Supposed Suicide in Wellington.

Manawatu Herald, 22 October 1892, Page 2

Supposed Suicide in Wellington.

» The N.Z. Times reports that a discovery was made about half-past 10 o'clock on Wednesday morning in the Botanical Gardens by two young men named B Porter and W. G. Vickers, who found the dead body of a man in an advanced stage of decomposition. They came upon the dead body of a man, lying on his back. The body was clothed in a brown tweed suit, a hard felt hat, which was still on the head, and shoes. The features were destroyed by vermin, and consequently beyond recognition. The hands were stretched out from the sides and between the left hand and side was a small bottle, half filled with some liquid. The bottle was of that class usually used by chemists for small quantities of medicine. On making the unpleasant discovery, the young men came into town with all possible despatch and reported the matter at the Central Police Station. From the appearance of the remains and also the growth of the underwood and grass around, it was apparent that the body had been there for some weeks. As far as could be ascertained, there was no signs of violence on the body, nor did its position suggest any. There were no papers found on the clothes which would tend to elucidate the mystery, the only articles in the pockets being a silver watch and chain, a threepenny piece, a couple of pencils and a Masonic emblem. The police authorities intend to get the contents of the phial analysed, as they believe them to be of a poisonous nature. The watch found on the body has since been identified by Mr Man nix, of Kempthorne, Proaser and Co., as belonging to a man named Peter White, a chemist, who was in the employ of the firm up to the 22nd August. During the week previous to this date the deceased had given way to drink. When he appeared at his work on Monday, August 22nd, he seemed to have recovered from the effects of his drinking bout, and was dressed somewhat better than usual. He left the warehouse, Lambton quay, some time during the. day, and had not been seen since. An inquest on the remains of Peter White, was held before Mr H W. Robinson, District Coroner, and a jury, on Thursday afternoon. Mr Wm. Skey, Government analyst, stated that he had examined the contents of the bottle found near the deceased, which proved on examination to be prussic acid, TvHich was exceedingly rapid in action. The phial produced would hold enough poison to cause instant death. Chas. O'Malley's evidence was to the eff ict that deceased came to Dartmoor House, Taranaki street, on the 20th August, and went out on the 22nd, and never returned. Witness waa of the opinion that he was low spirited at that time. Frank Maddox de posed that he knew the deceased, who was a chemist in the employ of Messrs Kempthorne, Prosser and Co. ■ Deceased was a man of a tempera, ment on which drink, to which h ft

was addicted, had a very depressing reactionary effect. He had been threatened with dismissal if he continued his drinking habits, but had not been actually dismissed. Witness had heard him say that he had a wife and family in Australia. He had seen the body, which he identified as that of the deceased by a watch and pendant, which was found upon it. There would not be the slightest occasion for deceased to carry prussio acid about with him — it was a most unusual thing. Deceased had told him that he had money in the Savings' Bank, and witness knew there were wages owing to him. Deceased had access to all the goods in the drug department. Dr Tripe stated that the body was too much decomposed to analyse it for anything but mineral poison, and as there was only evidence of a rege table poison, he had not taken out any of the viscera for the purpose of analysis. He had been unable to discover any signs of fracture. The jury returned an open verdict of ' Pound dead. 1