Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 605, 25 August 1858, Page 4

Local Intelligence.

MELANCHOLY SUICIDE

On Saturday last, an inquest was held at the Police Court, before W. Donald, Esq., Coroner, on the body of Sarah Jane Allwright, who had died suddenly at her father's house on the previous night. After the usual preliminai'iesof swearing in the jury and viewing the body, the witnesses were called.

Elizabeth Allwright deposed as follows:— The deceased was my sister; and was about 19 years of age. I.saw her last alive when getting into bed last night, about a quarter past nine o'clock. I went up stairs and she followed me directly. We slept on the same floor hut in different beds. A young brother and two sisters slept with her. We had no conversation after going up stairs, —nothing particular.; She only said she would take up the carpet off the front room on the following day. I went to bed and fell asleep, but was shortly waked by. my cousin, who said Sarah was groaning. I came to the door and asked her what was the matter? She said she had a cramp in the le°*. I asked if I would call mother ? She said, ' No.' She said something was the matter. I then got up and lighted the candle, having matches in the room. I went-. up. to her and found her lips black,—she was dead. It" was onlyfive minutes after my cousin waked me when I found my sister dead. : She seemed, perfectly cheerful when we went "to bed. We were together before, in the same room, during tlie evening. She sat at. the window and talked nothing particularly beyond the affairs of the house. I did not know whether or not she was pregnant; but my mother told me the day before that my father had suspected so. I never heard her say that she would destroy herself if she got into trouble, pi* any words to that effect. She was subject to the cramp, and used to complain of her legs. Sarah Ritchie—The deceased was my niece. Saw her yesterday evening about a quarter past nine, putting away clean clothes in the top- • drawer. She told me she was coming down to see me this evening; and seemed in her usual spirits. She never said anything to me that might lead me to suppose that she had gone astray. Her health was always excellent. After I had gone home William Allwright came for mc, and when I went up slip was dead. _ I saw nothing suspicious about, the house in tho shape pf an empty glass or otherwise. ;>•..;.-:•

Henry Allwright, the father of the d<v. , who was naturally so overcome with af.ec,» that he could hardly gi ye evidence 1 follows :-I know '^piiirf^^p «b tains strychnine, and has been in my hon °T" three or four years; and was procured oriSl 7 for destroying rats. I never sow it '_\_jL 7» ly until last night. After being a short t?m '* bed my nephew, who lives with me, called ln saying, " something is the matter with &SL??? My wife, who was laid up from a scalded rl\ said, "tell Nancy to ask what is the mi?*' and come and tell me."/ In two or tl minutes Nancy came down and said Sarah dead. It struck me in a moment, and Ia t^ my wife at once,." Is that strychnine in*? houseP"She said, " God knows, Ac* 1° you keep it?" I got up and opened th drawer where it used to be, but could not fi I it. My wife then managed with difficulty 1} get up, and found it where it had been alwav kept. After examining the phial she said si did not think it had been touched. It seem 1] perfectly as usual. The mark on the corkf mark as if it had been drawn by some shay instrument inserted at one side) is one that mv wife made a long time ago. I sent my nephew for Dr. Donald at the moment of hearing the first alarm ; and he arrived about fifteen minutes afterwards. [In answer to the Coroner.] T mean the first witness, Elizabeth, by ". Kaiicv-" it is the familiar family name.

Thomas Sutton:—-The deceased is my cousin I sleep in; a room on the same floor. I .went to" bed last night about a quarter past ten, about an hour after the rest. I had not been'in bed over a few rninut.es,/arid had not fallen asleep when I heard Sarah'moaning as if in great pain I heard the other sister ask. if she would'call her mother, and the deceased answered "Ko." Heard the sister call again, but deceased did not answer. I went and called the father and mother, and heard them directing Nancy to »o and see what was the matter. The latter came down immediately crying " Sarah is dead." The lasttimepreviously Isawdeceased wasabout halfpast seven. She seemed fully as cheerful as usual,—lively and joking. The moaning was like that of a person in extreme agony; and lasted about eight or ten minutes.. The Coroner here directed the attention of the witness to the discrepancy between big statement and that of Elizabeth Allwright, who deposed that she was first wakened by him; whereas he asserted that he first heard the moaning and then the sister calling out, without his having endeavoured to wake her or interfering in any manner..,.;.. The witness, however, persisted in his statement, and denied haying called out to Elizabeth. At this stage of the proceedings the inquisition was adjourned until Monday at 10 o'clock, to allow;; full time for a post mortem examination.';/ i// i-;,;-; .;;;■'/■■■/;' ---.;':' :r;EEStTMED ON MONDAY. J. S.Gundry—^l'am^a medical practitioner now residing ih; Lyttelton. By direction of the Coroner Drif M'Cheane. and myself made a post mortem examinatiom of the bodyof Sarah Jane Allwright. , I made notes of the appearances at the time. The copy produced is an exact transcription of those notes.; It runs as follows:-1-; ";;; "The body was lying upon the back in a perfectly natural position, as that of a person in a tranquil sleep. The left hand was laid across the stomach, the right; arm lying over the edge of the bedstead. Face turned slightly towardsthe left shoulder and depressed. Lower extremities straight. The fingers of the right hand were bent towards, the palm, and the arch of the right foot increased, the great toe of the same foot much inclined towards the sole. Rigidity pervaded all the joints, the elbows particularly. . '■■'.-.. ■'-,-;'"

" Dark purple spots were plentifully distributed over the face, neck, thorax, and upper extremities. The same hue pervaded the left groin; The finger nailsand lips were also of a dull purplei hue. .The dependant parts of the body, presented an uniform appearance of the same character. -"; „..-.

The abdomen was very hard , and prominent, and the. umbilicus protruding. The body generally was fat, and the breasts welldeveloped. - " Gn opening the- cavity of the chest, the organs presented a very congested appearance, and a large quantity of. dark fluid blood escaped on; severing the large■ vessels leading from the heart. "Viscera thrust upwards. <'The'heart itself, with its valves, were healthy, although the substance of the organ presented a dark and congested appearance. " The lung's were both highly congested * the left lung was gorged with blood ; in the right lung was a good deal of bloody frothy mucus. The same kind of mucus (bloody and frothy) extended over the inner surface of the trachea. "The large vessels leading from, the heart were healthy ,• as also was the lining membrane of tlie oesophagus. The sbsbphagns contained a small piece of potatoes in the lower portion. -." The intestines and liver were healthy; ," The uterus was greatly distended, and congested in patches. On cutting into its;cavity, a healthy frotus was found, in the eighth month of utero-gostation.; , " The membranes of the, brain were much congested, hut otherwise healthy. The substance of the brain Was also healthy, but was pervaded throughout with numerous bloody points.; The membranes of the right lobe were more congested than thoseof tho left. "The stomach was ligatured at both orifices and removed, sealed up in a jar, and entrusted to Sergeant Seager's custody. . .;.". On examination thirty-six hours after death f the external surface presented ._ an uniform congested appearance;gradually changing from

_ wht livid red at the pyloric extremity, to a dull brown at the aasophageal. • • -.-: ■i. / r ■" ' " On cutting open the organ, about a.£ ot a. ■nint of a thick grutnous substance was obtained iiixed with several small undigested/pieces; to, ; ?°"T)he lining membrane was healthy in .ap- / pearance, excepting .a* the oesophageal end / *£L re it partook of the same color (a dull • brown,) and corresponding with the external 3 surface The lining membrane was here easily S removed, by scraping, from the true coat of the /: s tomach, which presented numerous bloody p at the lower end of the esophagus I was found a small'hard substance imbedded r partially in food, which to the test of P nitric acid in precisely the same manner as a 1/ crystal of strychnine. A drop of nitric acid ¥ was also placed in the centre of a small quan- |/ tjty of the contents;of the stomach, which ,imI mediately turned it of an orange red colon |Z " A cloudiness was also observed on adding a P solution of bi-chioride of mercury to a: filtered I? solution of the contents of the stomach in I equal parts of distilled water, and hydrochloric p acid. |. " A portion of the contents of the stomach k was then given to a-small dog, but without h apparent effect for five. minutes. Oil repeating / with an additional and much larger quantity, / the usual symptoms of rigidity and convulsions / came on immediately, and in the course of three or four minutes .the dog was quite dead— the limbs quite flexible.: " A, small portion was then administered to a rabbit. For ten, or, twelve minutes no effect. was produced;' Convulsions then came on, with ; rigidity, and the animal died in about five. I minutes, the rigidity of the limbs remaining. [ "As much of the contents of the stomach as I would lie upon the point of a; case knife was | then given to a second small dog.; Convulsions I came on in seven and a half minutes, and in | thirteen and a Half irinutes (or 21 minutes I from the administration) the dog was quite I dead, the rigidity of the limbs remaining. | "On repeating the test with bi-chloride , of I mercury added to a solution of the contents of I the stomach in hydrochloric acid and water, a I decided flocculent percipitate was thrown down. I (Signed) "John Seager Gundry, I >■"■* ; ; - "Thos/ McCheane;" " I Sergeant' Seager: proved having taken pos- | session of the stomach sealed up in a jar, de--1 livering it on the previous day to Div Gundry, I and his presence during the analysis of its | -contents.-'-

(Dr. Gundry's evidence continued.) 5 - By the Jury—-I/never knew strychnia to |be used to cause abortion. I can say positively Ithat death in^this/ case,was,caused by strych-

!nine. 1 believe,/between ; one, and. two grains Is. sufficient generally to cause death in persons of the age of deceased. /There must have been considerably more than that quantity in the stomach. Presuming that potatoes ; was the vehicle by which the; poison was .conveyed to p.the stomach, lam not-in a position to say at I what time after/being:taken it would; cause I death. Considering- the fulness and contents I of thestomach'l think three grains must have § been taken. :--;■■-';::;.■./_-;: ■;■'; ;r ; " ": ;.' /; I The Coroner here quoted medical authorities 1 who had affirmed that half a grain would cause f the extinction of life.'.,"" | Dr. M'Cheane, who conjointly with Dr.' 1 Oundry had made the post mortem examination, j confirmed the correctness of the transcription I of notes produced; and"added" in answer to I questions-—I ha\fe/no hesitation;in saying that | death was caused by strychnia. -The quantity 1 taken by deceased must have been large, and I taken in solids. / I cannot say how much was I taken. :-r/.-:-: •;*: '••■: \-a .'■■■-.

I The Coroner here read from the report of Palmer's trial, the external appearances of the body of Cooke, which corresponded exactly with those of deceased. Elizabeth Allwright recalled—l cannot say if my sister took supper or not on the evening of her death. I think she followed me up stairs to bed in three minutes. Some cold potatoes i were in the cupboard in the kitchen. That was Ithe room in which she was when I left her down stairs. She was standing by the cupboard. No one else was in the kitchen.

!m By the Coroner—l am quite sure it was my Ijl cousin who waked me first, and not my sister's jf groaning. I did not hear her groan. My sister was not away from the house that evening to my knowledge. She was a few minutes out at the back door, but did not go beyond the garden. She did not appear excited when she came in. We had tea at 5, and she took some bread and cheese.

Henry Allwright recalled—l saw the deceased

§ standing at the table in the kitchen as I passed 1 through it, after her sister had gone to bed. 1 When I returned back she was gone.' I have I no idea how full the'phial produced used to be. f| It was never seen by any one in the house since p 1855, on the day the Governor came to the II settlement. It was placed in a.little box in the 1 drawer. Nobody knew how full it was. Heard g. of the deceased being in the family-way on last I Wednesday. Had never a word with my 1 daughter : on the subject. I told my wife to 1 speak to her very mildly. She did so, and the I deceased immediately acknowledged her pregI nancy. I never knew my daughter to go to tho I drawer where the poison was. It was not I locked on this occasion. I had the bottle of i- strychnia from,a ; ypung man named Bonner. I I \ believe lie broughtlitwv;i ■" ," i,;i ';//', ,/ • ''•'•'■''' |- ■. Ge6rgQ:'Bopner~l''kuow,-;th,'c bottle producedI It contains'strychnia../ The 'writing on the label iis mine. "I gave it to Mrs. - Allwright when I j came down tire country, somo 2 or 3/years agP.; [■ It contained then about half as much again as/ it now contains. I meroly gavo it to her as I

stopped there, and it was in my pocket. I see the bottle 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 to obtain the evidence of his wife, who was confined to bed by a scalded foot.

Ann Allwright said—l 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. I put a small quantity, I don'b remember how muchj on some meat to poison rats. Deceased was only in the room where the poison was in my presence, and while she fetched the child's bed gown ; that was in the dark. She only came to the door then, and took it out of the chair that was standing by the door. On Thursday last I spoke to her about her condition. She said she was in the family-way. I asked her by whom. She said by McPherson. I asked, her how far she was gone. She said she believed about 6 months. I." told her /to go in the evening to tell him what state she was in, and ask him what he meant to do. She went out soon after 6. She came back between 8 and 9. - She said she:had been talking to Mrs. Eoberts, but had notseen Mr. McPherson. She said she would see: him the next night. She looked very melancholy that night. On the Friday' she 'was in wonderful spirits, laughed and joked. I did not see her for some time before bed time. I heard her in the kitchen and spoke to -her. She was not outside the gate that day at all.. I remember hearing her say, speaking of Elizabeth, that if ever she was in such a condition, slie wonld jump off the jetty. She was 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 gave his. name* herself. She was not in the room that day long enough to have got at the strychnia bottle. She was only" out of the.house to go to the back place. She and Elizabeth went out together. . ........ Esther Munns sworn—l remember deceased 'on the occasion of Elizabeth being taken ill. She said if I was in this state, I wonder what father, would say.: He ;would throw ;me: out of doors, but I.would jump off the jetty first. " Charles W. Turner—l know Mr. McPherson. I made arrangement./with him on Thursday afternoon to meet meat my own/house at seven o'clock. He came a few minutes - after seven. He remained with me till fully half-past nine. He then proposed to me to go for a little walk with him, but I could not go out. On Friday evening r Mr..McPherson attended a sub-com-mittee, at ; the; Library.: He was in and out. 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 Roherts-r-I saw the deceased last on Thursday night at pur house. She-knocked at the door and asked if Mr. McPherson .was in. I told her he was not. She asked me to tell him when he came sin to step up to their housethe next evening. It was between seven and eight o'clock. I told Mr. McPherson next morning. He 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; mjr sister when she went out on Friday evening. I did not hear her converse with anyone 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—l knew the deceased. I last saw her to speak to her about Christmas. I am not positive to the day, but I can swear I have not spoken to her since within a week either before or after Christmas.

The Coroner here intimated to tlie 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 that my name has been strangely mixed up with these proceedings, and rumours afloat, I am most anxious that the whole case should be thoi'oughly 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 oath 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. I received a message from the deceased, but I treated it as a mere joke. I cannot account for the message unless hy my having advertised for a house-keeper, and perhaps the deceased wished to apply for the situation.

The Coroner then briefly summed up the 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 ciroumstanco 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 eleven o'clock on Monday night, the body of tho ill-fa;oed girl was conveyed to its last resting-place in tho cemetery. The funeral

was quietly and respectfully conducted. Mr. Allwright and his oldest son were chief mourners, and were followed by 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 too small to receive the coffin. The difficulty in the way of the interment being removed, the body wa.s 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.