Coroner’s inquest.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 6, 28 August 1914, Page 3

Coroner’s inquest.

On Friday a coronia! inquest was held on the body of James Walker Br ,wn,who died so suddenly at , his home in Huntly South on the preceding day, by Mr E. Rawson, S.M., in the Court house. Mr Robertson watched the case on behalf of the widow, and Mr S. Dixon, on behalf of the Miners’ lliiion, while C nstahle Ingram conducted the case for the police. Mrs Brown, wife of deceased, stated that her husband, a miner, had not worked since the strike. He had applied twice for admission to the Miners’ Union, hut had been turned down on each occasion, no reason being given for liis non-admittance. At the 'end of last week. Mr Dixon, president of the union, had told him that his chance of obtaining work in the mines was as good as that of any other man, and that he (Dixon) would do what l e could to have him re-instated. The mine-manager gave him a note to the Union executive implying that he would be employed by the .company if he? was admitted into the union. He accordingly applied to the executive, his application 'being again rejected. He was in good health bodily, hut had been unable to sleep, and complained of headaches. He had not taken any breakfast .on Thursday morning and appeared to he very excited. She made him some brandy toddy and advised him to go to bed. As she was proceeding with her washing he came to the dodr, and'said he had taken the brandy, hut was not feeling any better. As he spoke he seemed to he sinking down to the ground, and before she could reach him he. fell, breathing heavily at the time. She summoned r ssistance, and very soon Dr J. C. Macdiarmid was in attendance. In a writing pad she had found a note written, and signed by deceased, the note indicating self destruction. The tumbler produced was discovered after her husband’s death as aho was the glass which had contained the brandy. Both were empty. About five months ago he frequently expressed a wish to die and suffered from., ffervoas bredkYlo'wfi. TlTc fin’"thin had contained potassium cyanide she had not noticed until it was pointed out to her by the police. The other bottle found on the dressing tahlq had contained cascara. When informed that there was no hope of resuming work in the mines some five months ago he spoke of taking his life. There had never been any domestic tnobles. He fell as one in a fit, \r as one who ha d t a ken e t 1 i;* : i . To Mr Dix'dA’- •Shh did not know what time he had lost from work before the strike took place, hut was a war * that he had

ptflCC/, Ulib . I W d ! PI tcl u lie uau not worked constantly, he being afraid of t!;e recurrence of an old compla nf. He had been used to mini ;i£ ami did not desire otbe •' wirk.' She denied that she and her daughters expressed a wish that lie would be turned down. Dr J. C. Maccliarmid op reaching the house found deceased lying in bed fully dressed. An examination sho .. ed life to be extinct. iT'h’e pupils of the eyes were widely dilated, and on the neck was a 'curious mottling, pink in colour. As he had not been dead for more than a quarter of an hour the postmortem staining was remarkable. Mouth, tongue and lips were pallid, hut otherwise Por mal. On the margin ot the gum not convered by the upper plate of his artificial teeth were some red excoriations, and a considerable quantity of saliva had gathered between the tongue and the cheek. No froth issued from the lips, feo odour was perceptible, and there were no stains on the hands, lips, face or clothing. Mrs Brown’s agitation was such tli at she could not give a clear account of what had happened. He had made a post mortem examination that afternoon. He found the brain tis--1 sue healthy, and all the other ! organs sound except the appendix which was abnormally long : and diseased. The stomach > and gullet he examined particularly. The former, which was full, he ligatured at both ! ends pending analysis. The latter he [opened throughout its entire : length. Near its junction with the stomach the mucous mem- ) hr.vhce was disintegrated and » softened, the surrounding membrane being bleached. The condition might have been caused by an irritant substance, like ■ potassium cyanide. Whatever : was in the tumbler produced was at that moment developing dydro- > cyanic acid. Anything over 12 minims of a two per cent. solu- 4; tioil iTtyght cause • death. The ’ symptoms revealed by the post mortem examination were con- ; sistent with*, poisoning by potas- ? slum cyanide, half a grain of which in solution would prove fatal. If .not in solution, its > action was slow. The snoring and collapse were characteristic i of poisoning by prussic acid, as s also were the dilation noticed in : the pupils of the eyes and the mottling of the skin. The : stomach he placed in a bottle whilbli. was sealed up by the ; Post-master in liis presence. He /took a sample of the blood, : which was of a • very bright, red U col (Air, for speotroscopical ex aPi in at} < >})• > , ? <>' - . n Brrt'wn, son of the derecognised the tin prot ducid. It hiin and had convained evanide of potassium. + It- wius.usually kept in his room, 7 and \ used for .photographic l v pur looses. Kie had noticed .it:'for ■ha i fast time on Thursday or of the,.,prQvJous wt It t! v V ’ V.-

was then about half-full of potassium, hut empty now, the potassium being in lumps. He had not seen it again until Constable Ingram showed it to riim on Thursday. He last saw his his father at 7.15 a.m. on the morning of his death. He looked allright, hut complained of a sore head. Witness reached home again at 2.30 p.m. Bodily the deceased was healthy, hut was at times downhearted. The i. domestic . relations were satisfactory. He never heard his father express an intention totake his life. ' To"; Police: His father knew" that lie’ used cyanide, and that it was a poison, as heused to help witness with his photography. To Mr Robertson: He had lived happiy with his parents. H s father’s depressed state was consequent upon his inability to get work at the mines. To Mr* Dixon : Last week he had stated that he had volunteered for the front, and asked if his father could obtain work. His father stated after a conversation on Saturday, that Mr Dixon had sgid (hat deceased had as good a chance of obtaining work as any other man. Mrs Laura Nicol lived in the house next Mrs Brown, who asked her assistance on Wednesday as her husband had taken a fir. She went for Mr Evans whom she followed into Brown’s house. Deceased was lying at the back door with a pillow under his bead. He was apparently dead. His face was purple and much puffed. To Constable Ingram : Mr and Mrs Brown seemed to get on well together, and appeared to he great companions. At times Brown was depressed, and at | other times excited, hut always j rational in conversation. To Mr R >bert>on : He was a : very sensitive man, and took J things greatly to heart. Mr Joseph Evans, Methodist Minister, deposed that about midday on the previous da y M rs Nicol sent for him to g > to Browns. On arriving he found Mrs Brown sitting on the step of the hack door, and the deceased lying fully dressed on the floor of the kitchen with his legs and feet protruding from the door. Mrs Brown was veiy agitated. Witness opened his shirt and finding that breathing had apparently stopped, he attempted artificial respiration. The body was quite limp, the face and neck being purple. A carter came in alter a few minutes and cl-eoeasjd was taken to bed. He instructed the carter to keep Brown’s arms moving and cycled down for Dr. Macdiarmid who was on the scene within 15 minutes and who immediately pron mneed lif •to be ext inct. Constable Ingram stated that at l p.m. on Wednesday Dr. Macdiarmid reported the death. He visited I he house of dee'>n 7pd

fie visited the house of deceased, and in consequence of what Mrs Brown to|d him, he searched the room. On the top of the chest of drawers lie found the tumbler produced with a small quantity of brown liquid in the bottom. The empty tin which hid contained cyanide was near the tumbler. There was another tumbler containing a spoon and a -little branclv. The body was removed on Friday from the house for post mortem examination purposes. The inquest was adjourned pending the result of the analytical examination until Moil .a,y, 31st inst.