw deceased on the matter in the course of the day, and he said he would see the banker on tho matter. Understood deceased was separated from his wife on account of his drinking habits, and that his wife was expected shortly from Sydney. Did not believe deceased meant to destroy himself. Mrs Mutch, of the Ashburton Hotel, saw deceased between seven and eight on the evening of Monday. He asked for a clean glass. He got the glass at the foot of the stair, and he went up. He seemed quite sensible and talked rationally. Never saw him again alive. He did not say what he ■•'anted the glass for, and witness did not ask. Never saw the man before.

Mary Riley, housemaid at the Ashburton Hotel, gave evidence as to finding the body in No. 11 bedroom. Dr Stewart, re-called, said he had examined the brain, which was healthy, but the blood vessels on tho surface were partly gorged with blood. The pupils were dilated. Would attribute death to an overdose of chloral and chlorodyno. He formed this conclusion from both the evidence he had heard and the post mortem examination he had made. After taking such a dose as deceased had taken ho could not live more than an hour. No man knowing the properties of those drugs would take two one-ounce bottles of them at one time unless he meant suicide.

The jury returned a verdict of “ Death from an overdose of chloral taken accidentally.”