A Coroner Mystified

Horowhenua Chronicle, 11 July 1911, Page 3

A Coroner Mystified

! The remarkable case of Thomas j Hill, an old man, who died in tho I Melbourne Benevolent Asylum on : March !2(5 from the effects of «i ; draught of poisoned rum, was concluded by tho coroner. The rum had been prescribed by the medical officer, and issued from tho dispensary,' but in some unaccountable niaiuier it had been poisoned! with strychnin.*. The coroner had twice ■ adjourned the case in order that evidence might be produced as to how the poison, got into the rum l 'but no such evidence could bo obtained.. It bad been the practice of the asylum authorities to confiscate liquor brought into the institution, by inmates, and use it for general medical purposes, but it could not bo ascertained which particular inmate brought in tho rum in question. Deceased used frequently to purchnso 111 in. Dr. Her litis, the medical officer in the asylum, in reply to the coroner, said the practice of using ruin brought in by inmates was an 11 • ne. lie now recognised t'nt it was distinctly a wrong practice, and be would see that it never occurred again. After hearing further evidence, which he regarded as verv unsatisfactory. tT)r. Cole said: "This is as far as T can go now. It is still a mystery how the strychnine got into the rum bottle. Evidently Hill had no intention of suicide." Dr. Cole,"in returning a finding of death by misadventure, said he would forward the papers to tho Chief Secretary, who would, lie supposed, send them to the committee of the institution.