MELANCHOLY SUICIDE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2424, 12 January 1882, Page 4

MELANCHOLY SUICIDE.

The inquest on Charles Rhodes, who committed suicide at Glendora Station, on Monday last, by taking strychnine, was held at the Bluff Hotel, Ooalgate, on Tuesday evening, at 7 o’clock, before James Mollraith, Esq., J. 8., Acting Coroner. Mr Digby was chosen foreman of the jury.

On examination of the first witness, Elisabeth Patterson, servant to Mr Aitkin, proprietor of Glendore, it appeared that deceased was paying his attentions to her, and that on Sunday night he paid her a visit, informing her that he was going to Christchurch on the following Monday, and that he would call and see her on his return. She stated that there was nothing strange or uncommon in _ his manner then. They had quarrelled previous to a ball held at Hororata on 3rd January, on which occasion another young man had escorted her, but the difference had since been made up. On his return, on Monday evening, he met and walked with her in the Glendora grounds for some time. Daring this interview he tore off a locket which she then wore, and put one he had purchased in its place. He also remarked that she would never meet him again, and drew a lemonade bottle from bis pocket, also another smaller one, from which he emptied some powder into the larger one. He shook it up, and asked her it she would take a drink, which she declined doing. He then drank off the contents and threw the bottle away, but in a few moments picked it up again, and asked witness for some more water. They walked about 100 yards to the pump' immediately behind the dwelling house, when witness filled the bottle for deceased again. He put more of the powder into the water, and drank it off. In a few moments he lay down on the grass, when witness thinking there was something wrong, ran into the bouse and told Mrs Aitkin that aho thought deceased had poisoned himself. Two visitors, Messrs Archer and Spraigge, rushed out, and seeing how affairs stood tried to make the deceased swallow some mustard ond water, but after a few groans he expired, Mr Aitkin having joined the above mentioned two gentlemen at this moment. Mr D. Manson deposed that he had been in Christchurch with deceased, who asked him to sign the book as witness at Wallis’ chemist’s shop in the Triangle, ae having boughttwo shillings worth of strychnine for Mr Aitkin to destroy rats with. Deceased appeared perfectly rational and composed. Henry Richards, medical practitioner, deposed- Deceased had consulted him on Sunday for a remedy for sleeplessness and visions daring the night. He prescribed a simple dose of medicine and a sleeping draught. Deceased also asked for rat poison, which witness told him he must procure at the chemist's. He considered the deceased to be quite rational, and did not show any signs that ho had been drinking. Witness arrived at Glendore on Monday night, and found the man dead, poisoned by strychnine. W. W. Warren, police constable, deposed that he was summoned to Glendore on Monday night, about half-past nine o’clock, and found the deceased at that time dead. Ho searched the deceased, when a bottle marked strychnine was found in one of his pockets, with a small quantity of the poison in it, on empty purse, threepence in coppers, and a receipt from a Mr Fraser for £2O, purchase money of an acre of land. Witness had him removed to the Bluff Hotel, Ooalgato. Mr Aitkin deposed to the man being almost dead when he issued from the house at the cry of the girl Elizabeth Patterson. Hs had never in any way authorised deceased to obtain strychnine or any other poison in his name.

This was the main part of the evidence, and the jury retired. After some little time, having had to ask the coroner if the verdict must be unanimous, and receiving an answer in the affirmative, they delivered the following verdict: —“ Died by poison administered by his own hand ; uncertain as to the state of deceased’s mind.”