Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 605, 25 August 1858, Page 2

Local Intelligence.

ivielancholy;;stjicipe;

JfOn.Saturdaylast^an inquest wasiheld at| the Police iGourt, before W'.y Donald, ;Esq.i Coroner j' on the- body Of Sarah Jane who Iliad died-suddehly at her father's-houseohthe vious night. '■' ;';; v":-;;:' ;y-i;! ;-- af'^^ ■■ i;-"f ' After'the usual the: jury and yiew'in£;;,the ,bbdy, the; witnesses were/called.; '-...".' '.;."; .'..', :

" .Elizabeth AUwright deposed' as;follows :— The deceased;was my sister ; ; ;and <was ; about 19 years of age. Tsaw. her last aliyewheh getting in to. bed, last; nighty about a:-quarter! past nine o'clock.:- I went.up.stairsrandishe^ followed' me. :directly; '-■W& slept; on the same "flbbr-:but in• 'different' beds. Is A<' young 'brother "'and itwo sisters slept with her. We had hfrcdhversation: .aftei*. g6ing. WP, stMrs,-^hpthing;p£irticuiar. ; She: only said :she would take up, the carpet off! the front, room on,the;fbllpwing day. .-'.• I,' went to* t»#, a^4:-^ elV asleep, but was .'shortly .waked by ;ray .cousin, who ; said-Sar^wasV ; groanm°*l ,r I came, to .the door and asked her^whatrwasl the ; matter &-. She said.she had .a; cramp in; the ile^'.: : Tasked if. I would callmotherP; She*aid,'> c ko!' She said s somethinglwas :the; matter."'l then ; got;up anddighted -the' candle, having 'matches '*n th£ *P,? m'"'''"1 wentJ' up to "< her and;ifbhh<T ' »er :hps;black,-^she::was dead.; "It:';\*rks bnly five minutes after my/cbusin' waked me when I found my; sister ...dead'.,.. She:-; seemed", perfectly cheerful; when we' went to bed; -We were together before, in. the - sameiroonii? during-: the: .evening.. She--sat at ; : the :; windo,W( and-talked nothing, particularly .beyond, the affairsrof the; .•.house;;: I did mot -know; whether: or- nbt"she> was pregnant; 'but -my Imother' told sme ! d^y :before 'that my iflather-had 'suep'e6ted7 ;sd. " Ij. never heard her Saythat/she would1 destr^ylher'--self if she got into trouble, or khy words "to that effect. ; She was.subject tb"the"Pranip,iand used-to complain ;pf her 1eg5..... . I r ,-. rSaraV- Ritchie—Tlie deceased wds my mccc . .Saw.her/yesterday.evenihg. about a quarter !past -nine,putting a^.ay clean clothespin the (topdrawer. >■ She ,<tbld me she was coming down to see me this evening; and seemed.-in her visual s-P- rft* Shernever' said anything to -mejthat might lead me. to suppose that {she^ had T l'?^;- healtt ' was ■aKroys. ;:bxcenent; After I had, gone home William' " Alight (came,for me, and.when I went; up she | Was dead. . Imw. nothing suspicious:, about! the house in- the shape of an empty glass or otherwise.

.;JHenry Al%iht,^£SathSf^rr ~ , t cM%was£nto^^^ Km&4e pou»i^dly gi^tifeJ *fi emot »on tains stryohiime,'and ha^begn^ in m v 'h n" three or fbiir years; and was "procured oriSJ? 1' for destroying rats. I never saw it R ,*„„ „v i until last night. After being a shoiTt* hen ' bed my nephew, who lives with me-caff 6 in saying, " something is the matter will. «a ? e > My wife, who waslaid up from a sea& ah said, " tell Nancy to ask what is the lS° fc ' and come and tell me." In two or ft ' : minutes.Nancy-came down- and said Sarali dead. It struck me-in,-ftmpment, and T 7 as my wife at once,*" Js Ctilai str^^ne # house^P^^-She-Baid.r'lGod.knows wU t]) e ,dr^WQr;,where^it;used;ifo,.be, but.'could not t\, *\ yZ^^J^&i™& difficuK get up,- andl found «itf whereat? had been alw 4^---r^fe^t^-%-E^ she said HE .did not .think,it had.been touched, ■ft 0o „ , ?iisualt- Th^krk' op'thl Sf mark as,ifrit>had.r<beeri drawn by some si instrument'inserted at one side) is one that^ wife made.a l long,.time.ago.,,., r l,sent xav »„«i,? y for Dr. 2)pnald at-tlie moment of heS th " first alarm; arid lie'arrived Jab6ut fifteen ininut afterwards;-"[ln! '*ans#er- "tb''tHeVCoroner.l T mean the first^witriessjjElizabethi by^'Nancv-" it is the familiar 7 f^mily «ame., ,-

y; .Thomas Sutton^Thjedeqeased, is my cousin I;sleep in jairpom pn.the same floor., I went to bed last,' flight^ %out. a quarter pt|?ten, about anhpur after .the ;fest.';T had 7 ndt been in bed oyer a few minutes,;*and Kadi'not'fallen asleen when. I heard- Sarah moaning as if in great pain I heard',th'e-pt^er ..sister' would call her, motherland, the "deceased answered "]s o '• Heard -the, sister;; call '.again^but ; deceased did :hot answer^. Jl^wentjaiid,^calieii the-father and mother, : ahd, heard '.their^ to go and see what; was the matter,I" The latter came .down immediately.crying)'* Sarahis dead." The lasttimepreyip^ past ; seven.- She seemed'fully as; cheerful as usuai,---liyely.', and joking-;); The^mpahing was : like; .that of, a .person] in; extreme agony; and ■lasted; about.eight,or ten minutes. The" Coroner J here.. ; directedyt^ 0 f the .witness, > to;/ithe v discrepancy.; between his statementand/that; ofElizabethAll wright, who ; deposed]jithat^she; was first wakened by himwhereas he asserted that he first; heard the I moaning! and ;then r: th> sister, calling out, withj out.'his; jhaving endeavoured tp^wake her or inGterfering;in any -manner^;. v v „.; (if The witness,- hpyreyer,.persisted in his statementj;anddenipd havingcalled; outip Elizabeth. - At; this-stage of theproceedingsithe inquisii: tion was adjourned imtif Monday iat; 10 o'clock, to allow full time for a post ;mbrtem; examination.^, v :'.[':l'::.. :'f ty ? -_:' lyy: .-■•'; ;_-i-':^;,::iib7EESUMED.;pN; MOKDAT.-;, "\;;J.'-'£fi;G^^ ;^6^.TBsidin^'itif Lyttelton;! : -By direction of the *Cpr<&er and;m^"elf made a post \nibfi^e^min&iiom'ii£ th'e"body "oi Sarah Jane •^liw^gHtJ'-lEiiiiade! hbtes;of the;appearances j;at-'theftimel; :!iThe c'eopy produced is aii exact transcription of Vthbse;';nbtes^; .f lt - runs as follows:—- r-;V f':^'-;;-:' «'*-'!-';*->'-' :;b!;-i. .•:;,;

;°" The f-body ; lying UpPU the /back in a perfectly natural position, as that"; bf "''a'-person in!^ L ;^r&n^ laid 'across'the stomach,-the-'right"arm-lying over rt^^dge'bf^h&bedste^MFac^turned-slightly ': towards the'left shPulder:and'dbpressed.:Lower extremities straight? f";The fingbi'sof the right ' handwere;^bent'to wardsithfe ipalm>: and -the arch of the right TpPt'dnCTeaSed,-the f great" toe of the same "fbotv7much.~inclined"; towards the sole. Rigidity plrVaded'all the joints, the elbows particularly., -;.«yiTwpA - - i R?<-Dark^pttrpte^ ied^oyerj1 the;;Tacei%'eck/thofa±X'and; upper ex;tremif[es/ fk r The";:sa^ pervaded the left .^rpiri.^The finger nails and lips'were also of a dull',purple ;.hne..;' Th'b fdepehdattt f pkrts of the 1 .appearance of the „sanie;^Hara(Aer.^.'..r,'^X iZ-Z'-~Z'Z--'-^ ■j. .The?abdpmen ; wasj yerjr hardjand promi-rieht,-f knd theiumbilicus iprptruding. i .1. The. body generally, .was lia.% arid the breasts welldevelopediK^'c;^;;;''.;:'!;'ih ovi t.y. :.. ■• • t-^On^^bpenirig, thp; cavity, "of the 'chest, the , prgan^rpresented '} a^yery!cpn^ested;'appearance, aud W'l^e^quantity pfidkj^:fljiid ; blood ,es" caped * bn v fevenh!^, ''"lhe >i%Vg^::(vessels° leading .from the heart? TWiscera thrust upwards. u,;.^',T^heai^ltgelf;,>itK;|;iQ Vvalves,. were -lieathyf.M^ present^a^^^ ■„ v^'iThelungßryirerejMthihigWy congested; tlie left lung;was;(goi'gednwith;blood ;:jH.sthe:rigM vlung; wasraigoodi€eal.'of'bloody-frothy mucus. • Tlie sameikindrof'mucusk(blo6dyiand-frothy) extended byfer;th'e-iriner.lsnrfa6e of- tM'trachea. .;i'" The^aifge^yessdsl'l^dihg; from^'the*heart ;w.breii^ ;o'f, therasbphagusr',^ ' ,a MaU jnecac^pp^pf i in^th6^v?er portion. ;.;;,.'" Thp. ih^stines^a^a Axyei Iwer^Tfiealtliy. ': .? i!;The ; uterusjwas, greatly"distended,/and congested >in: patches.' kQn'.cykt&ms > intp.-its cavity. ■ & healthy;foetuS(Was found,!itai the eighth month ofuterotgestation; - <;-;};,; ; . Si; .•'; ',v.;: •'. "The membranes of the brain were wvw ;;congeßted,.'butr:Otherwise-;healthy. .fThc substance of; ; the I; brain was [also;-/healthyy but ffas pervaded throughout with numerous -bloody /points;*;? The Wembranes ofthe-right! lobe wei'" ;mbreobhgested-thanl those of^thbleft.^ ; ; ■■ x "The' stbmaclrwas; r l'igatui*e'd'Yat!both orifices and remoyied^eMedyup;ln^ to Sergeant Sealer's' cti'st'odyV '' '\ " . "On examinationthirty r six t ho.ura,after clow'l' the externar surface' preserited' ah uniform I congested appearance, gradually changing n'°m

- ahrlght liVid^red'at thd pyloric extremity, to an dulf brown'; at thei Esophageal./ ■> :<iJ': Z- „:/ r; i «On cuttingopen vthe'orga,ni about a;£;ot a f ■ bint: of ] a thibk grumoas substance was obtain ed /'mixed with. !i,severah: -small undigested'pieces # lihin^'membrarie was healthy'iri apv«eai*ancev"; «xcieptmg-at the: Esophageal ;end,; where it partook"of: the sameiicolor - (a; dull bi;6wh,) rand-c6rrfespohding'- with<) the ■ external surfaced "The fining membrane-was here easily, removed, by scraping, froirrthe truecoat.of the : stomach, )r which rpresented- numerous bloody points toiview.. ,v.-. : -nti- j ; ; Z " Quite;.atr the lower enp. pi• the sesophagus -i was /found/a ismaU^hard^iuhstahce; imbedded/ partially in food,, which, 'answered to the,.te^st of,. nitric.acid,/iti precisely,the/ saihe,maiiher ;as.,a crystal of strychnine""/ A drop of nitric; acid/ was also placed in the centre;pf 4 a ; small (Juan-, . tity of the contents of the stomach,.'which; im-;.. mediately turned it of an orange red y color v .-_■._:■> "A cloudiness was also 'pbserved^n adding a solution of.hi-chloride of,mercury.t'o a filtered solution of the contents pf v 'the;.stomac|i "in equalparts/of/distilled- w^ei*, and'hydrochloric; acid.;,.-., ■•:>■];!':'■■■''■ IWi !'•)''!•■■;•;-.• i,,V: , > ■'■'.'' " A portion .of.the.. i -c;6htehts of .the stomach. was then 'given; to '.a^small 'dogi;b]it without apparent,:£)ffect for:.fi^e* niiiiutes. iJQh repeating with ; an 'additional ,;and'.'much';iarggr quantity,,.. the usualisymptowKor^g^ty and; convulsions came oh" immediately, */and,/in : the course. :of: three orfour the dog was quite dead—' ; the limbs quite flexible. „ v ,;/ ;i; ; ■'■';; /"/A-' small/portion/ .jjrKs.then administered, to '■ a rabbit. "... For o pr-."t^elye mmutes ho effect' was .produced, \ . Convulsions then caihe on, with, rigidity, "and .the .'.animal /died' in />hout" five' minutes/the rigidity/of",'thel'lliiibs,'remaining.';,'.';; " As much OM tbe,contents of "the. stomach as would lie.;upon v the /ppiiit of ,a case knife^was, then givehjto a second small "dog..;/Convulsions , came; ;on! in seven, and a half /minutes, and in thirteen and a half minutes/(or 21-minutes ; from the" -administration), the /dog/ was/ quite " dead, the rigiditybf.thelimbs'remaining.^ ,/ - 'f/Oh;Repeating"the/f est with' /bi-chloridp 0 { „ . mercury added/, to . a iolutipn of..the/ consents of the stomach .in "hydrochloric;^ a . decided^flocculent percipitate/ was thrown dpwn. '''"'' /(Siinedy ... /-'".Johh'Seager/Gundry, :; ' Z'Z /' ;''':•'...: / /.^VThdsrMcCheane." . ;r;->, •j '/Sergeant, Seager prpyed haying takeh pos:.session, of ithe'. stomach 1 sealed rip in..a'jari de- / "/liyeringit; onthe//previous day,to" Dr.^^ . and :his /presehce"during;'" the analysis of its ..• cbntehts.^V-/';-.-.. •: - „-;., /'. ■■.;; . , (Ck/Gfundry's! .evidence/continued.) _ ; ; / By "i]ie \^rj^L never//Mew/ stpyphnm to b'e.used ( 'tb, cause/'aijprt^ _ //that/deathTin this^.case,: was;/caused /by strychnine. 1 Relieve between one and ;twQ; grains is: sufiieient "generally to cause death in/persons of' the,,age ofdeceased. .There/must/liave^ been; icphMderably, more,/ .thaK/tKaVV^uantitj;. r in j the; . .stomach.;,//Presumihg: that/potatoes/ vras ] the ■".':. vehicle;/^ whicli//j;he:poison was/^conv^fed to;. / 'the /stoinacbi. I;am ■ not /in/ "a :positiph/ to/say at ; what-, time ;after, being /taken it /would, .cause /-/ death//,'/.Considering., the. fulness and. contents / of ;;ttie;i£omach J 'think -three'grains must have • been taken. „.;.■., : -...; : -. = •••-•■'. - ,-'-: •■-; •'. . /The/Coroner here quoted medical authorities wh!p had affirs^'d/that half agrain would cause . '".:"the extinction of life., „ _. Dr.','MfCheane, who/, ponjointly, with _Dr. Gundiy had made the/^osi^ :: .;.confirmed; thp.correctness of the.transcriptioh /,/ of hptes /produced j/ and /added in/ answer to questions-r-T have ho hesitatioh /in saying that; death was paused/by strychnia. The quantity takeii by deceased must/,have;;heen. large, and /" taken in soKds./Tcahhdt say how much was'

._ taken.... ..-.,. ■ v . - -;■' ■ ■ - :: ...' /The Coroner here,;fead from. the report of Palmer's/itriab/the external/appearances of the ' body of Cooke, jvhich' porresppnded exactly with ; those of deceased.; '..' . .//: - Elizabeth /Allwright .recaUed—^l: cannot.say if my sister took/ supper or/ not; on the evening of her/death. ",/Tthinkshe//fpll%e<Lme, up/stairs. tp bed in ihree/mihutes./ Some";cold,.potatoes \yere in thecupljpard.in_the kitchen. „That was' / the./ropm.,iV.-wmcH;/slie^wM//whexi. ; Lleft Ihei* down /stairs. Sh6/ ( was • standing^ by the/ cup- / board// Noone,else/.was inthe kitchen. / / ; ,By thb.Cprpner-^lj.ana quite sure/it was nay . cousin Tiyho Waked * me/first,/ and ,riot ; my/sister's ;/, groaning://I', /did, not/ / grbau.!/ My /: , sister/vyasnoi/away from the; house that 'even- / ing to niy.knowledge./'/She was. a few/minutes • out ai' tlie/Back/door/-but/did not-go /beyohdithe - garden./ JShe/did/nbt/appear excited when she i ; came in.; /We had", tea* at 5, and she took some .-bread; and, cheese;/..,.//-/,///-; > : ;/, ■ ;,., „,,.,- ; :' ; Henry Allwright recalledr-rl saw the deceased standing at the'table in.tKe ; Mtchen as I passed //.through; iti after /hev/'/sisterj/had, gbneto bed/ ;/ ;,I returned back/she.-was./ gone. /I/have .no/idea/bbw full/the phial" produced used/to :be.; /■'..lt'^Wasneyer seen;by any one/in the hbuse since ;/1855, c /on the clay/the,, Governor "came/ to ;the ,; settlement./ /l^w^s/placed'in a/little box jh ith6' /.drawer./^^ of/tlie/deceased .being.in the family-way on last /Wednesday./ \'' Had never, a//word, with my .daughter on tliei/,subjißctv;'T.'^ld-''my//''w'ife! to ;sp6ak tocher very mildly^ /She/did; sb",Vand the ,/ deceased; [ immediately: acknowledged" her pi'eg- ' nancy.; I neyw/khew myidaughter to "go to the draw;er/ where ./the '< poison / was. . .It; was hot '„, locked (phV; .this occasion/: /I/ had the bottle of .strychnia from a.young man named Bonner. T believe he/brought it. George Bonher—l know the bottle produced. It contains strychnia. The writing on the label is mine. I gave it to Mrs."Allwright "when I came' down the country, some 2 or 3 years ago. It contained'-then about half as much' again as it now contains. I merely gave it to her as I

stoppedthpre, anditwas in. my.pocket. I see the npttle has been;opened,since, I had it; It was-then securely sealed.. Saw the.deceased on Wednesday;evening", coming from the; Mitre ■■ with a- bundle of washing-clothes.' Did not see her-again till I saw- her / dead on Saturday night;;. ';* ■ ; ■'"

: The Coroner and Jury then, went to Allwright's house tp obtain the evidence of his wife, who was confined to bed by a scdlded loot.'. ';..;., ■"...,-. '.-,.'.

Ann AlWright said—r-I am the mother, of the .deceased. The strychnia was in my drawer. ; I don't: think -deceased knew; it was, there, I never used.it but once. :T put a small quantity, Ti don't remember how -muchi on some meat to poison ratsi'; Deceased was only -■ in the room /where/, the/'poisdn jwas in my presence, j and. while she /fetched' the" child's bed gown ; ithat/ was' ijr; the1 dark.'' She only came to the door tlien, and took it out of the chair that;was / standing by the J door. /On Thursday , last I spoke to her. ahput, her condition. , She said she was in the family-way* „I:asked;; h er,by whom. She said;by,McPherson..: I-asked her how far she was gone. 'She said.she believed about 6 -months. L 'told her to- go in the evening -to' tell him" what ;state she was in, and askjhim what lae'm^aht to do.' :She went out soon after 6. /She ciimb: back between 8 and 9. Sheisaid ; sheT had' teen/talking tp; Mris, ' Roberts, hut j had ' hdt seeh; Mi*'.; McPherson/ /: 'She said she . wpuld 'see him the next night.' //She/ looked yery melancholy- that,night./ , Oh^the Friday \ she : ;was in;wonderfurspirits; laughed and joked. ;I: did Inpt see hei* for some; time before bed time. T heard; heri in the kitchen: and; spoke to her. JShe was' not: outside the gate that- day at 9,11. I remember 'hearing her say, speaking of Elizabeth, that if ever she was 1 in' such a condition, she woiild jump off the jetty.: She w^s of wonderful light spirits generally.; She told me she! had' not. seen Mr ". McPherson for 3 weeks., I did not mention Mr. McPherson to her. She gafe ;his name herself., She was not in i the room: that, day long.enough to have got at J the strychnia bottle. She was only out of the.house to go to the back place. She and Elizabeth went out together.... . 1... "Esther Miunns sworn-—I remember deceased on the occasion; of,Elizabeth.,being .taken, ill. ,She said if I ;vvas in this stateV I wonder what father.would,say. , He iyould: throw me out "of doors, but I would jump off, the jetty first. - Charles W. Turner:--! know Mr. McPhersoni. J made arrangement with him on Thursday ."afternoon to meet me at my own house at seven o'clock. He i came a 'few minutes after seven. He remained with me till fully half-^ast nine;; He then proposed , to me to; go for a little..walk with him, but I could not; go out. On Friday evening Mr. McPherson attended '..a. sub-coin^ mittee. at the Library. He was in and but. The sub-committee was to; meet at seven. On Thursday I am positive he was at my house from five minutes past seven to half-past nine.

John Koberts-r-I saw the deceased last on Thursday night at our house. She knocked at the; door and askedif Mr.;McPherson;was in/ T told her, he was not. She-asked me to tell him when; he came in to step,up to their: house the next evening.-, It /was; between seven and eight o'clock. I told Mr. McPherson next morning. He 1 appeared/ quite; surprised,, and. seemed to ,' suppose that I was joking with him. He said, "What in the world; can she want of me?" He asked me again at dinner time if I was really joking. I never saw the deceased at our house before.

- Elizabeth Allwright, recalled —I" did not go out with my sister when she went out on Friday evening. I did not hear her converse with any one outside, She was out about twenty minutes. - It was about two hours before;we went to bed. My sister went generally first to bed. -

James McPherson —I knew the deceased. I last saw her to speak to her about Christmas. I am not positive to the day, but I can swear Tliave not spoken to her since within a week either before, or after Christmas.

.The ■; Coroner here intimated to the witness that he-might make any remarks he pleased in reference to the manner in which his name was connected with'the deceased, although such was not required; in evidence, and if he did so it would be altogether voluntary. Mr. McPherson replied—l have heard but little of this affair, but understanding my name has been strangely mixed up with these proceedings, and rumours afloat, I am most anxious that the whole case should be thoroughly investigated; and I am ready to answer openly, clearly, aud freely to any question that may occur to those concerned in this investigation. I most solemnly and distinctly state upon bath that I am not the father of the child of which the deceased is said to have been pregnant.

/In answer to the Coroner—On Friday evening I went to Derry's • from there to the library ;- thence to/Mr. Maud's, and from there again to the library. Ireceiveda message from the deceased/but I treated it as a mere joke. Icahnot account ifor the message unless by my • having advertised" for a housekeeper, and perhaps the! deceased wished to: apply Tor the situation. The Coroner then briefly .summed up Jlie evidence; and the jury retired. After an absence of three quarters of an hour they returned into Court and delivered a verdict of felo de se. •■■ From, the intense sensation ■ created by the lamentable circumstance fully stated above, the clamorous demand of the public for full details of the inquest, has induced us to give a report in extenso. ; -THE INTERMENT. At el oven o'clock on Monday night, the body of the ill-fated girl Was conveyed to its last resting-place in the cemetery. The funeral

was quietly ,and respectfully conducted. Mr. Ailwright and his oldest son were chief mourners, and, were followed: bjr a large concourse of our towns-people; amounting we should say to 200 > persons, whose sad bearing shewed how much they sympathised with the bereaved. Arrived at the grave, some delay was occasioned from- its /being found top small to receive the' coffin. The difficulty in the way of the interment being;removed, the body was lowered into the grave; and then the unhappy father, in heart-breaking words, offered up a prayer for his lost child and for his family, to which the multitude responded: in sobs and broken-sentences; ;We would now drop the veil over this awful tragedy,-with an expression of trust that before.the earthly father's prayer reached the ear of' the Eternal Pity, the Heavenly Father, in' His; infinite mercy, had accepted the finite transgressor.