INQUEST.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume 1, Issue 25, 8 February 1873, Page 1 (Supplement)

INQUEST.

In our issue last Wednesday we gave an out- 1 line of an occurrence which took place at Mr. Poynters’s homestead at Waerenga-a-hika on the 20th inst., which resulted in the death by poison of Thomas Edwin Hart a constable in the Armed Constabulary stationed at Ormond. We have only just been able to obtain possession of the depositions taken at an inquest held on the same day by the Coroner, W. K. Nesbitt Esq., before a jury composed of the following gentlemen:—Joseph Hamon, (foreman) R. Colebrook, J. Maynard, J. Villers, J. Mullooly, M. Boland, G. Davis, F. Saunders, T. Kilburn, E. Hood, W. Brunt, J. Gardiner, of which the following is the substance. No. 1798. Constable Francis Helps sworn stated : —About i to 1 o’clock this morning 1 was awoke by screams. 1 was sleeping in a tent in a paddock at Waerenga-a-hika. I recogrdzed the voice to be that of Hart the deceased. At the same time Froggatt drew something from under my head. I asked him what was the matter. He replied he did not know, but that something was wrong with Hart, and asked me to get up. I then heard Hart say “ I am ■> dying. lam choking ; God have mercy upon me!” Froggatt and I went outside the tent, and found Hart lying on his back, kicking. We asked him what was the matter with him, but he could not answer. We got him up on his feet, and took him to the tent door, but he would not go in. He said “ dont take me in Froggatt!” He then sat down and seemed to go into convulsions, and cried out “ I am poisoned!” Previous to this I had noticed a Knnikin lying on the ground about ten yards >m the tent, and about half way between the tent and the spot where we first found him. It struck me that he might have been drinking sheep-wash, and I asked him if he had been drinking water about the camp. He said “ Yes.” I then asked him how he got it. He replied, “ out of the barrel near the shed.” I came to the conclusion that he was poisoned, and immediately saddled my horse, and rode to the Camp to report the circumstance. It was moonlight. Hart was about half way between the wool-shed and the tent. I did not know there was poison in the cask, but as we had been previously cautioned against using any of the utensils about the camp, I came to the conclusion that Hart was poisoned. The deceased belonged to the Armed Constabulary, and was not employed by Mr. Poynter. The barrel cantaining the poison was uncovered. I believe, but am not sure, that the deceased was among the men who had been previously cautioned by Mr. Poynter against using the utensils about the Camp. No. 1838 Constable H. Froggatt corroborated the evidence of former witness and added, I went for some salt and water, and on returning heard deceased say to Whitehead “ let me lie where I am.” I asked him to sit up and take a drink, but he could not swallow. He expired in about two minutes. When I took up the pannikin it was wet but empty. From the time I heard the first screams until his death, could not have exceeded ten minutes. Deceased left the tent at 2 p.m. yesterday and was perfectly sober. I did not see him in the interval until his death. Deceased has cautioned me against using any of the buckets in the sheep yard, with the exception of those we brought us. I could not form an opinion as to whether deceased had been drinking. No. 1779 Constable J. Whitehead deposed: I heard screams and went outside the tent, where I found deceased lying down. He asked me to take off his boots, and if I thought he would recover. I heard him say to Constable. Helps, that he drank something about five minutes before. I believe deceased was sober bv the way he spoke. I was cautioned by Constable McDermott against using any of the buckets about the sheep yard. I never heard deceased say that he knew there was sheep-wash in the barrel. Thomas Kilburn’s evidence principally went to show that the deceased had been with him on the previous evening and that he (Kilburn) left the deceased about 1 o’clock. J. B. Poynter deposed: A barrel stands at the corner of my wool-shed, containing a solution of arsenic, the strength of which is about 164 grains to the pint. All the utensils of every kind, have contained arsenic, with the exception of one bucket. When I heard that the Constabulary wished to encamp near the woolshed, I warned Captain Bichardson of the danger to be incurred from arsenic. I also went to the spot mvself and called the attention of all the men who were then there, some six or seven, to the utensils, pointing out one bucket in particular, and I said, “Do not use any bucket, pannikin, dish, or any utensil about here, for they are all poisonous with the exception of that one.” Later in the same day I saw the men at supper, and thinking that perhaps some of them had not been present at the previous warning, I repeated it so that all might hear, speaking more particularly to the Sergeant in charge. To one of the Constabulary, (I do not remember the individual) I pointed out the boiler in which the arsenic was boiled, and also the cask which has been spoken of in tlie evidence this day, and told him that they were both poisonous. I particularly pointed out the cask, and said the contents might be mistaken for ordinary water as it was clear. The cask then stood about ten or fifteen yards from where the men were cooking, and then had a portion of an iron bedstead over the top of it; since that time the cask has been shifted to the portion it at present occupies. It is not usually kept covered when in use. It had beeu in use on Saturday the 18th inst., and was to have been used again this morning (Monday.) The reason It is kept covered is to prevent “stock” from drinking out of it. It has never occurred to me that it could be used for drinking water bv men. Charles Shaw (foreman to Mr. Poynter) being duly sworn states: I warned the deceased on iriday against using the bucket which is used for dipping the arsenic. He replied, Mr. Poynter has told us all about the arsenic, on which I said, “ Then it is all right.”

The jury gave the following verdict: —“ That I the deceased Thomas Edwin Hart came by his I death by and in consequence of drinking, acci-1 dentally and by mistake, a quantity of foot-rot dressing containing arsenic, and not from any hurt, injury, or violence, done or committed, to the knowledge of the said jurors.” To which was added a rider as follows : —“ The jury, whilst they are of opinion that Mr. Poynter took sufficient means to caution the men encamped near the sheep yard, against using any of the vessels employed for the purpose of washing the sheep, desire to say tliat sufficient precautions are not, as a rule, taken to prevent accidents ; andrihey strongly recommend that all persons using arsenic as a sheep wash, should keep it under lock and key, at all times except when actually in use; and they recommend that steps be taken to bring the matter before the proper authorties.”