PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Kumara Times, Issue 2376, 9 April 1884, Page 2

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

[united press association.] Waipawa, April 8. A man named Hans Anderson poisoned himself with strychnine afe Makarata yesterday. An inquest will be held. Wellington, April 8. At the Supreme Court this afternoon P. K. Watty whs sentenced to fire years, for forgery. Auckland, April 8. The Ringarooma, Tozer, from Sydney, arrived to-night. The captain reports the death of a saloon passenger, John Henty, at 5 o'clock this evening off the island of Kawau. The supposed cause of death is delirium tremens. He had only two drinks on board. He is the son of Mr Henty, of Henty Bros., of Melbourne, and manager of the Bank of New Zealand Agency, Sydney, and had a return ticket. On the second day he began to talk incoherently and wildly, and was put into a separate cabin and attended to by a steward. He was talking about ringing up for the telephone for his wife and children. This afternoon, at 5 o'clock, the captain went into the cabin to see him, and told him he would be on shore soon. Henty got up and dressed and put on his hat in order to go ashore, when he dropped down dead. He appears about 35 years of age. Opunake, April 8. An old colonist named Shean, from Nelson, died last night near Oeo, soon after returning to bed. His two sons have land near Oeo, and deceased was on a visit to them. # THE POISONING CASE. Opunake, April 8. The inquest on Louisa Marion Plumbridge and two children, who died from poison administered by Mrs Plumbridge on Sunday evening last, was held to-day. Deceased was 40 years of age. She had a daughter by her first husband, Captain lliggins, about 54 years of age, living in the King country, Latterly deceased talked about poisoning herself in consequence of some troubles, but her brother thought it was only gammon. The jury after retiring twice, returned a verdict that deceased died through poison administered by her own hands, but the evidence did not prove her state of mind at the time the poison was taken. Dr. Gibbes, who held the post mortem examination, i in reply to the jury, said that there was little or no restriction on the sale of poison beyond the signature in the poison book, and the statement as to the purpose for which the poison was to be used. He thought the law very lax in that respect.